Bible Lesson 235

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.

Matthew 5:9

This month (October) we want to look at who the peacemakers are, and what they do, and how they do it. Most of us are not as astute about our responsibility to God to seek peace with those who will be peaceable. Peace is a wonderful thing if you have peace, but peace is something that we as creatures find hard to come by.

Well, that being so, and it is, and it shows itself as business as usual every day in our society. In Titus 3:3 we find that is established and proven. That verse of scripture reminds us that we were all born and continue in ‘foolishness, disobedience, deceit, lustful and seeking pleasure.

It goes on to say that we lived in malice and envy, being hateful and hating one another. Thankfully, we are reminded in later verses that we are not frozen in that condition. We are reminded that there is a Kind and loving Savior, who saves those who seek and find Him, and bow the knee and obey Him.

That does not occur unless and until we come to realize how sinful we are; and how desperately we need God’s mercy and power to change us. I’m afraid that many preachers today, have not come to the place that they realize that Salvation (being born from above), must be sought by the supplicant, and given by our Holy God.

We have shortened and made acceptable to sinners, who want to remain sinners; but have the promise of heaven; without repentance or demonstrating obedience as proof of the rebirth.

I have said all of that, to have you understand that sinners can never be peacemakers; because they do not have peace with God. You must have peace with the God of peace, in order to be a peacemaker. You may ask, well what is peace’ Peace is not our making up our mind that we are not going to worry about certain things, or being friendly to everyone, or even some sort of false peace that we have wrought.

Peace does not make us door-mats for sinners. It does not come from our surrender to the status quo. Peace must never be sought at the expense of righteousness. We should seek peace between God and sinners, by confronting them with the Truth of the Gospel of Christ. We have done nothing if we do not point out the sinner’s desperate need for peace with God

We are NOT to negotiate anything that God would not accept. We are not out to make sinners friendly to us, what we want is for sinners to completely surrender their lives to our Holy God. Nothing else will suffice. God’s peace passes understanding, (Philippians 4:7).

There are many who pose as Christians, but are apparently just church members, who appear on Sundays on a regular schedule in church pews but, who prove themselves not to be peacemakers. All peacemakers demonstrate that they have been born again, by their obedience to the work that Christ left for all peacemakers, and that is they take the gospel outside the doors of their church.

Every Christian has been commanded to teach others to obey all that Christ has commanded us to do. That is found in Matthew 28:19-20. Never think that God saved you to sit on your special pew, and watch the world go by. Christ makes it plain that the love of God and His love, is only for those who know His commands, and keep them.

Do you think Christ is happy with you’ You can know if you take a few moments to check the scriptures! Look at John 14:21-24. What did that tell you’ Does God love you’ Do you love Him enough to know His Word, the Bible, and do what it says’

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the Sons of God.” Do you and I qualify as sons of God’ We have to obey Him and all that He has commanded us, if we answer that in the affirmative. Being a Church member does not mean that you are a Christian, it simply means that you have joined that particular church group in doing whatever they do or neglect to do.

It does not mean that you are saved or a child of God. Being Yoked with Christ makes you a Christian. We have seen those who appear harmless, helpless, and whose practiced appearance (folded hands, humped back, and agreeing with everyone about everything). That means they are not peacemakers; because they make peace on their terms and call it unity. Christians never make terms of peace that violate God’s righteousness. (James 3:13-18).

We always attempt to obey Romans 12:18, which instructs us; “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceable with all men.” We all (notice I included myself), need to understand that we all carry the germs of peace breakers, and we may be guilty of bigotry, untempered zeal, and personality weakness. We must always be on guard to make sure that we are ready to make peace and then make sure that God is in our efforts.

Attention!!!

We must wake up, stand up and speak up for the Lord. Anyone who has one eye and half a brain, must know that the world is about to burst its seams. Every where we look, we see progressive evil at work. We may think that we have worked to become peacemakers; and we have those who preach and teach, “Peace, Peace, but there is no peace.

We can make a difference, but we must first seek that difference that comes only in the New Birth, that birth from above. Open your Bible, because faith is what saves any person, and faith comes by hearing (reading). It is one thing to hear the truth preached, but truth in our day can and should be validated by finding the truth in the Word of God, the Bible.

Until next time,

may God bless and keep you

This is Bro. Bob