Topical Studies
What the Bible says about
Peacemakers as the Children of God
(From Forerunner Commentary)
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Romans 14:15-19
In Hebrews 12:14, the author writes, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” Maybe you have not considered how important peacemaking is to our salvation, but in both of these places, Paul thinks it is critical. The Kingdom of God, he says, is all about doing right—righteousness. It is all about making peace with one another. It is all about bringing each other joy through the strength that God gives us through His Holy Spirit. So, our petty differences of interpretation divide rather than bring peace, especially on what He calls doubtful things—the things that are arguable because the Bible really does not provide a whole lot of detail about them. Instead of quarreling and looking down on others who do not hold the exact views we hold, we should be pursuing peace with them, creating reconciliation and unity. And once that happens, the product is joy, another fruit of the Spirit. This is what the Kingdom of God is all about: Behaving like God and creating loving relationships! That is what God Himself is trying to do. The author of Hebrews puts it very plainly, even bluntly: If we do not pursue peace with everyone and holiness, we will not see God. Why? Because we will not have built the right godly character to be included in the God Family. God is a holy God and a peacemaking, reconciling God.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Peacemakers
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Colossians 1:18-20
Paul explains how Jesus made peace. He did this by reconciling all things to Himself or to the Father through His own shedding of blood (verse 20). We must understand the context. Paul is talking about Jesus Christ in His most elevated, most excellent sense. He is God doing these things for us. The Father has given Christ divine glory and responsibility because of the redemptive work He did in reconciling us to Him. That is one of the big factors that make Christ special because He volunteered (Philippians 2:5-8) to come down here as a Man, as a Servant, and He gave Himself throughout His life, living a godly life with no sin. Then He gave Himself on the cross or tree for our sins. And so the Father has highly exalted Him for all of the sacrifices He made to reconcile humanity to Him. Paul tells us in so many words that the Son, Jesus Christ, is the Great Peacemaker, the Great Reconciler. He is great because He did the impossible, what no other man could do: to reconcile everyone, not just some, but all to the Father. That is what the Father is heading toward in His Plan. He wants all to come to repentance (II Peter 3:9), and it is available to all through the blood of Jesus Christ. Certainly, they must accept it, each in his own time or order, as Paul says in I Corinthians 15:23. But God is looking for total reconciliation, or as close as possible, with all humanity. However, He has given free moral agency to people, so there will probably be some who reject Him. We know for sure that Judas Iscariot the son of perdition, is doomed. The Beast and the False Prophet will be sent into the Lake of Fire, so human reconciliation with God will not be total. But it is God's goal that all will be reconciled to Him. Christ made it possible; He provided the means for total reconciliation. It does not mean that everybody will accept it or claim it, but what He did is valid for all should they choose to accept it.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Peacemakers
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James 3:13-18
Peace is so very important in our relationships with one another in the church. James 3:13-18 and Ephesians 4:1-3 instruct us in our relationships in general and specifically within the church. James clearly tells us that the world's wisdom comes from the Devil, and the Devil has been self-seeking from the beginning. He is only trying to do what he considers good for himself. So, a person who follows this way, the way of worldly wisdom, is self-seeking and cares nothing about anybody else. This is not the way God has called us to live because it creates division and confusion. James goes on to say that the wisdom we must follow is one of peace. It is without ulterior motives, sacrificial, and outgoing. When we act toward others in this way, it produces harmony and ultimately, mutual love, which binds us together. Love is the great bond, and peace has a lot to do with it because it is hard to love when people are in conflict. But if peace is present, that love can then grow and strengthen.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Peacemakers
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