Tuesday, March 4, 2014

PEACE OF SOUL : IN CHRIST ALONE!

Internally and externally, in the matter of holiness of thought and deed, there is a tide like ebb and flow, and we often get caught in the rush when the tide is running out.  Never-the-less, it remains perfectly true that genuine followers of Christ are those whom “by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time”.

Those who are His are kept in holiness. Without doubt sincerity and simplicity of faith is certainly a true aspect of a genuine follower of Christ, but, essentially, these qualities have nothing to do with the peace of our soul, which is the result of our justification unto salvation.

It is the Lord, Jesus Christ, who alone, justifies sinners such as you and I. It is Christ alone who is the peace-maker, and as the peace-maker, every aspect of the peace of our soul is dependent on Christ alone.

It has been my sorrow, for many years of ministry, to see, time after time, so many who seek this peace from everything but Christ; works of one kind or another, obeying commandments, rules, regulations, church membership, church attendance, baptism, theological education, humiliation through self inflicted suffering, etc. In doing so they are making the same mistake Israel made, of which Jeremiah spoke to them the words of the Lord in Jer. 2:13, "for my people have committed two evils:they have forsaken me,the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves,broken cisterns that can hold no water”.


They, like so many in the religious scene today, were relying on their own works, looking within themselves to be pleasing to God. They have made spiritual “broken cisterns”, and in doing so disregarded the one Source of life,”the fountain of living waters”, and, in reality depending on dry wells “that can hold no water."

Where is soul peace to be found? Only one Source: Jesus Christ, the fountain of living waters satiating our need for soul peace and life!

When we look to find that rest for our souls in what we do, in how righteously we act, or, any other effort from within ourselves, we forsake the fountain of living water, and the peace which is to be found in the completed work of Christ.

It is a great sadness to have met so many broken cisterns, doing their utmost to fulfil the demands of an institution to which they are bound, clamping themselves down into bondage of guilt, in their struggle with sin, when not one of us can declare that we are not infected with this malady.

A much wiser man than I, who knew exactly what he was saying asked,”Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin?”(Prov.20:9)

If any one claims that they can have peace for their soul by the deliberate subduing of their sins, they deceive themselves!

There is only one place that peace may be had; in complete, and utter trust in Him and what He, the fountain of living waters, the Lord, Jesus Christ, has fulfilled, and completed.

If you are one who is wrestling to subdue sin, may I ask why do you turn your back on what is freely offered in the works which Jesus Christ completed for eternity? Why do you think you can improve on what He finished?

Prior to His departure from this earth, Jesus promised He would leave a “Helper”, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

So many, by their own actions, imply that what Christ has done is not enough, to satisfy the wrath of God, and they need to fill up that which is missing, and be pleasing to Him, so gaining peace for their souls.

The sin of pride causes us to be deaf to the clear words of Scripture , and compare ourselves with others whom we deem "more sinful".  The old hymn says it all,


I hear the Savior say,
“Your strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow


He is the only way to peace of soul, which, indeed, is peace with God!
As Jesus said, Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said,‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

Whoever believes in me”, who He is, what He has accomplished, what He is still doing (1 John 2:1)are those who have drunk at the fountain of living water, and from whence the living water flows!
This peace is secure for eternity!