Peace Through Jesus

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'" (John 14:6).

Some will read this statement of Jesus and think. "No other way to God other than Jesus? What about the religions that seek God but reject the work of Jesus on the cross? That sounds too exclusive." And I get it. What encourages me, however, is that while the way to God is exclusive in that it's only through Jesus, the invitation to walk in the way of Jesus is inclusive in that it's offered to all of humanity. 

But what exactly does it mean to obtain peace with God through Jesus? Let's break down the above statement made my Jesus to better understand.

Jesus is the Way
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:1-2).

"For in all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross" (Colossians 1:19-20). 

The blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross offers justification of sins to those who place their faith in His work. It is through Jesus Christ, and through our faith in His shed blood, that we obtain peace with God in a reconciled relationship to Himself. There is no other way for our sins to be justified, except through the blood of Jesus. No religion, no tradition, no good work of man will ever be enough to earn a right standing with God outside of the atonement of Jesus on the cross. Without His guilt offering on our behalf, we would stand eternally condemned in the presence of a perfectly Holy God. But Jesus, who was "pierced for our transgressions" and "crushed for our iniquities" bore "the punishment that brought us peace" (Isaiah 53:5). It is because of this that we have a way into His throne as we clothe ourselves in the righteousness of Jesus, "for as many of (us) as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:21).

Jesus is the Truth

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32).

"All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him" (Matthew 11:27).

Jesus is the only human to ever walk this earth who truly knew God before creation, as Jesus is quite literally God's Word in the flesh. For "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God..He was with God in the beginning" (John 1:1-2). Jesus is the only One who can fully and perfectly testify to the truth about God and the truth that is spoken by God. This truth includes who God is, who we are in comparison to God due to our sinful nature, what the will of God towards mankind is, and how we as humans can be in right relationship with God in light of this reality. While many faithful prophets, leaders, and even Angels have testified about God for generations, only Jesus bears the perfect and full truth of God. The way of Jesus, the words of Jesus, and the life of Jesus all point to the truth of God. To reject Jesus is to reject absolute truth. To accept Jesus, is to find freedom in the absolute truth of God.

Jesus is the Life

"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 15:11-12).

God created the world through His Word, Jesus. All of life is physically sustained and upheld through Jesus (Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 1:3). Without Jesus, creation as we know it would cease to exist. But even deeper than physical life, Jesus grants eternal spiritual life to all who place their faith in the way and truth of Jesus. God has the power and ability to (and even the right!) to "destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). But to those who accept and seek peace with God through Jesus, we are spared from this destruction by new life found only in Jesus.

Radical peace with God leads to radical peace from God; peace of mind and soul. And as we discussed over the last few months, this soul level peace points to a life that abides in the love of God, leading us to live anchored in the joy of the Lord.