Blessed are the Peacemakers...

I shared a message on Monday, February 7th about Matthew 5:9 as part of the Beatitudes series.

All humanities seek peace and sign peace treaties. But there is no peace treaty that has not been broken.

True peace is not just absence of conflict. It is only truce. But true peace is active presence of God's righteousness. It is Shalom, the peace of God. Shalom also means perfect harmony, unity and restoration.

At the Garden of Eden, the perfect Shalom existed. But sin entered into humanity and Shalom was disturbed. Humans have since been living in the world of no peace.

But God wanted to show the human beings the way to restore Shalom. Thus, He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as the Prince of Peace. (Isa. 9:6) Whosoever believes in Him as the Savior and Lord who reconciled us to the God of peace through His blood, we could re-enter into His presence or Shalom. (Col. 1:20) We would not be able to experience the perfect Shalom until the Day of the Lord when Jesus will completely restore His Kingdom of Peace, but we will taste and live in the peace of God.

In Judges 6:24, Gideon called Jehovah Shalom. It means the Trinity God of Peace. In other words, Christians know the Prince of Peace and have within them the Spirit of Peace who is given by the God of Peace.

God called us to live in peace (1 Cor. 7:15), but also gave us the ministry of reconciliation (peacemaking) while we are still on earth. (2 Cor. 5:18-20) People who are in this ministry are the messengers of peace and peacemakers.

Peacemakers will:

1. Make peace with God first since no one can have true peace without making peace with God.

2. Help men make peace with God. It is an honor to help people who are at war with God make peace with God because it models after Jesus who reconciled men to restore peace with God.

3. Help men make peace with each other. Peacemaking between people is not easy since you should be a bridge between them and it implies that they may walk over you as a bridge.

4. Find a point of peace/agreement. In every situation, peacemakers will try to find consensus among heated debates and arguments.

Peacemakers will merit God's blessing or happiness because they will be called sons of God. Whenever people identify you as son or daughter of God, it is a blessing and it makes you happy, doesn't it?

Blessed are peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

With this message, may God bless you richly! - Jeffrey