“And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD” (Leviticus 3:1).
The New Testament fulfillment of the peace offering is found in Romans 5:1: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Because of the voluntary offering of Christ on the cross, the believer has peace with God. Justification declares us righteous before the law court of God. We were once guilty, but now have been set free. Where once we had no peace, we now have “perfect peace” (Isaiah 26:3). It is all possible because Christ was willing to become our peace offering. “And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself” (Colossians 1:20). “For He is our peace . . . for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace. . . . And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh” (Ephesians 2:14,15,17).
The unsaved have no peace: “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked” (Isaiah 57:21), but the believer has been given the gift of peace: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: . . . Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Plus, we have the fruit of peace: “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace . . .” (Galatians 5:22).
In Leviticus 3:5 God instructed Aaron to burn the peace-offering on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice. The believer’s peace rests on the fact of the voluntary sacrifice of Christ. If Christ had not been willing to do the will of God at all costs, typified by the whole burnt offering, the believer could never have had peace. Our peace rests solely upon Christ. Righteousness and peace are wondrously met together in Christ (Psalm 85:10). NPS
