One of the strongest expressed desires of virtually all people in the world, is the desire to have "peace." All of national, familial and individual longings for peace, carry with them a very obvious assumption that we live in a world that is racked with dissension, chaos, unrest and broken relationships. the Word of God gets right to the heart of this matter, taking us to the very root of all conflict and unrest. And rather than leading us to point the finger in every other direction, which our deceptive hearts would do; and rather than shift the blame to particular problems with our upbringing or environment, as modern day Psychology would do, the Scriptures pull out a big fat mirror and say, "Smile, you're the problem." And collectively, we are all the problem. And at the root of every single form of horizontal conflict, lies a foundational vertical conflict, between mankind and God. To put it bluntly, we live in a world that lacks peace, because the world (including us) is at enmity with God. The Scriptures hope, and this hope is the very basis for why we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. |