There is a lot of talk about peace these days, but much of it is just talk. The primary problem with the peace this world offers is that it is only external. In spite of the talk, wars and fighting continue. Of course, peace between nations and neighbors is highly desirable.

Even with external peace, the soul is often in a condition of unrest – because of sin and doubtfulness about the eternal future. When the Lord Jesus gives peace, it eliminates the fear of eternal judgment, because He promises and gives eternal life. It also eliminates the feeling of guilt of past sin, because He takes it away – never to be seen by God again.

Some religions offer some type of peace – but it is a deception. What good is it if your mind is at a temporal peace but you still go to Hell because your sins are not forgiven? That kind of peace may offer a temporary salve of the conscience – but sin is not erased. Consider this verse: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts. 3:19). This verse promises that if you will turn from sin in your heart to God and ask Him to save and forgive you because of what Jesus did for you on the Cross, He will blot out (erase) your sins. This can give you peace with God.

Once the sin issue has been taken care of, then the promise of the above verse in John can apply to you. You will be able to have peace beyond anything this world offers – even being calm in difficult situations. This kind of peace is the peace of God.

Do you have this kind of peace today?

There are many today claiming to be or have the way to God. Because of spiritual darkness in the world, most people are confused and uncertain about their future – but there is no need for it.

You see, there is only One Who came down from Heaven to save mankind. His claim was verified by His powerful miracles, His words, and by those who were closest to Him.

The Bible prophesied His coming centuries before and declared that He would fulfill many detailed prophecies. They were so detailed that it would be impossible to predict them or even to deliberately fulfill them.

All religions teach that man must earn his way to Heaven. Because Jesus came to die for our sins, and He could only do this if He had no sin. He even invited others to point out His sins if they could – and there were no takers – not even from the religious leaders who hated Him! (John 8:46 “Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?”)

Because His life backed up His words, and so did His miracles, He proved that He was indeed “the way, the truth, and the life.” This was not just a declaration of a wish – it is the truth – that all must heed if they want to see Heaven (“No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”)

What does He require for salvation? He wants you to turn from sin and, in faith, ask Jesus to be your only Savior. He said: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Have you asked Him to be your Savior? If not, why not do it today?

I have the privilege of talking to many people about spiritual matters. It is amazing to me, with Bibles in most homes, how few people there are who have actually read it through.

God has given to man a supernatural Book, one that reveals the truth about our existence, God, our future, and most important, how we can have eternal life and live with God forever. Many churches proclaim the passages every week to help people understand it. Also, many churches even encourage their people to bring their Bibles with them because they want the people to see that what they are teaching is really in God’s Book.

In the above verses, Jesus was talking to people who had the Scriptures and had memorized much of it. Yet, they were unwilling to believe what the Book plainly told them.

Many people are like that still today. Some even read the Bible but fail to accept its simple truth about salvation.

The great truth is that salvation cannot be earned. This is plainly stated in Ephesians 2:8,9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Note that salvation is the gift of God. Gifts are free.

The gift that God gave to give us salvation is the gift of His Son. John 3:16 says it very well: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Thank God, His Son Jesus, paid the full price for what we owe.

If you are not yet a believer, call on God in prayer now, asking Him to forgive you and save you – because Jesus paid your full price. Read the verse again in the paragraph right above this one.

Paul first encourages believers to be a “living sacrifice” to God, and then he tells them why. He calls it a “reasonable service.”

Many reasons could be given as to why it is “reasonable.” They certainly would start with the fact that we do not deserve it; and secondly, God did not have to put His Son on a Cross for us.

God could have let all of us simply go to Hell and pay the price we deserve for our sins. After all, we are told that “the wages of sin is death” (Ro. 6:23).

In love, God sent His Son to redeem us by dying on the Cross for us. Then, He made salvation as a gift through faith (Eph. 2:8,9) and did not make us earn it. In fact, He rejects all attempts to make us pay for it – or even part of it. Once faith is put in Christ for salvation, all our sins are forgiven and erased.

We should also consider being a “living sacrifice” because He put us into His family and made us joint-heirs with His Son, Jesus Christ (“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ,” Ro. 8:17).

God’s redemption of us also includes eternal life with Him, the removal of sin from our natures when we see Him in glory, and a perfect and sinless world in the future. What more could He have done to make His gift of salvation wonderful?

Considering all these things and more – it certainly is reasonable! He will not make you make that decision, but it should also be mentioned that He adds “abundant life” and blessing to those who make that choice!

