Chapter 7

Chapter 7

     “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
     The greatest example of a peacemaker is found in our Lord Jesus, the prince peace. He brought reconciliation between man and God, restoring the peace that once was in the beginning of the world. It says in Eph 2:14: “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, (NKJ). The fact that Jesus came with a message of peace shocked the Jews, since they were expecting the rise of a powerful and mighty Messiah, the one that would crush the Roman oppression, restoring the kingdom of Israel to its former glory. But for their disappointment, that was not how our Lord intended to bring peace to the world. It was with a message of peace, of love and mercy that He would build the fundaments in the establishment of His Kingdom. Being a peacemaker is to reflect our affiliation with God, expressing through our words and actions the character of the Prince of Peace. It’s important to allow the peace of God to permeate our hearts, infusing us and saturating us with the peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7).
     A peacemaker is the one who is, first, in peace with God. In Romans 5:1 we read: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (NKJ). Our justification by faith has granted us the peace from God and peace with Him. By believing in His Son’s death for the forgiveness of our sins we reestablished the relationship that was broken, restoring the peace that God had always planned for us. When we were separated from God because of our transgressions, we couldn’t receive His peace or be at peace with Him for in our state of sin we were already doomed to eternal separation from Him. But it was Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who restored the peace between us and the Father.
     Second, a peacemaker is in peace with himself through Jesus. In Philippians  4:6-7, the apostle Paul says: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (NKJ) The peace in our hearts comes from surrendering totally to God, knowing that we can only do so much, that without Him we can not receive the real peace we need.
Material possessions and physical things only bring temporary stability. Paul exhort us to no t be anxious for anything, by doing so we are able to enjoy God’s peace, the peace that the world can not fathom or understand, it surpasses our natural understanding and natural thinking, we receive the ability to have peace in the middle of the storm. As the famous hymn says: “It is well with my soul”, yes it is well with my soul; we can also sing the same no matter how bad the situation may be.
Third, a peacemaker is one who pursues peace with everyone, working towards peace, making peace part of his or her own life. In Hebrews 12:14 we read: “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:” (NKJ).
The pursuit of peace must be a priority in the life of a citizen of God’s kingdom. As we read above, we must run after it, seek it with all people. It’s not an easy task, even the apostle Paul understood that when he wrote in his letter to the Romans chapter 12 and verse 18: “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”, also in Romans 14:19 he says that we should pursue the things which make for peace.
Sometimes the possibility to live in peace with men is quite small, but if we want to be real peacemakers, we must do everything in our power, as much as depends on us, to have peace with everyone.
Blessed are the peacemakers…our fortune and happiness does not rely on having things our way, at the cost of bitterness and resentment, division and unforgiveness, but we as citizens of the kingdom are called to be upholders of Peace, ambassadors of the Prince of Peace, Jesus our Lord.