I want to talk to you today about experiencing God’s kind of peace in the midst of fearful circumstances. My friend, peace is not the absence of trouble in your life. It is not the absence of turmoil, challenges, or things that are not harmonious in your physical environment.

It is possible to be in the midst of the biggest crisis in your life and still experience peace. That’s the true kind of peace that you can experience with Jesus—peace that surpasses understanding. Naturally speaking, it does not make sense for you to feel completely at rest and at peace when you are in dire straits, but supernaturally, you can be filled with peace!

The world defines peace, harmony, and tranquility based on what is happening in the sensory realm. The world’s notion of peace would look something like this: A man lying in a hammock on a white sandy beach in Hawaii with luau music playing softly in the cabana, coconut trees swaying in perfect unison, and warm, blue waves rolling languidly along the shoreline. The world calls that peace—until reality kicks in and the transient peace that was experienced just moments ago dissipates into thin air!

You see, my friend, you cannot use your external surroundings to permanently influence the turmoil that you are feeling inside. Only Jesus can touch what you are feeling inside and turn that turmoil into His peace. With the Lord by your side, and from that abiding peace within, you can influence your external surroundings. It’s not the other way round.

With Jesus, transformation is always from inside out and not outside in. He puts a peace and rest in your heart that is so secure, you can face any challenge without worry or stress, regardless of your negative circumstances and environment.

This devotional is taken from the book 100 Days of Favor—Daily Readings from Unmerited Favor.

Many believers are worried that when people receive the revelation of their total forgiveness in Christ, they will grow lax, take sin lightly, and go on to lead godless lives. They are worried that such teaching places no emphasis on sanctification or the desire to live holy, God-glorifying lives.

So allow me to explain here that while you have been justified and made righteous by the blood of Jesus or perfected forever, sanctification is an ongoing process in your growth as a Christian. This is why the author of the book of Hebrews says that we are being sanctified even though we are perfected forever by Christ’s one act of obedience at the cross (see today’s scripture).

As a believer you cannot become more righteous but you can become more sanctified or holy in terms of how you live your life. Justification by faith happened instantaneously—the moment you received Jesus, you were forgiven, cleansed, perfected in righteousness, and saved. You were also sanctified in Christ (Heb. 10:10).

However, it is important to understand that the revelation and outworking of your sanctification in Christ is progressive. This means that the more you grow in your relationship with the Lord Jesus, the more holy you will become in every area of your life.

I remember a precious brother writing to my ministry describing how the revelation of our forgiveness in Christ brought him into an intimacy with God that he had previously only dreamed about. “Previously, when I was trying to be a good Christian,” he said, “I was only crawling along, inch by inch. But now that I’ve got hold of grace, I’m running in my relationship with God! The more I learn about God’s amazing grace, the more I desperately want to glorify Him with my life!”

What a beautiful, true-life picture of what really happens when a person sits under teaching that uncovers the undiluted gospel of glorious grace! The revelation of forgiveness does not detract from nor is it at the expense of right living. Instead, it is the fuel that makes right living happen.

Merriam-Webster Online describes sanctification as “the state of growing in divine grace as a result of Christian commitment after conversion.” You see, it is all about growing in grace.

Establish yourself in the gospel of grace. Paul told Timothy to be “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 2:1). Peter encouraged believers to build a strong foundation with these closing words in his last epistle: “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18).

My friend, grace produces true holiness. The more you grow in grace—the more you are washed, again and again, by the water of the word of God’s grace—the more you grow in sanctification and holiness, and the more you allow the Holy Spirit to correct habits and thinking that keep you in bondage.

Beloved, when you experience the grace of our Lord Jesus, the allure and passing pleasures of sin fade in the light of His glory and grace. It will set you free to have the kind of relationship you’ve always longed for with God, one that is intimate, powerful, and full of peace, joy, and good fruit!

This devotional is taken from the book Glorious Grace—100 Daily Readings from Grace Revolution.

Imagine this: you are about to enter into a time of worship in church, and as the leader gives the invitation, he asks you and all the other believers to first search your hearts for any sin that would keep you from the Lord’s presence. Tell me, what happens to your heart when you begin to search for sin? And what happens to your worship?

One of the things that I was taught during my formative years as a Christian was that I had to search my heart for sin before worshiping the Lord. I felt as though I was entering a dark and dingy storeroom full of cobwebs each time I did so. I pictured myself peering around and searching for all my sins with a little torchlight. Been there? And the more I searched, the more I found and the more I felt unworthy to enter God’s holy presence.

Instead of being more conscious of the beauty and love of my Savior, I became more and more conscious of my sins, uncleanness, and guilt. Initially, I would have my hands, and I would be all ready to praise and worship God. But the more I searched my heart for sin, the more my hands would hang down with dejection.

How could I worship God? How could I have the courage and audacity to enter His courts with praise?

As I grew and matured in the things of God, I realized that the idea that you had to be “right” before you could worship Jesus is man’s tradition. For instance, the woman in Luke 7, who came to Jesus with an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, fell at His feet and worshiped Him. She washed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair before anointing them with the oil.

The Bible clearly records that the woman was a sinner, and many believe that she was a prostitute, but it says nothing about her stopping to search her heart or confess her sins before she worshiped Jesus. She worshiped Him just as she was, and after that, Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

I believe that the devil has tried to rob us of this tremendous truth. Whatever your need is, whether you are mired in debt, trapped in a particular sin, or fearful for your future, come to Jesus.

He is your Savior. He is your healer. He is your provider. He is your peace. He is your forgiveness. He is your “I AM” (Ex. 3:14), which means that He is the great “I AM” for whatever you need Him to be in your situation.

Whatever lack you may be facing right now, He loves you, and He is your solution. Come and worship Him just as you are, and He will meet you at your point of need. You don’t have to worry about the mistakes you have made because you are worshiping your forgiver. You don’t have to worry about your sickness because you are worshiping your healer. If believers really knew this truth, even wild horses would not be able to stop them from coming to worship God!

Beloved, come and worship with the boldness and confidence that this woman did. You will hear Jesus say, “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

This devotional is taken from the book Reign in Life—90 Powerful Inspirations for Extraordinary Breakthroughs.