Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom. 5:1)
Expanded Passage: Romans 5:1-2
My maternal grandmother was a peacemaker. When I was in my twenties, my mother and I had a disagreement and we didn’t speak to each other for months. One day Grandma called me and asked me to apologize to my mother. After I explained the situation, Grandma said, “That is your mother and there is nothing more valuable than peace in the family.” I didn’t want to ask for forgiveness because I did not believe I’d done anything wrong, but I wanted to please my grandmother.
I wrote my mother a letter of apology and asked her to forgive me. When my mother received the letter, her response was immediate. She made the expensive long-distance call and forgave me. Her call opened dialogue between us, and healing took place. Grandma was right. Despite my wrong motives, God brought healing.
Isn’t it wonderful that because of our faith in Jesus, we have peace with God? As Paul writes in Romans, our faith in Christ justifies us before God. We don’t have to understand it fully. Our job is to walk in faith and allow God’s peace to unfold, because there is nothing more valuable than peace in the family of Christ.
Prioritize peace and have faith that God will bring healing.
Angela Golden Bryan is a graduate of Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University. She and her husband live in South Florida.
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
