Don’t Fake Peace

“I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.” — Psalm 85:8 (KJV)

Owen gives some advice about our consciences that is worth thinking about carefully.

He says we should take our sin seriously by talking honestly to ourselves about it. He imagines someone asking themselves questions like these:

“What can I say to the dear Lord Jesus? How shall I hold up my head with any boldness before him?”

And then: “Shall I daily grieve that Spirit whereby I am sealed to the day of redemption?” The point is not to wallow in shame. It is to let the love of Jesus make sin look as ugly as it really is. When you remember how much Jesus loves you, choosing sin over him starts to look absurd.

Then Owen warns against a different danger: speaking peace to yourself too quickly. When you feel guilty, it can be tempting to grab a quick comfort, “God forgives everything, so it doesn’t matter,” and move on without really turning away from the sin.

Owen says: take heed that you do not speak peace to yourself before God speaks it, but listen to what he says to your soul. Real peace comes from God, when we honestly turn from sin and trust Christ. Fake peace is a shortcut we give ourselves to stop feeling uncomfortable.

He puts it like this: “The use of means for the obtaining of peace is ours; the bestowing of it is God’s prerogative.” Our part is to confess, turn and trust. Giving peace is God’s part.

This is not meant to make you anxious or keep you feeling guilty for ever. God loves to speak peace to his people, as the psalm says. Jesus died so that you could be forgiven. When you truly come back to him, he does forgive, and you can rest in that.

But notice the end of the psalm: “let them not turn again to folly.” God’s peace comes with a call to change. Real peace and real change go together.

If you find you can never feel forgiven, however many times you confess, please talk to a pastor or a trusted adult. Sometimes guilt gets stuck, and we need help to hear God’s forgiveness.

One thing to do this week: next time you sin this week, don’t rush to a quick “it doesn’t matter”, and don’t sink into shame either. Stop, confess it honestly to Jesus, turn from it, and then read 1 John 1:9 and receive his forgiveness.