When I respectfully asked a lady if she had peace with God, she replied, "I believe that very few
persons attain to that." This was a serious mistake, for "peace with God" is not taught in Scripture
as being dependent on our experience, or on our attainments in any sense, but wholly "through
our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1). It is not founded on what we are, or have done, or may do,
but on what He has done, who "was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our
justification" (Rom. 4:25).

Others, when asked if they had peace with God, have replied, "Yes, for I feel so happy!" as if it
were a question of feeling; so that, if afterward from any cause they feel unhappy, they would
doubt their salvation, and have no sense of peace with God. Such, though perhaps unknown to
themselves, are making feelings the ground of peace as to their eternal salvation instead of the
work of Christ and the Word of God. It never says in Scripture that we are justified by feelings,
but by faith, believing God’s testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ, and His finished work as set forth
in His Word.

Scripture does say that we have "joy and peace in believing" (Rom. 15:13), so that happy and
joyful feelings accompany believing. But the mistake of many is that they look at the work of the
Spirit within for peace instead of at the work of the Son of God entirely outside themselves, and
at Himself, their unchanging righteousness, now on the Father’s throne. Such never can enjoy
settled peace, for we are changeful and our feelings go up and down, while H* abideth faithful.

As has often been said, the work of the Spirit in us gives us no title to glory, most blessed as that
work is; but it is the precious blood of Christ through which we have been redeemed and through
which peace has been made. There is no other way of approach to God, no other shelter from
judgment, no other ground of forgiveness of sins and peace with God, than the blood of Christ.

It is clearly then a mistake to look at what we experience of the Spirit’s operation in us as the
ground of peace, though it may be true as a fact, that the conviction and distress, and it may be
darkness, which the soul goes through is by the Spirit teaching us that in us_that is, in our
flesh_dwells no good thing (Rom. 7:18). This often proves to be very profitable ‘hi the end, by
turning the eye, in faith, wholly to the Lord Jesus Christ, for righteousness and acceptance before
God. Scripture never says we have peace with God through anything whatever that we discover
within us, but always turns us to the blood of Christ as the ground of our justification, to Christ
Himself as the object of faith, to believing God’s testimony to the value of that blood as the only
way of having peace, and to the unchanging Word of God as our infallible authority for it (Rom.
5:1-11).

It is appalling to think of how many we meet and talk with who have no idea of peace with God,
but on the contrary are going on with a false peace, fast asleep in carnal security. Because
conscience is quiet, they think all is right; but a quiet conscience is very different from a purged
conscience_a conscience purged by the blood of Christ (Heb. 9:14).

A religious life and the conscientious fulfillment of duties, some say, must ensure a happy future.

But it is not so; for while good works follow faith in the Son of God, yet to trust in works or
duties or religious ordinances for eternal salvation is a fatal delusion, a crafty snare of Satan’s,
and a soul-destroying trap. We are plainly told, ‘Tor by grace are ye saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves:it is the gift of God:not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8,9).
And again, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law"
(Rom. 3;28). Nothing can possibly be clearer, or more decided; yet what a common thing it is,
when a man has the eternal importance of his soul’s salvation brought home to his conscience, to
have the reply, "HI try," or "I hope to do better," or "I’m going to turn over a new leaf’; thus
plainly showing he has entirely missed the salvation of God.

The true secret of settled peace with God is founded on the precious fact that God, instead of justly
banishing us from His presence forever, loved us even "while we were yet sinners"; yea, so loved
us that Christ God’s Son died for us.

Peace, then, springs from God, "the God of peace," and is founded entirely on the atoning work
of Christ in His death and blood shedding on the cross. There is no other foundation of peace, for
Scripture plainly says that we are justified by His blood, and that He has "made peace through the
blood of his cross" (Col. 1:20). But more than that, He not only bore our sins, suffered for our
sins, died for our sins, and we died with Him on the cross, but in resurrection He triumphed over
death and the grave, annulled the power of Satan, and was righteously exalted to the right hand
of God as Man, because He fully glorified God about our sins on the cross. Thus, as Man, and
for us, He is in the glory of God, glorified and seated on the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
having gone in there by virtue of His own blood. And as what He suffered on the cross was for
us, and He was thus righteously entitled to glory as the righteous One, He is, for all whom He
suffered, now "the righteousness of God."

The grace of God not only came out to us in the cross and met us in our sins, but divine goodness
has also "made" that exalted Man in the glory "unto us righteousness" (2 Cor. 5:21). So that He
who knew no sin, was not only made sin for us, and was the sin-bearer for us, but we have
become the righteousness of God in Him. Thus Christ in the glory is our unchanging
righteousness; yes, blessed be God, He has made Him to be unto us righteousness, "even the
righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe"
(Rom. 3:22). Oh, the unutterable goodness and mercy of God! The infinite value of His work on
the cross can never change; the eternal value of it is always before God, and the believer is always
in the perfect acceptance of Christ, and an object of divine favor.

This peace becomes deepened in the soul, as the new relationships into which we are brought, and
the new standing given us in Christ Jesus, are understood. The fact of being a child of God now,
through faith in Christ Jesus_ an object of the Father’s constant care and love as such_ expresses
a relationship which is unchanging in its character, and involves the going on to our perfect
conformity to the image of the "Son. When we know that we are loved by the Father as He loved
Jesus (John 17:23), and have received the Spirit of adoption to make it known to us, it causes
settled peace to occupy our hearts. We enjoy the goodness and love of God; and, it may be, are
lost in wonder, love and praise.

"Hence, through all the changing seasons,
Trouble, sorrow, sickness, woe,
Nothing changeth God’s affection,
Abba’s love shall bring us through."

But if we become worldly, careless in our walk, and neglect prayer and reading of the Word of
God, the Spirit dwelling in us will be grieved, and our spiritual senses will be dulled; so that our
hearts, before we are aware of it, glide into that which the Lord has forbidden, and we shall not
enjoy the presence of God, but become unhappy. This neglect may call for the Father’s discipline,
and though the work in which our peace is founded never changes, such will not be abiding in the
Saviour’s love. Nothing changes His love to us,, but our enjoyment of it is another thing. How
can we be happy, if we are walking in a path of disobedience? Did He not say, "As the Father
hath loved me, so have I loved you"? But did He not add to this, "If ye keep my commandments,
ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love"
(John 15:9,10)?

Happy are those whose daily heartfelt utterance is_

"I hear the words of love;
I gaze upon the blood;
I see the mighty Sacrifice,
And I have peace with God.”