Devotional - 98-12-28 - Peace From Santa

Isaiah 9:6 A child to us is born, a son to us is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Ask Justin Linnell about the peace that santa offers and you might be surprised what you hear. Justin wrote santa as part of the Royal Oak, Mich., U.S. Postal Service's santa program and got back a letter filled with racial slurs and obscenities. Well, Justin, does santa really know if you've been bad or good?

The peace that Christ offers is a peace of quite a different order. One of the verses that is often quoted around Christmas time is the passage from Isaiah which tell us of Christ being the "Prince of Peace". I would like to briefly look at two meanings of Christ as our Prince of Peace.

He has purchased peace between us and God. Unlike santa, Christ gives authentic peace between an offended God and an offending people. It is a peace that is lasting and genuine. A lot of people seek the "real" meaning of the Christmas message and it is only found in the REAL message of the gospel. The Prince of Peace has come and He gives peace to all who are drawn to Him.
He governs, (leads) His church peacefully. Christ leads His church peacefully. The hand of Christ is not heavy upon His people. He is kind and forgiving to us. And He is kind and forgiving time and again. How thankful am I that Christ has not cast me away during times when I have lacked faith or acted faithlessly. He has dealt with me peacefully and the testimonies I hear from those in Christ's church are much the same.

The peace of Christ is a peace worth knowing: "Peace is love reposing. It is love on the green pastures; it is love beside the still waters. It is that great calm which comes over the conscience when it sees the atonement sufficient, and the Saviour willing. It is unclouded azure in a like of glass. It is the soul which Christ has pacified, spread out in serenity and simple faith, and the Lord God, merciful and gracious, smiling over it." Dr. J. Hamilton

"If you are to have peace with God there must be war with Satan." Charles H. Spurgeon

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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