“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1
As believers, we celebrate a peace that’s long won, but it’s easy to forget how many don’t even know there was ever a fight. A biblical worldview now lies fallow in most of our culture, a distant relic of a bygone age.
During this past Christmas season, our Community Group decided to do a Christmas open house in our host home’s neighborhood. This community is large and predominantly East Indian. Since the mention of Christmas is prohibited in most schools today coupled with the reality of religious pluralism in the Indian culture, it was a good bet that there were lots of children in the neighborhood who knew nothing of Jesus’ incarnation and mission to redeem man, making peace between God and us. We didn’t know just what to expect. As it turned out, there were many curious families with children in tow that came to hear the Christmas story and see our group act out some of the scenes of Jesus’ birth and life.
If we want to be effective in presenting the gospel in the twenty-first century, we can’t make the assumption that the people around us know or align with the basic tenets of a biblical worldview. Our friends, coworkers, neighbors, and even family often need to be introduced for the first time to the God who brought the universe into existence. They need to hear of man’s rebellion against his Creator, God’s judgment, and mankind’s plunge into the chaotic world we live in. Only then will people recognize and appreciate the value of the peace that was won by Jesus. God became a man, took on human flesh, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross in our place for our sin so we could be reconciled to him. In Jesus Christ, the war has been won and our peace with God is established. That’s the powerful story of God’s good news for today and forever!
Alex Ghioni is the lead pastor of Mars Hill Sammamish.
