Having Peace with God is the most important endeavor of life

Charles Spurgeon in a sermon says, “When sin is put away, God has no cause of warfare against his creature: Christ has put our sins away, and therefore there is a virtual substantial peace established between God and our souls.”

Being at peace with God means you can stand before Him without fear. How do we get there? 

At the speed things change today it is comforting to know that the message of the Bible is unchanging, from its unbending integrity seen in the judgement of evil, to the hope of eternal life and peace with God. The good is really good, and the bad is really bad. Even though this offends many, isn’t that the world as we see it? Some are loved, some are murdered! Only the Judeo-Christian Bible can explain this.

There is a short story in the gospel of Luke about the two criminals on the cross with Jesus, normally referred to as The Thief on the Cross. It demonstrates an amazing truth about the simplicity of the gospel — that what God requires of us to be at peace with him can be settled in a matter of seconds.

How could that possibly be true? Don’t we need to help our case along by doing some good deeds, giving money to the poor, etc? After all, that’s what most religions teach. It’s all about us, and how we work our way to God, evidently to appease him. This story involving Jesus says otherwise, as does the rest of the New Testament.

One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? “And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”

And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23

What does God require then? This second thief recognized a few simple facts.

• He believed that God could rescue him and would be merciful towards him.
• From his own life and deeds, he recognized his guilt in contrast with God’s holy character. In other words, he saw himself as God sees him, as an imperfect person (sinner) in need of help and salvation. We must do the same. (See Romans 3:23)
• He recognized (identified) Jesus as the Son of God – the promised Jewish Messiah. (In Greek — the Christ)
• He personally dealt with Jesus by faith alone, asking to be saved. He didn’t pray to an unknown God. He prayed to Jesus, thereby recognizing his authority. 

Keep in mind that this guy didn’t have time to do anything good or clean up his act, as if somehow that were the missing ingredient in his life. 

All three of these men were going to die. The thief was dying on a cross just as Jesus was, but he was not asking to be saved from death. (The other thief was) That ship had sailed. The man spoke directly to Jesus, believed in his claims to be the Son of God, (“Remember me when you come into your Kingdom”) and politely asked Jesus to save him – not from death, but from an unbearable future – alive and yet without God.

That same God is the author of Love, the Artist that created the universe, light and color. He authored intellectual thought, math and creativity, compassion, forgiveness, family, and even humor. Who really wants to live without Him! That is a roll of the dice that is unimaginable!

Did the thief on the cross attain peace with God? He looked in the eyes of the Son of God and heard him say “..today you shall be with Me in Paradise”.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1: 13)

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1)

IN CONCLUSION
I’m no preacher, but there is a lot at stake here. The bible says that we must all make a choice before it’s too late. God desires all men and women to be saved, so he made a way for us. Just like the two thieves, we must choose. Oh, and a non-choice is a choice!

This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:4)

— Mark Esposito

ADDITIONAL BIBLE PASSAGES – THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

John 1:9-12 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. ¹¹ He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. ¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name

Romans 8:1-3 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. ³ For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin