God's Amazing Grace

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Gospel Shoes for a Mission of Peace, January 24

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:15. AG 32.1

We are living in the midst of an “epidemic of crime,” at which thoughtful, God-fearing men everywhere stand aghast.... Every day brings its heart-sickening record of violence and lawlessness, of indifference to human suffering, of brutal, fiendish destruction of human life. Every day testifies to the increase of insanity, murder, and suicide. Who can doubt that satanic agencies are at work among men with increasing activity to distract and corrupt the mind, and defile and destroy the body? AG 32.2

And while the world is filled with these evils, the gospel is too often presented in so indifferent a manner as to make but little impression upon the consciences or the lives of men. Everywhere there are hearts crying out for something which they have not. They long for a power that will give them mastery over sin, a power that will deliver them from the bondage of evil, a power that will give health and life and peace.49The Ministry of Healing, 142, 143. AG 32.3

The gospel is a message of peace. Christianity is a system, which, received and obeyed, would spread peace, harmony, and happiness throughout the earth. The religion of Christ will unite in close brotherhood all who accept its teachings.50The Great Controversy, 47. AG 32.4

The peace of Christ is born of truth. It is harmony with God. The world is at enmity with the law of God; sinners are at enmity with their Maker; and as a result they are at enmity with one another.... Men cannot manufacture peace. Human plans for the purification and uplifting of individuals or of society will fail of producing peace, because they do not reach the heart. The only power that can create or perpetuate true peace is the grace of Christ. When this is implanted in the heart, it will cast out the evil passions that cause strife and dissension.51The Desire of Ages, 302, 305. AG 32.5

The faces of men and women who walk and work with God express the peace of heaven. They are surrounded with the atmosphere of heaven. For these souls the kingdom of God has begun.52The Desire of Ages, 312. AG 32.6

The Lord is soon coming. Talk it, pray it, believe it. Make it a part of the life.... Gird on the Christian armor, and be sure that your feet are “shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” 53Testimonies for the Church 7:237. AG 32.7