Glen Hartline

Matt 10:34-36

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’;
36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. (NKJV)

1. Jesus Himself said not to think He came to bring peace.
   
2. He came to set a man against his father, daughter against mother, daughter – in-law against mother-in-law.
   
3. A man’s enemy shall be in his own household.
   

Matt 24:6-8

6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all* these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences,* and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. (NKJV)

1. Wars and rumors of wars
   
2. Nation against Nation
   
3. Kingdom against Kingdom
   
4. Famines
   
5. Pestilences
   
6. Earthquakes
   
   

With these verses it is impossible to come to the conclusion that Jesus came to bring peace on the earth between people. To do so would mean that you either do not know scripture or that you are intentionally being deceptive. If Jesus did not come to bring peace between men, then what do these verses say?

Luke 2:14

4 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
(NKJV)

The angels were announcing peace on earth and goodwill between God and man. Before Jesus there was enmity between God and man. Basically God was at war against man’s sin. The angels were proclaiming that the war was over; there was now peace between God and man. God was no longer pouring out wrath on man because of his sin.

2 Cor 5:17-19

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (NKJV)

1. Reconcile – To make friendly or to bring back into harmony.
   
2. God reconciled the world to Himself through Jesus.
   
3. Imputing– Accounting term means to hold against
   

Paul is telling us that God was in Jesus reconciling man back to Himself and not counting our sins against us, and not only ours but the sins of the whole world!

Rom 5:13

3 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. (NKJV)

1. Law – Sin imputed
   
2. No Law – Sin is not imputed
   

1 John 2:2

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (NKJV)

Heb 8:12

2 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (NIV)

Heb 10:17

“Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” (NIV)

Ps 103:12

2 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. (NKJV)

God is not angry at us. He is not judging man because of sin. Jesus took all the sin of the world on Himself on the cross and paid the price. This is the good news! This is the message we are to declare to the world. Jesus has paid the price for your sins and all you have to do is receive that payment! God has reconciled Himself back to man through Jesus, now we just need to be reconciled to God. That is not saying that all are saved or that nobody will pay the price for sin. You will not receive the benefit of Jesus’ sacrifice if you don’t accept it by receiving Jesus as Savior and Lord. There will be eternal punishment if you refuse this free gift. It is not God judging you. You were already judged because of your sin and because you chose to remain the servant of satan, God is just allowing you to have what you have freely chosen. (Free Will)