Shalom....... Peace With God

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, “ Romans 5:1

The Hebrews word for peace is shalom. This word indicates far more than the absence of stress, issues, conflict, or war. Shalom’s basic meaning is the positive presence of harmony, wholeness, soundness, well-being and success in all areas of life.

Even though the word shalom is not used in Genesis 1-2, shalom describes the original created world that existed in perfect harmony and wholeness. When God created the heavens and the earth, He created a world at peace. The total well-being of creation is reflected in the summary statement: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good (peaceful).”

Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden destroyed theirs and our harmonious relationship with God. Before eating the fruit, they had intimate fellowship with God in the garden, but afterwards they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Instead of looking forward to talking with God, they were afraid of His presence. They had lost their peace in God thus causing us to lose ours in Him as well.

Then Jesus, the proclaimed Messiah, who Isaiah prophesied as the Prince of Peace enters the scene.  This Messiah would soon become the gateway to the new covenant of peace God would establish. As a matter fact, He himself would become peace.

Peace restored? Everything’s okay? Not quite.

Simply knowing that Christ came as the Prince of Peace does not ensure that peace will automatically become a part of our lives; to experience peace requires that we be united with Christ in an active faith. The first step is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. When we do, we are justified through faith and so have peace with God.  Along with faith, we must walk in obedience to His commands in order to live in peace.

Only active faith brings about the positive presence of harmony, wholeness, soundness, well-being and success in all areas of life. Only Shalom can be found in Jesus. Only Shalom can be had with God.

Adraine Scott
Adraine is the president of Edvance Services LLC. His entire professional career has been spent helping others find their unique ways of learning and being. He has been able to accomplish this by serving as a youth minister, speaker, counselor, college and career minister, secondary education teacher, and business owner.