THE WEDNESDAY WORD: True and Unimagined Peace
by Miles McKee
True and unimagined peace comes only as we understand God’s character. If we erroneously envision that God is always angry and frowning then we will never know perfect peace. If we falsely picture that we have to perform to gain His approval, then we will be in a continual uproar. If we mistakenly imagine that God, having purchased us by blood, will someday wither in His faithfulness and desert us then we will be tossed to and fro by every circumstance. However, to enjoy true peace reigning in our hearts we need to be fastened firmly to the rock of the gospel and the revelation it gives us of God.
Our understanding of the gospel is vital for many reasons not least of which is that being holy, the Holy Spirit will neither bless the worship of a false God nor the false worship of the true God. The living and true God is the, “the God of all grace” (1 Peter 5:10), He is the God of the gospel (Rom 1:1) and it is the love of this true God that the Spirit sheds abroad in our hearts (Rom 5:5).
Nor does the Holy Spirit produce false feelings in us so that we can go around thinking wonderful things about ourselves, things which might establish a false confidence before the Lord. He continues to destroy every vestige of self-righteousness as He causes us see that we are saved from beginning to end by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The grace of God destroys all our supposed works and self-worthiness yet comes to us without cost to us or a cause in us. Grace is either absolutely free or it is not at all (Rom 4:4, 16; Eph 2:8-9; 2 Tim 1:9).
The object of the Spirit’s work is to bring us to such an understanding of Yahweh and His gracious and righteous character, as demonstrated in the gospel, that we can fully rest in Him. As He does this, He continues to show us our innate lostness and at the same time God’s immense goodness, power and grace towards us. He does not allow us false comfort by our feelings or even our faith. He does not cause us to place false hope in our supposed progress in the Christian faith, but rather works in us turning our eyes away from His own work in us and fixing them on the love of God in Christ Jesus for us.
May the power of grace by the Spirit continually turn our eyes to see the cross and the Crucified One. ———–Who is this crucified One? He is God Himself; incarnate love hanging upon a cross. He is the God who created us, suffering and dying for the ungodly. Can you question His commitment to you? Can you ask anything further to bring you to the place of wholehearted trust and confidence? It is no wonder that we read, “Herein is LOVE, not that we love God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation of our sins.” (1 John 4:10). As the Puritan, Tomas Watson observed,
“The emperor Trajan tore off a piece of his robe to bind up one of his soldier’s wounds. But Christ tore off His own flesh for us! ‘He gave Himself for us to redeem us’ (Titus 2:14). Christ gave Himself for us —what more could He give?”
“Lamb of God, we fall before Thee,
Humbly trusting in Thy cross.
That alone be all our glory;
All things else are only dross.
Thee we own a perfect Savior,
Only source of all that’s good.
Every grace and every favor
Comes to us through Jesus’ blood.
All our prayers and all our praises,
Rightly offered in His Name—
He that dictates them is Jesus;
He that answers is the same.”
And that’s the Gospel Truth
Miles
Miles McKee Ministries
Box 541, Kingston Springs, TN
37082, USA
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