The Beatitudes Part VII of VIII
Matthew
5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called
children of God.
It is somewhat problematic to envision a
world where everyone took this attitude to heart and followed through with
it. God's love reaches out to all
people, and that includes those that would rebel against Him. His wishes are
that all would come to a knowledge and faith in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:4).
As saved believers in Christ, we are called on by God to love and pray for
those who hate us.
God bestows His blessings on the unsaved
just like He does the saved of this world (Matthew 5:45). This is teaching
us that God loves the good and the bad, and as Saved born again believers in
Christ Jesus, we are not to retaliate against those that are out to harm us; we
are to love and pray for them. Whatever deed we do towards our enemies should
be done for their best interest and wellbeing.
With that said, in our fallen state, as
humans, that is a tall order, and it is challenging to carry out. When someone
tries to harm us, our first response is to defend ourselves and get back at the
one that wanted to harm us or someone we love. Nonetheless, Our Lord and Savior
has called on us to love all people, pray for those that would harm us, and
love those that might have us under assault.
Christ Jesus knows that we are incapable
and powerless to carry this out on our own. We are to trust and put our faith
in the Holy Spirit's power and direction that indwells within us. The only way
we will ever be able to carry this out is to be in total surrender to the Holy
Spirit of God. The only way we can become committed and faithful followers of
Our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus, and call ourselves peacemakers, is through
God's power in our lives.
The word "peacemaker "only
appears in the New Testament in one other place, in the Book of James (James
3:18). In his book, James uses a farming illustration; if we sow in peace,
we will reap a crop of righteousness. Our encouragement, as believers and
followers of Christ Jesus, is to always have, in our hearts and minds, the
desire to maintain a good relationship with those around us. This can only come
about through our faith, surrender, and obedience to the leading, guiding, and
direction of the Holy Spirit, that indwells in us.
God has furnished us, as His children and
heirs to His Kingdom, with the ability and talent to carry out His service, His
will for our lives, and this includes being a peacemaker to all people, even
those that might hate us or wish us harm. The promise in this verse of us being
called "children of God" brings with it a joy-filled and complete
life here on this earth, and will find its total fulfillment one glorious day,
when we bow down to our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus, in the kingdom of
Heaven.
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