THE BEATITUDES || Are You a PeaceMaker?

The seventh of the Beatitude Series, from the Sermon on the Mount

Hello,

The month of May is gradually coming to its end. So is the Beatitudes series.

As we draw nigh to the end of the teachings from the Sermon on the Mount, it is important that we do not let these lessons escape our hearts and minds, as everything we learn at God's feet is essential to our very being.

Let us thus examine the seventh Beatitude and what the Lord has to say to us today.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. - Matthew 5:9

Who is a PeaceMaker?

A peacemaker is one who seeks to bring peace between two or more conflicting bodies, parties or people. He is a person who tries to harmonize two (or more) persons together, with a goal to end any feud that may exist between both people.

You may wonder if this Scripture teaches us to go around and end fights anywhere we are. Although the Bible tells us to make efforts to live in peace with all men, this verse does not mean we are to search and settle human disputes that we have no clue about.

For us to know what kind of peace is being spoken about, we must first trace the exact feud and its origin, as this will give us more insight to the subject matter.

The Beginning of Man's Enmity with God

The first two chapters of Genesis give us a picture of how all things God made were perfect; there was no famine, hunger, sin nor death. Every plant, animal and human that existed at that time did so in a serene environment. Man and God were intimate and on the same page. They were in sync so much that man could name all the animals and God never objected his choices. Adam was created in God's perfect image and likeness, and had dominion over all living things on the earth. God's Spirit was in man and he lacked nothing.

Unfortunately, the rift between God and man happened when he disobeyed the instruction to abstain from eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It was a betrayal of trust, that caused a lot of problems, as man lost his standing before God. Adam could not relate with God the way he used to any longer, nor possess the ability to see God eye to eye. Man lost God's Spirit and became ruled by his soul and body. Everything about God became hostile to man; His precepts, ways and ordinances.

For to be carnally (fleshly) minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal (fleshly) mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. - Romans 8:7, emphasis included.

Jesus Christ, the Perfect Mediator

Disobedience caused a great divide between mankind and God, so much that something had to be done about it. From a human perspective, the person who errs would be the one to seek reconciliation with whom he offended. However, God did the reverse by providing the only and perfect way to our reconciliation with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.

The suffering, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus was not only to save us from the devil and sickness. It was (is) the only way to restore communication and fellowship between mankind and God, as it was in the garden of Eden. Reading through the Old Testament, we see situations where God selected specific men and women to serve as intermediaries between Himself and the people of Israel. Because Jesus Christ had not yet been made manifest to the world, God could not dwell in man nor interact with him as in the time of creation. The prophets, priests or kings who served as middle-men between Israel and God were shadows of the Perfect Mediator.

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight. - Colossians 1:20-22

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. - Ephesians 2:14-18

Jesus Christ restored peace between the whole human race and God, such that man need not be separated from His maker but enter into a relationship with Him through His Son.

Why Must Believers Be PeaceMakers?

Every believer who is in right standing with God has automatically received the ministry of reconciliation from the Lord Jesus, right at his/her New Birth.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. - 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

There are a lot to unpack from these verses. Our focus however shall be on the phrase - ministry of reconciliation and how it relates to us believers.

Think back of how you came to know and receive Christ. It may have been through a evangelistic tract you read, or a teaching aired on television or radio. Someone in your circle may have shared the Gospel with you, or perhaps a stranger walked up to you in the unlikeliest of situations to preach Jesus. It may have even been when you were in church and the Sunday teaching was on, or during your personal Bible reading and the Lord illuminated the verses you read from His Word. Whichever way it may have been through, the message of peace was shared with you directly or indirectly, and by the work of God's Spirit, you were convicted of sin and decided to follow Christ in faith and belief.

Those who shared this message with you did so simply because Jesus commanded it. Before His departure from earth, He gave a mandate to all of us to preach the Gospel to every man, so that many will be saved when they hear, receive and accept Him.

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. - Mark 16:15-16

We have been bestowed a godly legacy of reconciliation that is so dear and precious to God's heart. If it was not so, Jesus would not have given up His life for a world who didnt know Him. As such, because we have been rescued from death, and adopted into God's family, we must seek to restore peace between others who do not know Jesus and their Maker in Heaven. We as Christians must engage in continuous evangelism and prayers for those who are yet to receive Christ, so that they too can be at peace with God, the way we are with Him.

God has given each believer abilities, talents, gifts and ministries of various degrees to propagate His kingdom on earth. At the core of all our service to God, the heartbeat of each assignment is to bring men to God, and show them what it means to be at peace with Him. Only when we follow in Christ's footsteps of doing His Father's business here on earth, can we be truly called the Sons of God.

May God give us a desire and zeal to spread His Gospel of peace to a perishing world. Amen.

All Scripture texts cited are from the New King James Version Bible.