Finding Peace in an Unsettled World

How Real Connection Replaces Fear, Guilt, and Religion

The Bible reveals the only true and living God, who created everything we see in this world, and everything obeys His Word (Psalm 33:6, 9; Colossians 1:16-17). While many people believe that God is supernatural, omnipotent, and sovereign over all creation, there is also a common belief that natural calamities, sickness, or delays in life are always expressions of God's wrath. As a result, people often go to great lengths, offering sacrifices in an attempt to calm God's wrath and obtain blessings.

The Bible reveals a completely different perspective: Who God is, why He created everything we see—including mankind—and who we are in Him.

God is Spirit (John 4:24). In the beginning, the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:2). God created everything by His spoken Word (Genesis 1:3; Hebrews 11:3). On the sixth day, He created man in His image and according to His likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). God has dominion over everything. Yet, because He created man in His image, He gave mankind dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26-28). His image speaks of God's blueprint on the earth, and His likeness speaks of reflecting His character through our thoughts, holiness, and life. The man God created refers to both male and female (Genesis 1:27).

If God created man in His image and in His likeness, why is there so much calamity, pain, sickness, lack of peace, and suffering in this world?

The answer is found in man's disobedience. Just as children disobey their parents, mankind disobeyed God (Genesis 3). Because God is holy, man's disobedience brought a curse upon creation and produced a continuing effect of suffering that remains in the world today (Romans 5:12).

From that time forward, God continued to seek people who would listen to Him and obey Him. He chose the nation of Israel as His own people (Deuteronomy 7:6). God gave them His laws and commandments so they would not be destroyed by their sins. When they failed, He instituted sacrifices for the forgiveness of sin. These sacrifices included animals, birds, grain offerings, and other offerings (Leviticus 1-7). These sacrifices were only a temporary arrangement until God brought the permanent solution once for all (Hebrews 10:1-4).

People who do not believe in the true and living God may continue to practice these sacrifices because they have not known God's permanent provision through Jesus Christ. Whenever they experience calamities, lack of peace, sickness, or other struggles, they continue offering these sacrifices in an attempt to obtain peace or blessings. However, after Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross, there is no longer any need for those temporary sacrifices.

Animal sacrifices were temporary. They are similar to someone serving a sentence for committing a crime. After completing the sentence, the person is released, but must continue living carefully so as not to repeat the offense. Because God loved the people He created in His image and likeness, He Himself came in the flesh and died on the cross to pay the price once for all (John 1:14; Hebrews 10:10).

The shedding of the blood of animals could never permanently solve the problem of sin (Hebrews 10:4). Therefore, God Himself paid the price in the flesh. God in the flesh is Jesus, and He is the Christ—the Savior (John 1:29; 1 Timothy 3:16).

When we disobey God, the Bible calls it sin (Romans 3:23). Under the Old Testament, forgiveness was connected with sacrifices. Through His death on the cross, Jesus paid the price for the sins of the whole world by shedding His own blood instead of the temporary blood of animals (Hebrews 9:12; 1 Peter 1:18-19). Now we are called to receive His forgiveness by first accepting Jesus as our Savior and then living with Him as our Lord (Romans 10:9-10).

This is called reconciliation with God (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). After this transformation begins in our lives, we continue learning to obey God and surrender our lives to Him. As our relationship with Him grows, He faithfully helps us in every situation we face (Philippians 1:6).

What mankind once learned to do through fear and repeated sacrifices, we now learn through surrender, faith, and a restored relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

SOW THIS WORD INTO YOUR SOUL

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