Ewald Schmidt

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding." Ephesians 1:7, 8 (NIV)

The old church father St Augustine of Hippo, famously said in his work Confessions: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” So many people testify to this experience of having a restless heart when they do not have peace with God. Deep in our hearts there is a yearning to reach the destiny that we were created for: to know God and to live in a relationship with him. But for so many people it remains one of life's biggest challenges: How do I find peace with God? In the Bible, we read that a few people have asked: "What do I need to do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30 is one example). We tend to try so hard to get it right on our own. Some people fall back on legalistic rules they set for themselves, like: “I need to smoke less, drink less, and swear a little less. I will try to do some good to my neighbour sometimes. I am not a bad person ..." Unconsciously we try to score enough points to be ahead of the pack when we reach heaven's gates.

The Gospel of Jesus is clear about the fact that we can’t do anything to save ourselves. It is not within me to be good enough to fix my broken relationship with God. We are asking the wrong question when we ask: "What do I have to do?" The Gospel shifts the focus away from our efforts to what Jesus has done for us. God still looks upon us with so much love and grace. That is why he has sent his Son, to pay the full price for all our sins and brokenness. The death penalty would be the worst form of punishment for crime. Our Lord Jesus has paid that ultimate price in our place, so that we can be forgiven for all our sin. How do we find peace with God, and forgiveness for our sin? By accepting the grace of God, and entrusting our lives to the Lordship of Jesus as our Saviour. We find peace with God through faith in Christ alone, by believing in him as Lord. When we follow Jesus as Lord, we receive a new life, filled with gratefulness and peace.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you have come to save me. Thank you for your sacrifice in my place, so that I may have life everlasting. Thank you for all the grace and mercy bestowed upon me. Amen