The Spiritual Discipline of Peacemaking (4.5.25)
Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
God saves and calls His people to be peacemakers—to keep the unity He has paid a high price for us to have. Today’s Going Deeper helps us better understand the practice of peacemaking.
The Problem: Sin That Causes Disunity
Genesis 3:7-8 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Adam and Eve’s sin, and our sin since then, has caused separation between us and God and between us and each other! It divided Adam from Eve and both from God. There was no more unity. It was just “me, myself, and I.” This separation causes us to try to have what was once united and beautiful. We try to know and have real love, but all we do is selfish.
The Answer: The Prince of Peace
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
The Prince of Peace, or the Sar Shalom, is Hebrew for “Prince of Peace.”
Sar: the one in charge, captain, general, lord, chief
The Romans developed the title “Caesar” out of the origins of the word Sar.
Shalom: rest, tranquility, completeness, wholeness
This was a greeting the Hebrews would give to one another representing holistic peace!
Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the Sar Shalom.
Isaiah 53:5 (NIV) … he [Jesus] was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
In Christ, we are able to live humbly and selflessly with others in a way that we don’t when our sin is fueling us.
Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
The United Body of Christ
Romans 12:4-5 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
Paul uses an illustration of a human body to show us just how connected we now are in Christ! Like the members of our body are utterly dependent on, and connected to, each other. So we, too, are members of one another!
Now, notice what is so amazing about the body of Christ.
Diversity: Romans 12:4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function
Unity: Romans 12:5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
A diverse unity sounds like an oxymoron, right? But that is what is so cool about the body of Christ. Let me take a moment to clarify what unity is not because we often can think about it in a wrong light.
What Unity is Not
Unity is not sameness!
The very oneness of the Godhead is a “diverse unity.” It is not SAMENESS!
If you and I are trying to be united by dressing alike, what happens when we disagree about something?Do our same clothes allow us to be unified through that disagreement? No, we will say, “Fine. You go your way and I’ll go mine, and whatever unity was there is now broken.”
But if we are the “body” of Christ, the issue we disagree on quickly demands a different response. It demands we fight for unity! Why? Because if the left leg says, “I hurt,” and the mind says, “Forget you, it’s time to walk,” then the You-go-your-way-and-I’ll-go-mine answer doesn’t help that body move forward!
It paralyzes the entire body while both parties sit in the corner and pout or avoid each other. The mind is not getting anywhere without the leg, and the leg doesn’t know what to do without the mind. So, together they must unite, talk it out, listen to each other, and resolve their differences. Only in unity does the body move forward!
Do you see the diversity? Do you see the unity?
We have all seen the birds flying together overhead before, right? We have seen them fly in a big V formation. Scientists at Cal Tech have said that 25 geese flying in a V formation can fly 70% farther than one goose alone. That’s the beauty and benefit of unity.
Don’t miss what this means for the body of Christ. It is something awesome God has saved us into—the family of God. It is a joyous, amazing reality. I want you to know this for yourself—to be a member of this body and of one another.
Ephesians 4:4-6 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
We are called to one unified body by which one, all-powerful Spirit empowers us to one eternal hope. Not many hopes, not many ends, not many ultimate satisfactions and joys: one hope. One glorious future made possible by one Lord who gives one faith and one baptism to the one God who is Father of all, who is over all, who is at work through all and in all whom He has called.
Fighting for Unity
We are members of one another. The charge before us is to keep the unity in peace.
Ephesians 4:3 (NIV) Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
First of all, noticeit says, “Make every effort …”! That is fight-for-it language! In other words, don’t give up easily—fight! Don’t try once and walk away—fight! Don’t fight for what is self-seeking but fight for what honors God.
Second, notice what it says next.Fight “to keep the unity of the Spirit …”! When we are in Christ, unity is something that we receive; it is not something to be attained!
Only by the grace of God is unity even experienced in this life. We can’t earn our way into unity. We have to simply receive it in Christ, and then value it. Let me say it this way: Our command is to practice unity!
Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Jesus calls the sons of God “peacemakers!” What do peacemakers do? They fight for unity! Peacemakers are not people who have no conflict; they are people who fight for peace in, and through, that conflict.
God is doing something eternal in and through us in this that we need not miss. Jesus Christ did not just come to hand out tickets to heaven, and He did not just call His church to point people to the guy handing out tickets to heaven.
He wants us to live out our unity as members of one another so that the testimony of what He has done to restore His people can be out there for others to see. Why? Because more of His people are still to be saved and to join us so that they will be an active and essential part of the local church.
Jesus is not the only one who says this. Paul and Peter go on to say it again and again.
1 Corinthians 1:10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with one another …
1 Peter 3:8 (NIV) … live in harmony with one another …
Paul says it well in Ephesians 4:31-32: Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Jesus says in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
We, the redeemed of God, are to be peacemakers! Peacemakers are the sons of God.
