Has Jesus Visited You? Part 3 – Luke 1:77-80

There’s a wonderful hymn ‘Since Jesus Came Into My Heart’ which sings of the change Jesus brings into a life. Jesus is God who visits you, and when He visits, He changes your heart and continues to change you. Just look at Apostle Paul, how he changed. Even today, Jesus is the same and doing the same thing (Heb 13:8). So where is the change? We fail to change because we add on to Jesus. We have Jesus and our old desires in our heart as well.

Jesus is the sunrise and came to shine light into the darkness and death which men live. To live in the light of Christ means seeing things through the lens of God (2 Cor 12:9-10). Sometimes our heart struggles and unbelief takes over God’s word (Mark 9:23-24). Jesus visits you individually, and the full power of the gospel is given when Jesus comes into your heart.

To guide our feet into the path of peace
Jesus also came to guide. Augustine once said God made us for Himself and our hearts are restless until it finds rest in God. Jesus is the one who guides our hearts to peace. Since the fall of man in Adam’s sin, man has lost his God given attributes such as love, joy and peace. Men even fight in the womb (Gen 25:22-23). There’s no peace between man and because of sin men do not have peace with God. Jesus came to lead us into peace with God.

In Psalm 42:5 the psalmist laments his soul and finds no peace within. As sinners, man cannot have peace with God. In fact, as said in Romans 5:2 without faith, there is no access to God. Access to God is crucial. Martyn Lloyd Jones explains that without access, our prayers cannot be answered (John 9:31).But God is merciful, and in Jesus we obtain peace with God and by His grace and mercy, access to Him (Heb 4:12).

Without peace with God we cannot have any peace of God. Peace with God is the cause, the peace of God is the result (Ro 8:31-34, Phil 4:5-7). With the peace of God, even when times are hard, whatever happens, you can be joyful and confident because you have peace with God. That is true peace of God.

We need peace but we cannot obtain it. Romans 8:7 says we are hostile towards God. Hostility is not atheism or persecuting Christians. Hostility usually takes the form of indifference. When people don’t care at all is when people are hostile, it is unbelief (John 3:18). It is an improper relationship with Jesus the Son of God, where they do not know Him. Those who do know God, God knew them, going back to the beginning, they are His elect. How amazing.

True peace looks like the father embracing his prodigal son and placing the robe, the ring and sandals on him. The father doesn’t hold back but brings forth everything good. In the same way, God gives His son Jesus to those who repent. He doesn’t make us wash up first. Though we are dirty and sinful, if we humble ourselves and repent, God embraces us.

It is Jesus alone who brings down peace with God for us. Man is unable to create peace. How can they, when they are full of self. Any attempt at peace is temporary. History is full of failed attempts at lasting peace. Man has no fear of God and no peace with God. Jesus came to bring true peace (Lk 2:14). God has visited his people and brings peace wherever He visits (Luke 7:16).

Do not resist Jesus Christ in your heart. He must be your Lord for there to be peace. Follow the example of Daniel’s three friends, who had the peace of God when faced with trial, no matter the outcome (Dan 3:17-18). Recognize that God is the Creator and the Lord of everything.

Peace with God is reconciliation, meaning God has forgiven you. Propitiation precedes reconciliation. It is the work of Christ on the cross which propitiated God’s holy wrath, so that we might be reconciled to God (Rom 5:1,9-10, 2 Cor 5:21). The love of God forgives our sins through the propitiation of Jesus Christ, bring peace and reconciling God and man.

How does Jesus guide? He calls His sheep by name, like He called out to Saul on the road to Damascus (John 10:3, Acts 9:4) Jesus calls you by the gospel, which comes in power and the Holy Spirit (1 Thess 1:5). Those whom He calls, must turn from their idols and turn to the true and loving God. This is the response of those who have peace with God. (1 Thess 1:9).

Signs of Peace
There are some signs of a false peace with God. A self-reliance, a skewed focus on forgiveness (antinomian), a light view of sin, and a lack of conviction from God’s word. There are true signs of peace with God. Serious about life because it is a new life in Christ, a humility giving glory to God and growing in faith.

Conclusion
To sustain our peace with God, to continue to walk in the light, there is one thing we must do. Preach the gospel to yourself. Jerry Bridges reminds us to face our sinfulness and then flee to Jesus in faith for the forgiveness of our sins. We must deal with our sin and it is through the gospel of Jesus Christ, we obtain peace with God. Practice the gospel in your life, and there will be peace.