Therefore, since we now have been justified [declared free of the guilt of sin] by His blood, [how much more certain is it that] we will be saved from the wrath of God through Him.  Romans 5:9 (AMP)  One of the worst things religion has ever done is tell people that God brings pain or heartache into their lives because they deserve it. Is that what God’s Word teaches? Not even close!   The word “justified” in today’s verse means to be made righteous as if we’d never sinned. In other words, placing our faith in Jesus’ finished work from the cross to the throne makes us right with God. It’s a mind-blowing gift we receive through Him.   Paul goes on to write that because of Jesus’ …

Don’t give the devil any opportunity [to work]. Ephesians 4:27 (GW)  Many people lose their peace because they believe it’s possible to give the enemy permission to bring trouble into their lives. Let’s clear this up right now: as a believer in Christ, you cannot give Satan any authority over your life. Why?   Because, unlike the old covenant, the new covenant is not between you and God. The old covenant was between Adam, representing humanity, and God. Unfortunately, Adam blew his end of the deal. So God sent Jesus to Earth in a human body to write a new contract between Jesus and God—one that overwrites the old version. (See Romans 5:15-19.) Notice that you’re not even on the contract! So how could you hand Satan …

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans 5:1 (NKJV)  Can you have peace with God before you clean up all the messes in your life? Yes, absolutely!    Here’s why: Jesus was the final and complete sacrifice for sin. Now, first-century Jews struggled to comprehend that God no longer required perfect obedience or animal sacrifices for them to enjoy right-standing with Him. They could hardly fathom that when you believed on Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, you received the gift of salvation and your sins were permanently forgiven (not just temporarily like it was under the old covenant).   When we accept what Jesus won for us through the cross, we receive a new nature on the inside. …

Now that we have God’s approval by faith, we have peace with God because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done.  Romans 5:1 (GW) Many people think they have to clean up their lives prior to accepting Christ—or before Christ will accept them.   But did the thief crucified beside Jesus clean up his life first before accepting Jesus’ sacrifice? No—he didn’t have time! Yet that same day, he made Heaven because he believed on Jesus (Luke 23:39-43). You see, today’s verse does not say we gain peace with God by cleaning up our lives first or through behaving perfectly. No, it says we have God’s approval when we place our faith in Jesus.   When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we become a …

For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.  Romans 10:3 (NLT)  Until we understand the Gospel, we’ll struggle to experience true and lasting peace. The reason is that we misunderstand sin and think we can become right with God through our works. That mindset is called religion, and it leads nowhere good.  In fact, those who subscribe to a legalistic Christianity are usually the unhappiest people. Why? They don’t understand the freedom Jesus won for them through His death, burial and resurrection. So they live stuck in a rut of trying to be good enough in their own strength—an impossible, …