Peace with God

Where there is not "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," there cannot be communion and true worship. If rare and fear distress the soul, there will not be the comfort of the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keeping the heart and mind. If we walk in His ways, the God of peace will he with us. "Joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ" is also the happy privilege of every child of God, but how few speak of these things as their own happy experience. It is not merely the present certainty of forgiveness of sins (blessed as it is) which the believer is entitled to know, but also:
(1) “Peace with God.”
(2) “The peace of God.”
(3) “The God of peace shall be with you.”
(4) “Joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
While many a true-hearted Christian is suffering greatly in soul from lack of knowledge, perhaps others are too much taken up with doctrines. They may be content with critical accuracy and orthodoxy rather than the power of the truth in the love of it. The consequence is that some have unconsciously become more like theological students and scholars of divinity, than devoted followers of Christ in the path of obedience and suffering for His sake. It is clear that it is not merely the knowledge of doctrines that the child of God should desire, important as it is, but he should be occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ to whom all doctrine points. In relation to Him we now stand as members of His body, dependent on the Head and called to show forth His characteristics and to bear much fruit. We may be sure that when the word of Christ dwells in us richly, there will be faith and love in activity, as well as knowledge. There will be communion as well as peace.
We can understand a person being taken up with certain "views" as they are called, and holding what is true, perhaps according to the letter of Scripture, and yet being as unspiritual and lifeless as he can be. But we cannot understand a soul really receiving God's testimony concerning the personal glory, the finished work, and the coming again of His own Son, without being attracted to Him. Neither can we understand a person having the present possession of eternal life without its producing results, both in experience and walk.