A historic peace deal in Israel today was made official with the signature of the President of the United States. Both Hamas and Israel have exchanged hostages and agreed to the terms of the deal. Cautious optimism is held by many as they hope and pray that further lives will not be lost. The question most are contemplating is whether the peace will last. Given the history of conflict there, more than a few are skeptical, and for good reason. And yet, nearly all would agree that today’s events provide a unique opportunity for a kind of peace that has eluded the area for centuries.
Have you ever wondered why peace is so hard to achieve in our world, why throughout time and history there have only been brief periods of peace? Why can’t the nations of the world bring to it the peace it deserves? The answer, Christians believe, is that the Bible teaches there can be no lasting peace among human beings unless there is peace with God first, spiritual peace with our Creator. Such peace with him was forfeited in the garden when Adam and Eve chose to pursue their will instead of God’s, when they sinned against him. Separation with God was the result, and people have been dealing with the cataclysmic consequences of this decision ever since.
The religions of our world seem to agree that peace with God or their version of deity is needed, and they provide various means of achieving this peace. Most are a system of good works a person must do to prove themselves to be peace worthy. Whether it is the five pillars of Islam, adherence to the Torah, or the experience of Nirvana, peace is something a person must attain through great moral effort. Only Christianity is different. Followers of Christ instead believe that peace with God is received as a gift of him through faith. Salvation is a gift of grace that is based on what Jesus has done for us, not on what we can do for him.
The first decision of Adam and Eve to sin against God in the garden, the separation it has brought, the consequences visited upon all of human history have now been reversed in Christ. As the only sinless person who has ever lived, Jesus took our sin upon himself on the cross. He became our sin offering. He bridged the gap between us and his Father, making peace with God possible for those who will trust in him for forgiveness and salvation. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)
The peace Christ brings is a lasting vertical peace with our Creator that is designed to have horizontal consequences. Human beings can now be a peace with each other. In this case, bumper sticker theology perhaps says it best. “Know Jesus. Know peace. No Jesus. No peace.” Are you experiencing the peace he came to provide today? Are you spreading it to others?