Living At Peace

 DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS

LIVING AT PEACE

Eph 2:14-18

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

NIV

This word, “For” stems from the fact that we who were far away from God have been bought near, therefore, For He Himself is our peace. God is our peace. We cannot find this kind of peace in the world, it is elusive in fact, unavailable. It is interesting as we have researched before this Greek word translated as peace has interesting usage in the New Testament. Eireenee is used as a state of national tranquility or the exemption from the rage and havoc of war. This certainly could be seen as we were once at war with God which meant we had no tranquility within our soul. We were in turmoil and disturbed within even without knowing that we were objects of God’s wrath. However, this Greek word is seen in a more personal relationship with God. When He brought us near through the power of the Spirit at work convicting us of our need to change our thinking, that is repent, accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are at peace with God. This is defined as the tranquil state of our soul assured of our salvation through Christ, and so we fear nothing from God, and we are content with our earthy lot, whatsoever sort that is. The only way to experience peace within is to be in Christ. Paul makes the case that Jews and Gentiles are now one people, there is no difference in any ethnicity or nationality when it comes to being in Christ. We are one new man whom God put to death all hostility for those who are in Christ. It is interesting that God destroyed the barrier between the Jewish people and us Gentiles by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. That is when Jesus went to the cross it took the law with him and therefore the law was crucified with Christ. All the Old Testament law is abolished, gone, no longer in effect, and as unpopular as this sounds, and strange to think and say, that includes the Ten Commandments. We live under a new covenant that God made with us in Christ. We live by this new covenant of grace, for even if we tried to abide by one single command, one of the least of all the laws, we would eventually fail, and we have been told if we try to live by the law, we will be judged by the law. Of course, this does not mean that we should live a lawless life without any limits, however, the law we are to live under is the civil law of our land. God has freed us from the burden of trying to live under that law he gave to Israel for the expressed reason to show them they could not find righteousness within the law and needed His salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. All we want in life is to be at peace with God and it is all about what He has done. God has made peace with us through Jesus and therefore there is no barrier between God and us. The veil has been torn apart, and we have full access to the Father by one Spirit.