I encourage you to be a peacemaker for Christ’s sake
A peacemaker not only appreciates peace from God, but they also enable others to experience it. Peace is mentioned approximately 340 times in the Bible, so it must be of importance to both God and humanity. We read in Romans 5:1 that only believers in Christ “have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. Therefore, Christ alone is the divine peacemaker, mediating between God and man (1Ti 2:5; Heb 9:15).
Since believers experience peace with God, they are best equipped to embark upon two significant peace missions. First, they point unbelievers who live indifferent toward God to Christ who alone can break sin’s grip. Second, they point fellow believers to living at peace with each other as an expression of Christ’s love.
For the Christian, peace is not optional. It’s divinely implanted and must translate into earthly relationships. As Christ “is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14), the child of God has divine resources at their disposal equipping them to “be at peace with one another” (Mark 9:50).
Here’s the connection every believer should make. Since Christ has purchased your peace from God the Father, so you should live His peace through your attitudes, words, and behaviour toward others. This is where the rubber hits the road. Due to the deceptive nature of the human heart (Jer 17:9), and the fragile nature of relationships, peace needs to be applied in multiple ways.
Real life application
Being a peacemaker requires intimate prayer and demands much patience. Often forgiveness will be required, even to the order of 70 times 7 (Mt 18:22). Grace that may even hurt you needs to be shown, along with mercy that costs, just as it was for the Lord who saved you and I. You see, reconciliation is the work of a peacemaker.
Only an uncompromising walk of faith committed to a long term vision will satisfy a peacemaker. The apostle Paul put it this way; “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18). So, the child of God employs all means at their disposal, but “never avenge yourselves” (Romans 12:19). Peace should never be acquired through sin, fear, anger, or error.
As Jesus explained to His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27). The world offers a peace that requires indifference toward God accompanied by a self-centered attitude toward others.
The world’s peace invariably conflicts with biblical values and causes heart ache and fear. As you know, sin and peace counter each other. While sin offers peace, it actually creates an even greater need for it due to the ever increasing sense of discontentment and enmity with God.
God’s peacemaker is different
A Christian peacemaker recognises that; “Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love” (2 John 1:3). It’s the love of God which inspires the child of God to pursue peace in the truthfulness of Christ-like character, being filled with His Word (Col 3:16).
Finally, a peacemaker is dependent upon the Lord’s peace to accomplish what they cannot. “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all” (2 Thessalonians 3:16).
I encourage you to be a peacemaker for Christ’s sake. Christ will be pleased, others will be relieved, and you shall be filled with joy. Live it and share it, but never forget it.