Christopher’s Substack
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Pastor Chris White says to all of you: HELLO MY FRIENDS. May the Lord bless you today.
HOLA MIS AMIGOS. Que el Señor los bendiga.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
—John 14:27
Christianity stands alone in the world because it is crucicentric—centered on the cross of Jesus Christ. Remove the cross, and you might still have a decent moral compass or a collection of wise sayings. What you won’t have is Christianity.
Everything that gives the Christian life its power—forgiveness, hope, transformation, and peace—flows from the sacrifice of Jesus. In this series, I want to focus on four distinct kinds of peace that come to us because of the cross.
We’ll start with the first and most foundational: shalom.
Shalom: More Than a Greeting
“Shalom” is still spoken every day across the Middle East. Most often, it functions like a simple hello or goodbye. But in Scripture, shalom carries far more weight.
Biblical shalom speaks of wholeness, completeness, harmony, well-being, and rest. It’s life as God intends it to be—nothing missing, nothing broken.
If you need a picture, think back to childhood. You wake up early, half-asleep, and suddenly realize it’s Saturday. No school. No tests. No panic. You roll over and start planning the fort you’ll build later that day.
That feeling is only a faint echo of shalom—but it points in the right direction.
Peace on the Eve of the Cross
On the very night of His betrayal, fully aware of the torture and death awaiting Him, Jesus turns His attention to the emotional and spiritual well-being of His disciples.
That alone should stop us.
Most of us would want comfort in that moment. Jesus gives it.
When He says, “Let not your hearts be troubled or afraid,” He is not offering a motivational slogan or telling them to stuff their feelings and whistle in the dark. He sees beyond the trauma to what His death will accomplish.
The cross will bring:
- Complete forgiveness of sin
- The gift of Christ’s righteousness
- The sending of the Holy Spirit to dwell within believers
Through the Spirit, God gives us new hearts (Jeremiah 31). He begins a lifelong work of restoring harmony between us and Himself. The Spirit’s presence assures us that grace is active now—and that death will not have the final word.
That is shalom.
The World’s Version of Peace
The world also offers “peace,” though it tends to come with receipts and expiration dates.
Peace, we’re told, comes from:
- Big bank accounts
- Cutting-edge medical treatments
- The right substances, smoked or swallowed
- Perfect children with straight A’s and spotless behavior
- Freeze-dried food, gold coins, and enough firepower to survive the zombie apocalypse
- Or a prestigious education that guarantees a bright future
Some of these are good gifts. A few… maybe less so.
But all of them share one flaw: they can be taken away. When circumstances shift—and they always do—peace built on those things collapses with them.
The Peace That Cannot Be Lost
The shalom Christ gives does not rise and fall with fortune, health, or success. It cannot be stolen, revoked, or undone. It was purchased with blood, sealed at the cross, and secured for eternity.
This peace does not deny suffering—but it outlasts it.
And it is offered freely to all who trust in Him.
May you know His peace today.
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