Welcome to Exegetical Counseling

Peace with God Today

Exegetical counseling starts with peace with God through Jesus Christ. People ask me often about how they can find spiritual peace. They tell me about their serious illness, divorce, drug addiction, alcoholism, and many other problems that grieve them. So many people share with me that they have never felt truly loved in their entire life, even though they have been married for decades, and have grandchildren. So many people feel a spiritual hunger and thirst within themselves. Jesus loves people and wants you to know all about His great love. He called it the greatest news anyone will ever hear. So, let me share with you about Jesus, Who loves you today. In Jesus, you can receive  peace with God today. Jesus alone provides spiritual peace.

“Jesus asks you: ‘Why should I let you into My heaven? ‘”

Let me start with a question. Imagine you were to die today, and stand before Jesus Christ. Imagine further that Jesus looked at you and asked: “Why should I let you into My heaven?” Take a moment and think about what you would say to Jesus. I have personally asked that question to hundreds and hundreds of people, if not thousands, one person at a time. Jesus always deals personally with you. He knows your name, and loves you personally. Jesus knows your good points and your bad points.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Romans 3:23

As God in the flesh, Jesus totally understands who we are  as sinners. Sinners fall short of the glory of God. Sin separates us from spiritual peace with God today. In God’s eyes, we all fall short of the glory of God. We do not act perfectly all of the time and so fall short of His glory. We tell lies, we think impure thoughts, we do things we know we should not have done. The road to peace with God starts with understanding that we all sin and we all fall short of the glory of God. As sinners, we tend to hide our sins in darkness, but Jesus helps us recognize that we are sinners and need to come into the light of God. We take the first steps down the path of peace with God by agreeing with God that we are sinners. God helps us walk down the path of peace with God by His divine power. Only by God’s power can I change my mind and accept the truth that I am a sinner. I must repent of my sin and seek God’s forgiveness for my sin. How do I find forgiveness?

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 6:23

Jesus, the Son of God, offers forgiveness to sinners as a gift. In order to have peace with God, we must receive God’s gift of forgiveness.  Before we can grasp God’s offer of forgiveness, we must understand God’s justice and how it works. God tells us that justice imposes a penalty upon sin. God said that the wages of sin is death. Just as we earn wages for our work, so sin earns the wage of death. This spiritual death results from us sinning and falling short of the glory of God. God cannot remain just, and simply ignore our sin. Justice requires that every sin be paid by the death penalty. You have sinned so you deserve to die spiritually. Sin causes the spiritual death of the sinner. Now let us focus upon the gift of God: forgiveness. As a sinner, deserving death, I really do not deserve a gift of eternal life. Instead of death, God wants me to have eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Yet, my sin blocks me from having eternal life . To sinners God loves to give the free gift of eternal life.  Although I have earned the death penalty by sinning, God offers me eternal life as a free Christmas gift. I cannot earn the gift of eternal life, and I do not deserve the gift of eternal life. God just wants me to have His gift of eternal life. God purchased the gift of eternal life, just for me, the sinner. Why would God give me gift of eternal life?

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8

God gives the free gift of eternal life to sinners because God loves sinners like me. The road to peace with God means that I learn and accept that God loves sinners. Jesus came to love sinners. While I was a sinner, God loved me. So many people think that God hates sinners, but God tells us just the opposite right in this verse. I do not have to clean up my life before God will love me. God loves sinners. God gives the gift of eternal life to sinners, not to perfect people. You see, the gift of eternal life means that I believe that Jesus as God died for me on the cross. I recognize that I deserve the death penalty because I sinned, but Jesus took my place on the cross and died for all my sin. He satisfied God’s justice by paying the death penalty for me. God now offers me a free gift of eternal life, because Jesus loves sinners, and gave His life to die on the cross to pay for all my sins. Jesus demonstrated God’s love for sinners. How do I accept the free gift of God?

“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:9

You accept the free gift of God by confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. We believe that God told us the truth that we fall short of the glory of God because we are sinners. Wonderfully, God loves sinners just like me. God purchased the gift of eternal life for me. I reach out by faith alone to accept the free gift from God. I believe that God sent Jesus as God in the flesh to die for me on the cross. Jesus paid the death penalty for me. Jesus  satisfied the justice of God. New life in Jesus Christ begins with faith and continues for eternity. You can accept the free gift of eternal life right now, no matter where you are. Pray this prayer of faith.

Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and fall short of the glory of God.

Lord Jesus, I confess that I deserve the death penalty. I repent of my sins.

Lord Jesus, I believe that You died on the cross in my place, because You loved me and paid the death penalty for me.

Lord Jesus, I confess you as Lord of my life.

Lord Jesus, I believe that God raised You from the dead.  I accept right now Your gift of forgiveness for all my sins, and thank You for saving me.

Amen.

If you prayed that prayer in faith, please send me an email to friend@ChristAssembly.org. I would love to get to know you and help you walk daily with Jesus Christ. At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit of God comes into our lives and makes us new creations. You have an abundant live in front of you, filled with joy and peace with God. We must learn from Jesus, and He is humble and gentle with us.

Praise God for His precious gift of love in Jesus Christ our Lord!

Peace with God │Spiritual Peace