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Peace Like a River (Romans 5:1)
“When a man finds no peace within himself, it is useless to seek it elsewhere” (Unknown).
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).[/perfectpullquote]I come from the “Peace Generation” — you know, the one with all the riots and demonstrations? The ’60s is not just my age bracket; it was my generation. It was a time of restless young people searching for peace in all the wrong places: music, drugs, communal living, skipping rent, boycotting barber shops, Eastern religion, and varied forms of psychedelia (Interestingly, the word stems from two Greek words meaning, “visible soul.”) I have a Family Circus book whose cover displays Billy and PJ covered in whipped cream. Thel is grimacing at them as Billy raises two fingers and cries, “Peace, Mommy, Peace!” Good luck with that!
One title I read for this section of Romans is, “At Home with God.” It is a perfect description. Romans 5:1 forms a bridge between the explanation of salvation in the previous sections and the benefits of salvation in the following verses. What are we “saved” from? The answer is “Who”: God. Before you call the Heresy Hunters, let me explain. Rather, let Paul explain: “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God” (Romans 5:9).
When we are in our sinful state, we are enemies with God. As Verse 10 states, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” You see, we are saved from God by God for God!
The word “peace” is a word meaning, “cessation of hostilities.” It is the leading word in the phrase in the original language, giving it the place of prominence and emphasis. It is an unchanging condition, unlike our fluctuating emotions. Whether we feel at peace with God or not, because we have been justified, we and God are no longer enemies. This peace is “the state of law and order which gives rise to the blessings of prosperity” (The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology Volume 2). This condition of peace and reconciliation is the fountainhead of the river of blessings that follow in the rest of Romans, similarly hinted at in Isaiah 48:18: “Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.”
This offer of peace and reconciliation requires unconditional surrender to God, but only on His terms: the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is the only offer of peace in God’s plan. When a soul surrenders to God, He as judge, not only proclaims that soul righteous — God also begins a new personal relationship with the sinner.
Pagan images of God through the centuries have portrayed Him as The Great Unknowable; or a snarling, sneering, disdainful deity, waiting to play Cosmic Whack-a-Mole on your head; or a calf or beetle; and any number of unflattering images. But the God Who sent His son to die for sinners wants a loving, caring, forgiving, parental, personal relationship with us! This is greater than any human judge would offer in a court of law.
Troubled by whatever is going on today? Claim that peace with the One Who is in control, and let it sink in!
– Alan Allegra
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