Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; -- Romans 5:1
Christian or religious folks perhaps do not think so very often about how much at war with God we once were (are?). Obviously, atheists in particular are warring with God all the time, and you kind of expect them to be. But, how often are we? I think we fight with God subconsciously or subtly or overtly a good part of the time. We fight with God when we're working hard to monkey wrench our way through the prayers to which we want our answers. We fight with God when we think God isn't listening or isn't hearing. We fight God when we feel sorry for ourselves and sponsor lonely pity parties where we only invite ourselves and cry, "Woe is me."
Yet, this one very small verse proclaims that there is a peace, an armistice with God by virtue of our justification by faith -- a justification that God ALSO provided to each of us who just take pause to note that Christ died even for crazy old me. If we feel like we're in a wrestling match with God to get what we want, or to go where we think we should be going then the battle is not coming from God's side; it is coming from our side, and doesn't that make the battle with our own ego, with our own self? Why do you stand in your own way to feeling the peace of God that is ours through Jesus Christ our Lord?
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