One of the major ways we fight for peace is to be less offended and things that other people do or don’t do.
Proverbs 19:11 says,Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
Consider an example: Let’s say, You invite some friends to a dinner party you have been planning and putting together for a long time. And one of those friends comes dressed “too casual” in your opinion for the event you went out of your way to put together.
Now, you are hurt because that person didn’t live up to the expectation you had for them to have dressed up more for your dinner party. Now, Did that person do anything wrong or sinful? NO.
It’s not that they wore their pajamas to your dinner party. They just didn’t dress “as nice” as you hoped they would.
In these types of situations of life and they will happen OFTEN, we need to be mindful of our expectations of others and not “taking offense” to things that don’t need to come between us and others. There are many ways we can be far too selfish and self-minded and create issues between us and others that simply are not there and or do not need to be taken to heart.
Another example: If I am talking to a random guy on the street corner while waiting to cross the street and we engage in a little dialogue and he says something offensive about something I love.
Is our relationship in great peril?
No, WHY? Because we have no relationship. I never met this guy and will likely never see him again. Therefore, my expectations of the random guy on street that I don’t know personally are about as low as they get… and even though I might be a little put off by his words, I am over it by the time we get to the other side of the street. Right?
When violations of our personal preferences happen, we need to be so very mindful to not take them to heart. Do not let them come between us and them, but instead learn to “overlook” it because it’s not a sin and therefore should not affect the relationship.
God wants us to be friendly. This means I am not critical towards others in a way that causes division in my heart or mind with that person. It means I am “easy” to be friends with, in this way and not “difficult” to be friends with. You know people like that, right?… they are very gracious towards others in all the right ways.
Christ in us should cause us to be people who show a lot of grace to others and who are slow to demand our nuanced preferences or to get easily hung up on others shortcomings.
When and if we struggle with this we need to go to prayer and do intentional work in your mind and heart to not hold grudges or hurts against others for personal uncommunicated or unreasonable expectations. As we grow in Christ and practice this over time, hopefully it becomes truly a more automatic gracious response.
We must never forget that God has designed this creation whereby we all have different personalities and where there are many permissible personal liberties. In light of this, we must see sooner than later that people will often not perfectly live up to your personal preferences. This is a part of life and this is why God’s word says we must be good at overlooking an offense. Consider…
Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.
Please understand that there are many things through out every day in this life that we simply need to recognize is the reality of living in a complex and fallen world and we need to NOT take many, many things to heart.
We need to be better at really asking: Is this thing that I am feeling offended by, sin or not?
It is also important that we slow to consider by what standard do we gauge if it is sin or not?
The answer must be, God’s word. God’s law must be our standard. It can’t be that I just feel like it is sin.
So, we must ask ourselves, Am I truly harmed/wronged according to God’s law?
Church, this is often how we need to navigate our daily interactions with others.
So that we don’t have a big list of formal offenses that need to be talked about and forgiven and worked through. Instead, we need to glorify God by the good and helpful practice of “overlooking an offense”.
Let me add, If you find yourself really offended and hurt by the comments of the guy on the corner or the person who didn’t meet your personal preference, then the problem might be with you. Meaning you might be applying unfitting levels of self-serving judgement to the situation or the other persons motives and/or lacking a firm hold on your identity in Christ.
If by nature you are not known for or are increasingly known for overlooking things that don’t need to become offenses, then I want to really encourage you to do business with this. Especially, if it is affecting your feelings towards and brother or sister and or your relationship.
Christians, need to be KNOWN FOR NOT holding people hostage to our uncommunicated expectations and or personal preferences. We want to outdo one another in showing honor and look to put the other person before ourself. We want to give people the benefit of the doubt and desire peace and not controversy and relational stress. This is a major way we practice peacemaking.
Remember, Proverbs 19:11 tells us that “It is to one’s glory to overlook an offense”!
We are to be practiced in Overlooking things that are not sinful!
We must have righteous judgement and look to Christ and not to our flesh!
May we all grow in this important way and may it have some real positive impact in our daily relationships with others!
In the end, see that we need each other, and we cannot endure this battlefield alone. We must be united; we must fight for peace and unity. We must talk out our hurts, overlook offences and seek forgiveness when needed so that we have true peace with our brothers and sisters. This is not something we get to set aside when it doesn’t serve our agenda nor our fleshly feelings. It is a priority for our lives if we belong to Christ.
1 John 4:19-20 We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
We tell the truth about Christ and the gospel by practicing peacemaking. We honor Christ by our practice of peacemaking. May it be so.
By His grace and for His glory
Joshua “Shepherd” Kirstine
Soldiers For Jesus MC
Chaplain Council
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