In a day of depressing headlines and uncertainty, it’s inspiring to hear good news. The word Gospel means “Good News,” so the Gospel of Christ is the Good News of His coming to provide forgiveness of sins for all who believe. The Bible tells us, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
What better news could there be than Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins so that we might become the children of God through faith alone in Christ alone?
But for many Christians, the Good News of the Gospel doesn’t seem good enough. When we turn on the nightly news, we still see violence, anger and brokenness. When we look at our relationships, we deal with anxiety and drama. When we look at the comment thread of any post shared on social media, we are bombarded with racial tension and hate.
In the Bible, the word shalom is most commonly used to refer to a state of affairs, one of well-being, tranquility, prosperity and security. It denotes the overcoming of strife, quarrel and social tension. Shalom is a manifestation of divine grace. However, the biblical concept of peace does not focus on the absence of trouble.
Biblical peace is unrelated to circumstances. It is a goodness of life that is not touched by what happens on the outside. You may be in the midst of great trials and still have biblical peace. Paul said he could be content in any circumstance, and he demonstrated that he had peace even in the jail at Philippi, where he sang and remained confident that God had been gracious to him. Then when the opportunity opened up, he communicated god’s goodness to the Philippian jailer, and brought him and his family to salvation. Peace defied Paul’s circumstances.
TWO KINDS OF PEACE
If you take a look at the New Testament, you will see that it speaks of two kinds of peace –
1. The peace that deals with our relationship with God, and
2. The peace that has to do with our experiences in life.
We naturally lack peace with God. We come into the world in fighting and resisting God, because we are part of the rebellion that started with Adam and Eve.
The Bible tells us, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:10).
In the natural, we are rebellious, resisting God's goodness - as such, we prevent His Goodness and Grace to be a beacon in conducting our lives. It is, as though we like to swim like the Alaskan salmon, an upstream and towards the bear's mouth. Yet, He gave us His Only Son, Jesus, and, when we receive Christ, we are no longer enemies of God. We become His children. There is no more hostility. Jesus Christ wrote this treaty with His blood on the Cross. This bond, makes a powerful covenant of peace, declaring that we now are at peace with Him.
Shalom is when the image of God is recognized, protected and cultivated in every single human. It is our personal calling as followers of Jesus’ Gospel. It is the vision god set forth in the garden and the restoration God desires for every broken relationship. Shalom is the “very good” in the Gospel. Despite our anxious minds, despite threats of violence and despite division, God’s vision remains: peace for a hurting soul and wholeness for a fragmented world.