In Paul’s sermon to the Hebrews there is this verse in Chapter 12: “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Now, there are a couple things here that I want to write about for this part of the newsletter. First of all, we see a command to “follow peace with all men.” That seems simple enough. Do not cause trouble or strife, but always be working to see there be harmony between yourself and other people, not just in the church, but in all areas of life. Yet, it is the second part of the verse that informs us what that peace should look like.
For instance the Bible tells us that we are not to have anything to do with the wicked works of darkness, but rather expose them. Jesus says we cannot serve both God and mammon, and that He came not to bring peace, but division, which seems counter to what Paul said at the beginning, but again that word holiness is what we need to understand in order to follow what the Holy Spirit has revealed to us here.
Seeking to live in accordance with the will of the Lord is what we usually imply when we talk about holiness, and this is largely what I mean by it. However, going a little deeper into it will help us better understand both what kind of peace we need, and the type of holiness he has in mind here to see Jesus. Notice how Paul says we, that is believers, are to cultivate that peace. The world is not going to have peace with us as long as we do not agree to love wickedness and evil. There will be much suffering for men and women who choose righteousness over sin. Your friends who do not care for Jesus are not going to be excited by your choosing His grace over helping them engorge their damnation through many transgressions. Misery loves company, but you have not so learned Christ. You are to seek peace through Him, and in doing this you are witnessing His peace to them, even if that love of God’s Word is causing them to be queasy with your stand for Christ’s holiness. They will wonder why your conscience is clear while theirs thunders.
Remember something Jesus tells His brothers in John 7:7, “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.” We mistake the absence of hostilities for peace. True Christian peace is a conscience which is at rest before the Lord of Heaven and Earth. The world will hate you, revile you, seek to destroy you if you seek peace with them in the holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. This is why our Savior says this to His disciples later on in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Part of the reason for Paul’s commending this truth to us is because it is very easy for us to go along, to get along. To not want to rock the boat.
Yet, see the peace that Stephen had as he was being stoned to death.
He sought that those killing Him would know Christ and the forgiveness of sin, because that was where he had true and everlasting peace, that peace which passes all understanding.