Joy And Peace

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13

The Source of Peace And Joy

God wants you to be filled with joy? He also wants you to experience peace in all areas of your life. He wants you to have peace with your family, peace with your friends, peace with your church family, and peace with the world. He wants you to have peace within your work, your play and your worship. The only way to experience peace and joy is through a right relationship with Jesus Christ.

The reason most people don’t have peace and joy in their life is because they are missing the free gift of salvation. God gives us peace and joy through our faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Because we are born with a sin nature we are naturally at war with God. Once we surrender and submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ we are at peace and all sin is forgiven.

Another reason why most people don’t have peace and joy in their life is because they are seeking to be filled with worldly pleasures instead of the hope of God. Even as a Christian we can get caught up in the trap of worldly living. If we are not careful we will find ourselves seeking pleasure in things that will only last temporarily and will soon fade away. However if we keep our minds and hearts set on the things of God we will enjoy the peace and joy that only God can give.

Prayer

Ask the Lord to fill your heart with peace and joy and then seek the things of God.

Peace And Holiness

November 12, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Encouragement, Faith, Trust

Peace And Holiness

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:14‬ ‭

Only Through Jesus

We are instructed to pursue peace and holiness as we mature in our Christian life. But notice carefully that without holiness no one will see the Lord. You may be active in church attendance, engaged in spiritual activities, and believe you are a spiritual person, but if you do not have holiness you will not see the Lord. In other words those who are without holiness, which is godliness or Christlikeness, will not inherit eternal life in Heaven.

Some people believe that if they do enough good it will gain them eternal life in Heaven. The truth is we are only able to see the Lord in Heaven through Jesus Himself, not by our good deeds. There is no way we could do enough good things to impress God in order to gain eternal life in Heaven. However, Jesus did live a good and perfect life which qualified Him to be the ultimate sacrifice that pleased God. And the only way that He was able to do so was because He was God in the flesh. Jesus lived a holy and perfect life that was in complete obedience to God and He did it all for those who could not keep the law of God.

All who trust in the person and works of Jesus Christ are given the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables those who are in Christ to pursue holiness and possess a longing for the things of God. A new yearning to live holy and perfectly is the result of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. If you pursue peace and holiness it is because God gives you the ability to do so. You cannot pursue peace and holiness outside a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Ask the Lord to give you strength and courage as you strive to live holy and perfectly according to His Word.