Perfect Peace

‘PEACE, PERFECT PEACE – in this dark world

of sin?!’ This world certainly is a dark place and the

reason is that it is full of sin. What then can give us

peace? Edward Bickersteth’s hymn which poses

the question also provides the answer. ‘The blood

of Jesus whispers peace within.’ Our Lord Jesus

Christ shed His blood for the specific purpose of

removing, taking away and blotting out sin. It was

through the sin-atoning death of His beloved Son

that God ‘reconciled all things to Himself … having

made peace through the blood of His cross’ (Col.

1:20). The church’s calling is one of ‘preaching peace

through Jesus Christ – He is Lord of all’ (Acts 10:36).

That peace is an objective reality to all who believe

– ‘having been justified by faith we have peace

with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Rom. 5:1).

The believer has peace with God, but also peace

within his heart. This is a deep inner peace which

the Holy Spirit, the heavenly dove, brings into the

heart. A number of us have suffered the loss of

very dear loved ones recently – how precious is the

peace that the blood of Jesus whispers within our

hearts! Bickersteth’s hymn has another question

– ‘peace, perfect peace, death shadowing us and

ours?’, and provides another wonderful answer:

‘Jesus has vanquished death and all its powers’.