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Follow peace
Hebrews 12:14
Sometimes we find ourselves focusing on one thing, when we should be focusing on another.
This verse is an example of that. We focus on “holiness without which no man shall see God.”
We do mental gymnastics, we rearrange our entire lives, we change our wardrobes, we make up arbitrary standards that supposedly make us holy.
But the key to opening holiness in our lives, is when we follow peace.
Our whole world is built on confrontation and competition. The world’s outcry is “I must defeat you.” The church looks at the divided cultures and says, “ we must win the culture war.” Spouses try to win the argument, control each other, impress their will onto the other’s hearts. Conservatives and liberals seek to defeat the other to win power and win the battle of ideals.
Pastors and preachers seek dominion over the church. Parishioners seek dominion over the preachers.
But is this right?
Jesus told us: Matthew 20:25-28
Jesus says here that we must not seek dominion over others. We must not seek rulership over others. Rather we are to minister to others. We are to serve others.
We must humble ourselves and serve others. We must place the needs of others above the needs of ourselves. We must actively work to improve other’s situations, not our own. In other words we must be givers and not takers.
This is not an easy task.
This flies in the face of our flesh and its natural tendencies.
When our own needs (or what we think are our needs- often there is a major difference between these two categories in Gods eyes) push to the forefront and demand to be met, it causes conflict, confusion, and chaos.
This is the opposite of Hebrews 12:14.
Jesus instructs us to “follow peace.”
And says if we gain peace, then we will live holy.
So how do we follow peace?
The word follow means “to pursue “.
This isn’t standing in a line behind someone, keeping our place in line, and stepping forward when everyone else ahead of us does.
No sir!
This is like your young child is running towards danger and you sprint with all of your might to catch that child before they get hurt.
Pursuing peace requires giving our all!
Philippians 4:5-7
First the pursuit of peace requires keeping our flesh under the control of the spirit (let your moderation be known to all men). It requires living our lives under spiritual control (if we walk after the spirit we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh).
Secondly, the pursuit of peace requires prayers and supplications to God. We can follow every “holiness standard” contained in the book and many that aren’t, but if we do not bathe our lives in prayer (submission to God) and supplications (praying in earnest for the needs of others and of our own as the Lord leads us to pray), then we will never find peace and never be holy.
And these prayers and supplications must be mixed with thanksgiving. The old song says “a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down.”
When we get focused on “the lack of things” the lack of revival, the lack of righteousness, the lack of money, the lack of help, the lack of this, the lack of that, it can bring us down.
But if we remain thankful for the good things we do have, the good we know of, and we express our thanks to God, it makes our supplications for lack 1) easier to handle and less depressing, and 2) more faith filled. After all, we know the Lord has provided these things we’re thankful for, and it gives us faith that he’ll provide for those things we’re requesting.
John 16:33
If we remain “in Jesus “ we can find and have peace.
2 Thessalonians 3;16
We must understand that peace only comes from the Lord!
It doesn’t come from money, jobs, positions, titles, what men think of us, human relationships, status, power, etc.
Peace comes from one being and one being only: Jesus!
And he gives us peace “by all means.”
If something pleases us and he can use it to give us peace, he will. (Have Della to tell her fish catching story) After the Lord showed her he loves her and does have a plan for her, the stinging words of the adversary don’t have the same bite!
If something causes us grief, but God can use it to ultimately bring us peace in him, he will use it.
He gives us peace “by all means.”
Isaiah 26:3
If we keep our minds constantly on him, then he will gift us peace!
Psalms 119:165
Great peace comes from loving Gods word! Nothing shall offend them!
Ephesians 4:3
The only way to be on one mind and one accord (be in unity) is be in the bond of peace.
Bond comes from 2 root words: one means a union. The other means shackled. In other words peace unites us and shackles us together.
Romans 5:1
We are justified by faith and that gives us peace with God. We’re not in conflict with him, we’re not fighting and arguing with him. We are submitting to him and obeying his plans and following his ways. We are at peace with God!
This is how following peace brings true holiness.
Job 25:2
True dominion is with God almighty. The one we should fear is Jesus! But this all powerful almighty God makes peace in his high places!
When we seek him with all our heart, he will be found of us. When we surrender and submit our whole hearts in prayer, when we surrender and submit our thoughts to him, HE will make peace in our lives!
He will turn chaos into quiet! Confusion into understanding! Self righteousness into real righteousness! Selfishness into selflessness! Sinfulness into holiness!
Pursue the peace of God! Pursue his heart! Chase his ways! Surrender our all and he will give us peace and grant us holiness!
