Way of Peace

Dear Brethren,

Do we realize that forgiveness is the key to peace and unity?   On the night before he died, Jesus Christ prayed to the Father for the unity and peace of His brethren with these words in John 17:20-21.

"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me."

Jesus had just spent 3-1/2 years of His life teaching His disciples, and they still tended to argue among themselves who would be the greatest (note the context of Luke 22:24). Who was Christ's favorite?  He said in His prayer that He was not just praying for these men, soon to be the original apostles, but for all of us, His brothers and sisters in the centuries to come.

Can we in any way imagine that the Father and Christ are anything but one in heart, in thought, in mind?  Of course not! One of the great characteristics of God's nature that we should learn readily from Scripture is peace, a belief in being at peace and dwelling in peace.  We cannot imagine Them squabbling and arguing over some detail of the universe or the family or the angels or whatever.  God the Father and Jesus Christ perfectly exemplify the unity expressed by the words of David in Psalm 133:1:

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"

Of course, as we look today at the world around us, and unfortunately, even at the greater church of God, we do not see peace and unity.  We see squabbling and bickering and fighting, even outright warfare in the world, but among the called out ones these attitudes are inexcusable!  Sadly, we have come to expect that humans without God's Spirit will fight and war with one another - but among the "ecclesia"?  The growing specter of terrorism across the face of the globe is just one example of the basic fact that mankind does not know the way to peace.

"And the way of peace have they not known." (Romans 3:17, cp. Isaiah 59:8).

How well do we as God's children know the way to peace?  Our Father does.  Our Elder Brother does.  Do we know, or can we even imagine, what is the first step to true Godly peace?  Many of God's children currently are scattered among so many groups that one can barely count the different fellowships, whether formally incorporated or not.  If we do not begin now to turn the tide, at least in our individual lives, we may find ourselves fulfilling in our generation the words of Jesus Christ written in Matthew 24:10-12.

"And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."

Can we recognize that failing to live in peace is one of the first steps to having the brotherly love we should have for one another grow cold?  As individuals at least, we must begin to learn how to live in peace with our brothers and sisters, and as far as we can, with our fellow human beings.

How is it possible to go from pain and hurt to peace and love?  When Assyria and Israel rise in the resurrection, how will they learn to respect each other and to live in peace?  How about these two former mortal enemies, ancient Rome and Carthage?  From our modern era, Japan and Korea?  Israeli and Palestinian?  Protestant and Catholic?  All of the antagonists across all of human history must learn the same way to peace that we must now learn if there is to be peace in God's family.  And, of course, there will be peace in God's family!  For us, Brethren, we are to experience peace throughout the millennium.  Those who refuse to learn the way to peace simply will not be there or in the new heavens and the new earth!

Jesus Christ mentioned this point so many times that it should be obvious to God's children. If we are to have peace among ourselves, we must forgive. Individually, each of us must forgive our brother or our sister for whatever wrongs, real or imagined.  Jesus Christ is not coming to arbitrate our disputes.  Instead, we must forgive and learn how to make peace with one another.  To make peace, we must be ready both to seek forgiveness and to forgive.

In Luke 17:3-4 Christ said, "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."

In Matthew 5:23-24, Christ also said, "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."

If we are to be God's children, we must learn to live in peace with all the Brethren, no matter where they have ended up.  Jesus said that our unity with one another would be proof to the world that the Father sent Him!  What a tremendous responsibility we have to learn to forgive and to be forgiven.  Now is a good time to start.

"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."  (John 17:21)

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Sermon:  "Sheep Food - Ezekiel 34"

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