Peace Is Not the Goal

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” —John 8:36

When we accept Jesus into our hearts and believe that His finished work on the cross was the greatest demonstration of His love for us, we change…

• We become aware of how deeply moving sacrificial love is.

• We become humbled that our Creator made us because He wants us.

• We become filled with the desire to fully know Him as He dwells within us.

Christians call the choice to believe in Jesus “being saved,” but there is much more to it. Saved is a small word that hardly describes the transformation we undergo when we make this choice. Regardless of where you are in your walk with God right now, I know we can at least agree on the fact that we all want peace in this life, and in the next. But what if I told you there’s more beyond that…

Because our world is plagued with turmoil, as are we, peace seems to always be the goal of every popular spiritual practice. New age thought and other religions portray peace as the highest level (or state) of “ascension” we can attain, and build practices around trying to achieve it. But I’m challenging this conceptual “goal” as a Christian. “Unsurpassed peace” is only one of dozens of transformational promises from God.

–> With Jesus, peace is not the goal; FREEDOM is.

Many people haven’t stepped beyond the basic meaning of the word saved to understand how powerful it is in God’s design.

So, let’s look at the top 5 deeper explanations behind “being saved” in Christ Jesus:

1. He heals our human pain in this life and created a painless eternity for us to enjoy. Thus, freedom from suffering.

2. He allows our human bodies to pass away, but designed our souls to live on. Thus, freedom from both physical and spiritual death.

3. He protects us from all evil and keeps us safe. Thus, freedom from fear, distress, and worry.

4. He loves us so deeply that He promised He would provide everything we could ever need. Thus, freedom from both lack and want.

5. He removes our addictions and replaces our worldly desires with a hunger for spiritual fulfillment and a healthier well-being. Thus, freedom from earthly bondage.

Peace was never the goal in Christianity, ultimate freedom is. That freedom then opens doors to whole worlds that other spirituality practices and religions will never walk through.

• Worlds overflowing with an abundance of happiness, hope, and positivity!

• Worlds where we live in harmony with one another and rejoice in fellowship!

• Worlds lit up with the Light of Christ as we share the joy of His everlasting love for us all!

When we realize that “being saved” in Christ actually means being healed and set free, suddenly other words like “repentance,” or “redeemed” become more clear and less intimidating. Sadly, many people shy away from getting to know God because others have used fear, guilt, or shame as motivators to seek Him. This is a vile misrepresentation of the beautiful, restorative relationship we can have with Him. Do not allow such poison to negatively impact your personal spiritual decisions.

Yes, the world is broken. Yes, humans use their free will to create chaos, pain, and disobedience toward God. Yes, repentance is part of the transformational process. But we don’t need to feel pressured by others to “repent now because the end is near,” or immerse ourselves into the full mystery of God all at once, or even do silly things like read the entire Bible from cover to cover like a regular book.

Like all relationships, there are natural growth phases that happen willingly from a place of safety and readiness. Over time, our understanding increases, our bond with Him becomes stronger, and the love we feel deepens.

All that’s needed first is a choice in your heart to truly want healing. That’s it. If you want to reach beyond peace and be permanently set free, simply ask for this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Written by Michelle Jean