"Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ..."
(Galatians 1;3)
Previous blogs have have been written to show the readers that
1. There is a locational aspect for the term "grace" (believers are locationally under grace, not under law),
2. God's permanent disposition toward the Christian is now defined by the term "peace." And
3. This locational and dispositional change was accomplished by Christ alone altogether apart from your efforts.
When believers know and believe these three great truths, there comes to the believer a personal and experiential peace and rest.
Hear Luther's understanding of this emotional and experiential "peace" (which
he consistently calls "peace of conscience"):
"Peace makes the (ANXIOUS, ACCUSING AND CONDEMNING) conscience
quiet (PEACEFUL)...Peace of conscience can never be had unless sin is first
forgiven...Many people have conscientiously labored to attain peace and quietness
of conscience by seeking out various religious orders and exercises for that
purpose; but by doing so, they plunge themselves into more and greater miseries, for
all such devices (PEACE THROUGH MERIT) are only ways of increasing doubt and
despair.Therefore, there will be no rest (PEACE) for my bones or yours unless we
listen to the Word of (LOCATIONAL) grace and stick to it consistently and faithfully.
Then our conscience will certainly find...peace." (p.33)
Faith (trust) in self brings doubt, anxiety, hopelessness and despair.
Trust in Christ completely and alone brings us the Spirit and the Spirits gifts us with peace.
Today, who will you be trusting?
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