A man wants to see his neighborhood clean. People have got a right to live in peace.”
–Ernest Haycox (Alder Gulch)
“If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.”
–Matthew 10:13(NKJV)
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“God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” –Matthew 5:9 (NLT)
Most of you probably have never heard of Wild Bill Elliott. He was one of my favorite cowboy actors from way back. He had a saying that he used in most of his movies, “I’m a peaceful man,” but he inevitably found himself in all sorts of trouble. However, in the end, he did bring peace. To continue our study in this Beatitude, I want to start with a quotation by Thomas Watson, “Peaceableness is the ensign and ornament of a noble mind.” It is honorable to try to bring peace, but the problem is how, and then we have already discussed that peace is not appeasement.
A peace-maker seeks to establish right relationships. We know that in this world there are trouble-makers and there are peace-makers, though the former have the latter greatly outnumbered. For sure as we look around us and at the news in our country and other nations there are those who would destroy peace. They belong to the devil and his dark world. As Christians, we should seek to be peaceful, but as Watson reminds us, “Handle a briar every so gently–it may scratch.” There are those who do not want peace, and Paul gives this advice, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18, NIV) The key, “if it is possible.” Listen, peace must not be bought with the sale of truth. “Truth is the ground of faith, and the rule of life.” (Watson) Martin Luther proclaimed, “It is better that the heavens fall–than one crumb of truth perish.”
A peacemaker–a child of God. That is because they are doing a God-like work. Remember, first of all, this is for the spirit and soul. Are you bringing peace to your soul? To the souls of others? It is not necessarily physical peace. The real peacemaker has a deep inner peace that goes beyond understanding. When God sees them working, exhorting, attempting to bring peace, as J. Vernon McGee says, “God shall own them as His own children.” When we are born-again, we have the Fruit of the Spirit residing in us, Love, Joy, PEACE…, therefore by the actions of believers they are tokens, witnesses that they are the sons of God by doing all that is possible to bring peace. Again, I emphasize, that means bringing others to a knowledge of Jesus Christ. That is primary!
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, what is one of His titles? Do you remember? The Prince of Peace. Yet He proclaimed in Matthew, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (10:34, NIV) As discussed, this is not literal violence but a dividing of those who would accept Him (and have peace in their soul) and those who would reject Him and fight Him. Be a compromiser you will not have peace, you will not belong to Him. Complacency, selling truth for comfort and “peace” in this world, rather than peace in the soul and in eternity. One more thought, those with the peace that the Lord has given them will love to be with other “children of God.”
I wrote a few words from an old hymn last week, “Peace, peace! wonderful peace. Coming down from the Father above….” (W.D. Cornell). If we have peace, that means we rest in His arms, we have a calm assurance in our soul. If there is something raging in your heart and mind give it over to the Lord and grasp hold of His wonderful peace.
“Blessed quietness, holy quietness,
What assurance in my soul;
On the stormy sea,
Speaking peace to me,
How the billows cease to roll.”
–Mannie P. Ferguson