Peace With God Proclaimed

Don Salmans reminds us that peace with God is attainable! In fact, it is the most wonderful gift to receive then share with others.

The Best Christmas Gift – Peace With God

What was the best gift you ever got for Christmas. I imagine you remember some of the ones that you were disappointed in. I remember one time I got socks and I was not too excited about that. There are times I’ve also had some great gifts. This wasn’t a Christmas gift but my dad bought a Shetland pony for myself, and my brother. And I thought that was such an outstanding present – it was a great gift.

But the greatest gift is that we can have peace with God, God wants to give you peace, and he wants to give peace to those around you. In Ephesians 2:17 says Christ came and preached peace. We think what can I get for my son or my wife for Christmas.  One of the most wonderful gifts, we could share with anyone is a gift of peace with God.

Sharing the Gospel

Years ago, I came across this little simple outline, from an evangelist, Larry Maurier, and it had a simple outline of sharing the gospel through two statements, the bad news and the good news. Maybe this will help you, a little tool you could put in your toolbox of sharing with others about Christ at this time of the year.  The bad news is from Romans 3:23,

“all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Now, people often don’t want to think or talk about negative stuff. Our culture doesn’t want to mention sin, it’s not politically correct. But we have to face the need, before we can discover the solution.

Years ago an uncle of mine had a spot on his face that he did not attend to. He didn’t want to go to the doctor but finally his family made him go and it was cancerous. But by the time it was discovered, it had developed to such a degree that ultimately my uncle died of cancer. There are some dear, dear people who are refusing to face the problem of sin. And it is deadly.  Romans 6:23, which is another very important verse,

“the wages of sin is death.” 

This is spiritual death, or separation from God. Without receiving God’s remedy, by receiving Christ as our Savior, we will be eternally separated from God Himself. What a disaster, an eternal disaster. Cancer is terrible, but this is far worse because it will separate us from God forever.

I know others who are battling and have battled cancer, it is just terrible. In fact, my dad ended up having a brain tumor cancer, and it took his life but you know what, before that happened, dad realized his need. His problem was sin and his need for a Savior. And so he recognized the bad news. And then he accepted the good news and the good news is in Romans 5:8, it says

“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Christ died in our place to pay for our sin.

Christ Died For Us

In 1 Peter 2:24, it says

“he (or Christ) bore our sins in his body on the cross.”

He didn’t bear his sins, he bore our sins. And then it says in 1 Peter 3:18, for

“Christ also died for sins once for all.”

The just Christ being the just for the unjust-that’s who we are. Sin has marred us and scarred us. We need a savior and Christ died in our place. He took our pain, he took our punishment when he died on the cross. 

I remember a story I came across years ago in the newspaper. A young man went to the car races and he just happened to sit down by a young mom who was with some of her children. As they were watching the cars were going around at a high rate of speed, all of a sudden there was a wreck. 

One of the wheels from a care broke loose, and it shot up into the stadium. It was coming right at this young mom. And she was just frozen in fear. At the last moment, the very last moment, this young man who’d sat beside her jumped in front of her. And he took the full blow of that tire. It smashed him into the stands, but she was saved. He took the pain, he took the blow for her.

Christ Took the Blow for Us

Christ took the blow of our sin by dying in our place. But you know what? He did this for you. You can reject his gift, there are a lot of people who are rejecting the gift that Christ offers. In John 2:16 it says

“For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

And then it says in John 3:18,

“he who believes in Him is not judged. He who does not believe (he who rejects the gift) has been judged already. Because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

He’s not trusted Christ to be a Savior, the gift that is offered. He’s paid for our sin, He offers the gift to us the gift of peace, he gives us the gift of life. It says in John 3:36,

“he who believes in the Son has everlasting life.”

At this season, may we share with those around us that Christ came and he preached peace.

How Can We Share This Gift?

As you’re thinking about this season, what are some ways maybe that you could share this wonderful gift with people?

In Ephesians 3:18, Paul’s writing to me the very least of all the saints that this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles, the unfathomable riches of Christ. No matter what kind of gift you’ve ever received – the most outstanding, fabulous gift a car, even a house or whatever, nothing measures up to the gift that Christ offers. It is unfathomable. It is wonderful peace with God. But how could we share that this season?

Who has God burdened you with for their salvation, that they might have God’s peace?  Maybe a neighbor that you have a close relationship, a friend that you really care about, or maybe like myself, your grandkids, people that you love, you want to make sure they get this gift.

Pray for them.  Start praying for their salvation. Write their names in a little book, put their pictures in it. And when you look at it, pray for and then ask God to give you a way to approach them to share with them the good news of what God has done. First the bad news, then the good news, of how they can receive life.

Cinnamon Roles and Christ

My mom loved lost people, she wanted to share Christ with them. One of her gifts was making these delicious cinnamon rolls.  It might be a neighbor we had, maybe they were going through some kind of difficulty. And my mom, would make these wonderful rolls, and she’d take the rolls and share them, share them with the neighbors. Her goal was that she wanted them to have something nice to eat, but far more importantly, she wanted them to receive the gift of life and peace.

You might also look for some material that you think is appropriate, that declares the gospel clearly, and you would feel comfortable sharing. It might be a gospel track, or at this time of the year, a Christmas card and you could include a gospel tract with it. And then you pray for those people, you pray for them. And have other people pray for you to have boldness, in what you say, what you write, what you share. This is a wonderful time of the year and one of the unique times to share Christ, to share the peace that He provides, that He offers to people who will receive it.

A Few Minutes Compared to Eternity

My dad was not a full time preacher, but he would preach at a church.  My mom was with him one time, and after my mom said, Tim honey, that was kind of a long sermon. Dad said, what are a few minutes compared to eternity? He had a passion, that lost people will come to trust Christ, and receive the gift of peace, peace with God, May, the Lord, empower each of us, nudge each of us, help each of us share the peace that God provides, through Christ with those he’s put around us, that we might have the joy of sharing this most wonderful gift of all, with those around us this Christmas.  

Do you have peace with God? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.