Many Christians are living a nearly joyless Christian life because they believe that their salvation depends on their enduring to the end. They may be working hard to resist some sins but also know that other ones may be present.

Their lives could be changed by understanding that we are saved by faith in what Jesus Christ did for us on the Cross. It is not based on what we have done or do now. He died for us because we could not pay the price for our sin and still escape the fires of Hell. What a wonderful gift of salvation we have received.

What Jesus did on the Cross puts the believer into the family of God. When Jesus cried from the Cross: “It is finished,” He meant that everything necessary to give us a full and complete salvation was accomplished.

As Christians, we could not begin to merit anything from God – nor can we ever keep ourselves saved. Sin is still present with us. Jesus one-time death on the Cross and resurrection is forever sufficient for any need you or I will ever have. He not only saves us, but our text verse shows that He also keeps us.

We cannot consistently hold onto Him, so He holds onto us – and we cannot escape out of His hands – or His Father’s (John 10:28,29). Because of His power to hold us in salvation and give us eternal security – we can have joy and sleep well at night. Praise His Name!

People are often tempted to think that God works and acts the way we do – but He does not. He is not human – in the sense of having a changing and fallible nature such as we have. Although He came in the flesh, He was and still is 100% God.

It is for this reason that He never has a need to repent, which means to change His mind. He knows all things from the beginning of time to the end of it. The Bible tells us that “his word is settled in Heaven” (Ps. 119:89), therefore it never needs updating.

The only time that it might be said that God will repent in the Bible, is when man turns from their sinful ways. While in their sin – God promises to judge the sinner and send them to Hell when they die – if they do not repent and turn from their wicked ways.

In Jeremiah 18, there are two verses that make this plain. Verse 8 says: “If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.” The opposite is also true, as can be seen in verse 10: “If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.”

God’s judgment against sin is sure – whether it be against an individual or a nation. It may not come immediately – but it will come if there is no repentance.

The same is true in salvation. If a sinner does not turn away from sin in their heart – there is no salvation. Christ died to pay for the sin of every human, but if they choose not to repent and trust in Christ as their only Savior, their damnation is sure.

This is why the Bible says: “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (II Cor. 6:2). Turn from sin and come to Christ today while there is time.

From cover to cover, the Bible teaches that all people are sinners (Romans 3:10). As such, they cannot please God enough to merit salvation – no matter what they do.

Romans 8:7,8 makes this truth abundantly clear: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Since all the sinner does is displeasing to God, there must be a turnaround place at some point. Sin brings damnation – even just one (Romans 6:23). When the sinner realizes that all he does is condemning him, he wants to discover what does please God. Naturally, when people realize this, they usually start trying to live a better life and keep the Ten Commandments.

The change of mind is a form of repentance. But this kind is not the kind that saves. They must also repent of trying to save themselves by establishing their own goodness (righteousness).

Yes, Biblical repentance first involves a change of mind toward sin. But it does not end there. Being saved also means you stop trying to save yourself and put your faith in Christ alone to save you. He is the Gift of God for our salvation. He paid the debt we all owe because of our sin. Don’t reject God’s free Gift.

Once you trust Christ to save you, He changes the life and enables you to live for Him. No other religion can do this. It is because of Christ’s death and resurrection power to forgive and save that He commanded the disciples, in Luke 24:47: “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Have you repented and trusted Christ to save you?

This is a powerful verse, along with the two verses before it. In these verses, Paul deals with the argument about people thinking that you can lose your salvation.

In verse 26, he points out that if Christ’s death on the cross was not sufficient to guarantee you a place in Heaven, then Jesus would have to die more than once. Of course, that is not going to happen. God knew what is necessary to get us to Heaven

The truth is, if it depended on us to ensure our salvation – none of us would be saved. Also, we would not need a Savior, either. We are all still sinners, even though saved. Hopefully, as you grow in Christ, you should be sinning less and less.

Among Jesus’ last words on the Cross, He said: “It is finished!” This simple phrase meant that our redemption had been accomplished once we merely believe on what He did for us. Nothing needs to be added to it, and nothing can be added to God’s perfect redemption. The only qualification for salvation is found in Acts 16:31: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

Because of what Jesus did for us, we can know that we have eternal life. In simple faith, those looking to go to Heaven one day by trusting Jesus alone, will find that when He comes back – He will not have a record of any of our sins since salvation with Him – thus guaranteeing our salvation.