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?

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!

Years ago, early on this Easter morning, the women arrived first at the tomb, thinking that they would have to get someone to help them move the stone away. The stone served as both a covering for the tomb and a seal.

There was also a guard of Roman soldiers at the tomb and they were ordered to keep it secure. A “guard” would normally consist of 24 Roman soldiers, which would take part in shifts. The unexpected appearance of the angel whose face was “like lightning” (vs. 4) had them terrified and frozen with fear. He moved the stone away – not to let Christ out, but to let others in to see that He was already gone.

While none of the 11 remaining Apostles, or any other disciples, were expecting a resurrection despite Jesus repeatedly telling them about it, the heavenly messenger delivered the shocking news to these women. The message was short and simple. He told them: “he is risen from the dead.”

If Jesus had stayed in the grave, we would never have known if God had forgiven our sins or not. He would have had to pay for them in Hell. His resurrection proves that all that Jesus said about salvation and eternal life is true. In Him is life, and simply trusting in Him to save us will result in a real pardon from God with eternal life in Heaven – all at the expense of Christ for us.

Since He arose from the dead – and He is the only religious leader to have done so – we can be certain of Who He was (the Son of God) and that His words truly are from God. In John 5:24, He said: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

He is risen indeed!, and all who truly know Him know very well that He is alive – with power!

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.