The In-Between
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - Romans 5:1
While Jesus promises to bring everlasting peace to His people at His second coming, the main reason He came the first time was to bring peace between God and us. Romans 5:1 explains it beautifully: “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection opened a door that lets us, once His enemies, become His children. That’s why we sing in the Christmas carol, “His law is love, and His gospel is peace.” The gospel is what brings peace between us and God.
But that same gospel, which draws us close to God, also brings tension between those who follow Jesus and those who don’t. The truth of the gospel divides, even among family members. That’s what Jesus was referring to in Matthew 10 when He said He came to bring a sword. This “sword” isn’t about causing unnecessary conflict, it’s about how following Jesus often means choosing Him above all else, even when others don’t understand.
Jesus Himself told us to live in peace with everyone, as Paul wrote in Romans 12:18, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” And yet, living for Christ doesn’t mean the world will be at peace with us. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world are at odds, which is why Jesus can say both, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” and “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you.”
We live in this in-between time, between Jesus’ first coming and His second. In this period, peace with God sometimes comes with conflict with the world. But even in the tension, Jesus offers us His peace. So, hold fast to the Prince of Peace, who gives us rest in the middle of life’s struggles and holds us secure until He returns to bring peace forever. Jesus is the gift of peace, now and always. Will you embrace that gift today?
While Jesus promises to bring everlasting peace to His people at His second coming, the main reason He came the first time was to bring peace between God and us. Romans 5:1 explains it beautifully: “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection opened a door that lets us, once His enemies, become His children. That’s why we sing in the Christmas carol, “His law is love, and His gospel is peace.” The gospel is what brings peace between us and God.
But that same gospel, which draws us close to God, also brings tension between those who follow Jesus and those who don’t. The truth of the gospel divides, even among family members. That’s what Jesus was referring to in Matthew 10 when He said He came to bring a sword. This “sword” isn’t about causing unnecessary conflict, it’s about how following Jesus often means choosing Him above all else, even when others don’t understand.
Jesus Himself told us to live in peace with everyone, as Paul wrote in Romans 12:18, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” And yet, living for Christ doesn’t mean the world will be at peace with us. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world are at odds, which is why Jesus can say both, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” and “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you.”
We live in this in-between time, between Jesus’ first coming and His second. In this period, peace with God sometimes comes with conflict with the world. But even in the tension, Jesus offers us His peace. So, hold fast to the Prince of Peace, who gives us rest in the middle of life’s struggles and holds us secure until He returns to bring peace forever. Jesus is the gift of peace, now and always. Will you embrace that gift today?
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