Those who bring good news have beautiful feet. Paul suggests that the Christian soldier should have his feet shod with the “preparation of the Gospel that brings peace.” It’s always good news of great joy when we hear that a war, strife, a contention has been settled, and peace has been once again established. The message of the Gospel is indeed a message of peace. It brings peace in three dimensions. It gives us peace with God. It gives us peace with ourselves, and it gives us peace with others. Some suggest it is peace above, peace within, and peace without. Each of every one of the kinds of peace is good news for those who are at war with God, themselves, or with others.

The best kind of peace and the foundation for the other two is peace with God. It starts with that. The good things of life begin to be all that God intended them to be when we find peace with Him. Jesus’ mission was to establish that peace for us. Paul says in Romans 5, and verse 1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Our faith in the accomplished work of Jesus on the cross satisfies God’s anger and settles our account with God. Trying to live at peace with ourselves and even with others without settling that issue is ultimately a waste of time. There will be no lasting peace within or peace without if there is no peace with God above. Ken Boa puts it this way, “Peace with God is not one of the benefits of justification by faith—it is the benefit; a synonym, if you will. It is the greatest need of the human race, for if any person has peace with God, all other needs will be met.”

Kent Hughes also says something similar in one of his commentaries. He writes, “…Jesus also brings peace with God—the ground and foundation of all peace.” Hughes then quotes John Wesley who said, “Oh what a pearl … is the lowest degree of peace with God. It is worth selling everything to receive it.” Hughes then continues his own comments by adding, “Jesus gives us his peace. This is not something from a package. It is not a philosophical abstraction. It is his own personal peace. ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives’ (John 14:27, italics added). He gives us the peace he had for thirty-three years amidst turmoil and rejections, even on the cross. He shares with us the peace that is now his in glory. This is not a dream. This is reality!”