For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2.14-18
Consider this and marvel—Jesus is not simply the means to our peace, He himself is our peace. He does not procure a foreign peace, He gives us Himself—His very presence with us. Nor does Jesus procure the peace of His presence by foreign means. He secures it in His own flesh. The God of all glory and grace was so bent, so committed to granting to undeserving sinners peace that no other peace but His presence would do. Indeed, any peace save His very presence would be inadequate to win reconciliation for the rebel and outcast back to God.
To carry out His purpose of salvation in exalting the glory of His presence with exiled sinners, God won the peace required in His Son, Jesus, and applied it through His Spirit.
Further still, He could trust the gifting of His peace to no other means short of Himself. For sinners are utterly deficient to secure such peace—not only with one another but with God. Therefore, to carry out His purpose of salvation in exalting the glory of His presence with exiled sinners, God won the peace required in His Son, Jesus, and applied it through His Spirit. As such, we have unshakable hope that our salvation is secure, for it is wrapped up in the eternal fellowship the Son has with the Father—“for through him we have access in one Spirit to the Father.”
The God whose holiness justly denies fellowship with all that is unholy has made peace with us whose status as helpless exiles is deserved and forbids us entrance into His presence by taking on flesh that He might absolve the hostility between us and establish fellowship with us. We have a supreme peace with God that is the presence of God with us. For He himself is our peace.
