Peace (7 of 8)
Series: The Attitudes that Bless: The Beatitudes
Terry J. Hallock
Matthew 5:9
October 29, 2000
The Greek for "peacemakers" is actually two words. The first, "peace," means "unity and concord." The second, "make," means founding or creating. A "peacemaker" is one who creates an atmosphere of unity and destroys strife, dissention and division.
To those who are "peacemakers" comes the most personal blessing extended in all the Beatitudes. They will be called "Sons of God". The character of the peacemaker is so in union with the character of God that God proudly introduces them to the whole of His creation as "my child." In the Father's eyes, the peacemaker is as much his son or daughter as Jesus Himself.
If you and I seek to wear the title "Christian" we can only do so if we are among those who create peace and heal division, establish unity and end strife, desire accord and detest dissension. If peace is not at the heart of our personal character and if peace is not the product of our lives, then it makes little difference what else we do for Jesus. We will have failed to become who God made us to be and Jesus died for us to become. If strife and division mark the life of a local church it doesn't matter one iota if its programs fill an entire page, its Sanctuary overflows every Sunday morning, or if its bank balance is stuffed every Monday morning. If that fellowship is not creating peace it is not the Church that Jesus wants it to be.
Why? Because Jesus is peace and we cannot say we are His unless we are also peace. In Ephesians 2:14-17 Paul writes, "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostil ...
Series: The Attitudes that Bless: The Beatitudes
Terry J. Hallock
Matthew 5:9
October 29, 2000
The Greek for "peacemakers" is actually two words. The first, "peace," means "unity and concord." The second, "make," means founding or creating. A "peacemaker" is one who creates an atmosphere of unity and destroys strife, dissention and division.
To those who are "peacemakers" comes the most personal blessing extended in all the Beatitudes. They will be called "Sons of God". The character of the peacemaker is so in union with the character of God that God proudly introduces them to the whole of His creation as "my child." In the Father's eyes, the peacemaker is as much his son or daughter as Jesus Himself.
If you and I seek to wear the title "Christian" we can only do so if we are among those who create peace and heal division, establish unity and end strife, desire accord and detest dissension. If peace is not at the heart of our personal character and if peace is not the product of our lives, then it makes little difference what else we do for Jesus. We will have failed to become who God made us to be and Jesus died for us to become. If strife and division mark the life of a local church it doesn't matter one iota if its programs fill an entire page, its Sanctuary overflows every Sunday morning, or if its bank balance is stuffed every Monday morning. If that fellowship is not creating peace it is not the Church that Jesus wants it to be.
Why? Because Jesus is peace and we cannot say we are His unless we are also peace. In Ephesians 2:14-17 Paul writes, "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostil ...
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