Do We Have "Peace At The Center?"

A reporter once asked the late President Herbert Hoover, "Mr. President, how do you handle criticism? Do you ever get agitated or tense?" "No," President Hoover replied, seemingly surprised at the question, "of course not." The reporter continued, "When I was a boy, you were one of the most popular men in the world. Then for a while, you became one of the most unpopular, with nearly everyone against you. Didn't any of this meanness and criticism ever get under your skin?" The President replied, "No, I knew when I went into politics what I might expect, so when it came, I wasn't disappointed or upset." He lowered his familiar bushy eyebrows, looked directly into the reporter's eyes and added, "Besides, I have peace at the center, you know."

Dear reader, this "peace at the center" is one of the greatest blessings of the Christian life. The apostle Paul wrote of this peace as: "The peace of God which surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7). Because of sin, we are enemies of God. James states, "Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (James 4:4).

The most wonderful news of all, is that because of His undying love for us, "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8). On the cross, Jesus paid the price for our sin, making available the means for us to be reconciled back to God (Romans 5:10). We are reconciled to God through Christ when, by faith (Hebrews 11:6), we repent of our sins (Luke 13:3,5), confess Christ before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins (Acts 2:38).

Having then accepted the terms of God's peace, we can then rejoice in our reconciliation with God through Christ (Romans 5:1). Only then are we able to have peace with others and peace within ourselves. Our Lord tells us, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

Sacred song writer Edward H. Bickersteth, beautifully summarized the wonderful peace that Christians have in Christ with these descriptive words: "Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin: The blood of Jesus whispers peace within." Do we today have this "peace at the center" that only comes through the precious blood of Christ?

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets