storiesofvalue

If we are having trouble winning the peace in our relationships with others, the cause is probably multi-faceted.  Peacemaking takes two, and we cannot create peace with those who insist on conflict.  It is unhealthy to punish ourselves for failing to reconcile with someone who refuses to make amends.  Two willing parties can also be sabotaged by those who wish to stir up trouble between them.  Paul instructed Titus to warn a divisive person twice, then to have nothing to do with him because he is “warped and sinful.”  Of course, Satan is hard at work in both the unwilling party and the divisive person to promote chaos in the world and inhibit those who wish to spread God’s grace.

But among these causes, we must be willing to admit our personal lack of peace can possibly spill over into our work of peace.  This doesn’t mean, if we are in Christ, that we have lost the perfect peace of the Holy Spirit who inhabits us.  Still, we should not assume the Spirit’s ministry is finished, or that our old human nature has been completely eradicated.  The Apostle Paul himself had some occasional fallouts with others, notably with Barnabas over the inclusion of John Mark in a second missionary journey (Acts 15:36-41), a confrontation with Peter over the Gentile issue (Galatians 2:11-13), and controversy with errant brothers like Alexander the metalworker who did him “much harm” (2 Timothy 4:14).  There is no way of knowing for sure what part, if any, Paul’s personality played in these difficulties, and there is no indication his issue with Peter left any irreparable damage.  However, it is safe to say even the most committed believer can allow personal struggles to complicate the job of peace making.

The need for a borderless pass between the peace in us and the peace without does not suggest we should grow so fearful of conflict we are afraid to express our convictions.  Winning the peace will naturally involve disagreements, debates, and agreements to disagree.  It might also produce some serious wounds if we choose to arbitrate between quarrelers.  Jesus was Peace in the flesh, but He still managed to alienate the Jewish Sanhedrin and bring the wrath of the Roman government down on His head.

Winning the Peace Inside and Out

God calls us to participate in the same peacemaking campaign we find in the teachings of Jesus and the writing of the Apostle Paul.  We are no strangers to relational conflict.  It is easy to argue the greatest challenges we face in our world today have their root in greed, distrust and misunderstandings between people.  This is true in our governments, businesses, communities and families.

It would be wrong to assume, if we merely apply Biblical principles to these environments, the problems will just go away.  Truth is important, but it must begin on the inside if it is going to have an impact on the outside.

This was the error of the Pharisees.  In theory they believed they could create a moral world by teaching and enforcing God’s Word.  But because they believed righteousness was a product of human effort, they lost sight of God’s heart.  They failed to receive God’s perfect peace or begin the task of winning the peace because they were fighting the wrong battle with the wrong weapons.  Instead of self-righteousness they should have pursued the righteousness of God that comes from a pure heart and a submissive will.  Sure, it was good to promote a moral code, but instead of condemning those who failed to live up to their standard they should have helped them see the love of God.

There is no border between the peace of God in us and the peace we win in our world.  We must have one to produce the other.  This doesn’t mean winning the peace does not involve upholding truth, or the “correcting”, “rebuking” and “training in righteousness” Paul spoke of in his letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 3:16).  It simply accepts the fact we cannot share what we do not have, and we cannot produce what we do not understand.

From yesterday: Two fundamental expressions of this new dynamic were a part of the teaching of Christian Liberty.  On one hand believers were free to disregard Old Testament ceremonial practices as long as it didn’t violate their conscience.  On the other hand, they could choose not to use their freedom if they felt it might cause a struggle in another believer’s walk.  The choice to eat or not eat was situational, which does not endanger the idea of absolute truth since both were permissible.  Why should anyone care about these distinctions?  It is because they were called to win the peace, and their first reconstruction project was very close to home. 

When Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” His truth certainly applied to this future culture clash in the church.  However, it is doubtful His followers at the time would have made the connection.  The church was yet to be born, and a discussion about fellowship between Jews and Gentiles would have been nonsensical.  This doesn’t mean trouble between these two groups was not a concern during Jesus’ ministry, or that there were no other conflicts, such as the one between Jews and Samaritans.

This leads us to wonder what the people who heard Jesus’ words were thinking.  Which peace were they supposed to win?  Was it the one between the Roman Empire and the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem, or perhaps the internal strife between Jewish religious sects and political activists?  It could have been one of the social divides the Apostle Paul later identified in his letter to the Galatians: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26-28).  Roman and Jew, Pharisee and Sadducee, Zealot and Herodian, Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female.  The potential for relational breakdown must have seemed endless as did the opportunity for peace.

It is highly possible Paul was thinking of Jesus’ words when he wrote, “You are all sons of God”.  This is the exact phrase the Master used when He asked His hearers to take up the mantle of peacemaker.

The peace Jesus died for on the cross was something only He could bring.  The peace we build in our human relationships is ours to win.  All things have been made new and we are called to live as sons.  This means all of us have inherited the kingdom, and as citizens we want everyone and everything to reflect the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

Peace Changes Everything 

To understand how the peace of Jesus changes our lives, and the world around us, we need to return to Paul’s exhortation in Romans 14:17: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”.  The context for this verse is recognized as one of the New Testament’s key passages on the subject of “Christian Liberty.”  Christian Liberty is the freedom to break cultural rules if they are allowable by God.  This principle became critical to the church at a time when Gentiles were receiving Christ and seeking fellowship with Jewish members.

Under the system of Old Testament Law, Jews were expected to follow a number of ceremonial regulations to insure their offerings and dietary practices were pleasing to God.  God had given His people these regulations to teach them the importance of personal holiness.  But things changed when Jesus died on the cross.  He became the final sacrifice for sin, rendering the Old Testament sacrificial system unnecessary.  And since many of the dietary practices of His people were tied to their preparation for worship under this system, breaking those practices was no longer considered a matter of holiness.  This doesn’t mean there was anything wrong with God’s dietary directions, or even that it is wrong for people to practice them today.  The problem came when Jews and Gentiles tried to work and worship together in the church and they came into conflict over food and drink.

We can only imagine the tension in a room when a Gentile family showed up with some hamburger meat that had been sacrifices to a pagan god.  We can hear a respected leader from the Jewish community as he reads a list of some “concerns” to share with the group about some matters of hygiene.  This is why Paul focused on “righteousness, peace and joy” as opposed to “eating and drinking.”  What one ate or drank didn’t make him righteous, but rather a clear conscious toward God.  And peace and joy were the expected by-products.

Two fundamental expressions of this new dynamic were a part of the teaching of Christian Liberty.  On one hand believers were free to disregard Old Testament ceremonial practices as long as it didn’t violate their conscience.  On the other hand, they could choose not to use their freedom if they felt it might cause another believer to stumble in his walk.  The choice to eat or not eat was situational, which does not endanger the idea of absolute truth since both were permissible.  Why should anyone care about these distinctions?  It is because they were called to win the peace, and their first reconstruction project happened to be very close to home.

The Peace Plan

Peace is inherent to our omnipotent God’s nature and design, while chaos is the work of Satan.  Most of us are amused when we see drawings of the Garden of Eden before sin entered the world.  Adam and Eve are smiling as they stand behind strategically placed bushes, and animals on every level of the food chain are living together in harmony.  Maybe things weren’t quite this cheesy, but it was good!  Adam and Eve were at peace with one another, with God, and with all of creation.

Then the peace was destroyed.  It started with an innocent sounding debate between the woman and the Deceiver and ended with banishment, shame and separation.  The one word that described the world before sin was “good.”  Then “good” was replaced with “pain”, “sweat”, “cursed” and “evil.”  For years after this fateful day mankind longed for Eden, and in the fullness of time God crushed the head of Satan as promised (Genesis 3:15) and restored peace.

No, God didn’t take away the influence of evil in the world, or instantly restore the heart of all mankind.  Instead, He revealed a plan by which people from every nation could call on the name of His Son Jesus and make peace.  This peace would be facilitated by the removal of sin through the blood Jesus shed on a cross at Calvary.  His sacrifice made it possible to enter into a new and lasting relationship with His Father.  This peace is available to us now, and once we receive it we are able to embrace the words of the Christian hymn, “Victory in Jesus, our Savior forever!”

But as we have said, after victory comes we must still win the peace.  God calls us to be peacemakers and indwells us as the Holy Peacemaker through the person and presence of the Holy Spirit.  In the Upper Room Jesus told His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).  This abiding peace, of which Jesus spoke, would be the driving force behind kingdom work through the centuries.  It is still at work in us as God restores Eden in our hearts.

Winning the Peace 

When a war ends, the battle for peace continues.  Governments must be restored or replaced, infrastructures repaired and grievances buried.  History shows us many of the world’s most costly wars came about because the peace was never completely won from a previous conflict.

Jesus came to secure our citizenship in the kingdom of heaven.  He paid our debt of sin, defeated Satan, and tore apart the curtain separating us from the Father.  Jesus won the war, but He left His followers to win the peace.  This is why He called peacemakers “sons of God” in His beatitude.  Citizens of the kingdom are Jesus’ brothers and sisters, sons of God, and ambassadors of peace.  Even before His victory at the cross the Savior was already calling His followers to take up the task of reconstruction.

How is the peace won?  Are we policemen stamping out remaining elements of the old regime, or diplomats winning over the hearts and minds of dissidents?  Is the work with the citizenry, foreigners, or both?  What weapons do we use and what recourse do we have if the people we are trying to lead insist on inciting violence or continuing the conflict?

Several years ago I was given a book about the work of the gospel on the American frontier entitled “Bible in Pocket, Gun in Hand”.  In the Old West troublemakers liked to disrupt worship services, prompting preachers to lay a gun on the pulpit to establish some ground rules.  The Apostle Paul wrote about spiritual armor, but he didn’t mention any Colt 45s.

The peace must be won, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17).  But how does it happen?

This brings us to a final and most exciting observation.  If we see God in His Son, and if His Son helps us see people as we should, then the possibility exists that we might also see God in those who receive His free gift of grace.  In other words, when our hearts are as they should be, we are able to see God as He works in the hearts of the redeemed.  Paul said it this way in his letter to the Colossians: “You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator”  (Colossians 3:7-10 ).  When we see what God is doing in others, we see God.  In fact, we see each member of the Godhead working in concert as the Father, Son and Spirit redeem, cleanse and restore.

We now come full circle as we realize God is also visible in our lives.  Our hearts must be pure to see God, but this same condition makes it possible for others to see God in us.  Later in His sermon Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16),

Are we really the light of the world?  Didn’t Jesus say this was His role (John 8:12)?  Yes, He did, but He invited us to partner with Him in reflecting His Father’s glory.  I know it sounds crazy, but no more so than the thought we can see God and live.  With Jesus, this is not only a possibility, but an outcome.  See God and we shall live indeed.

Pure Heart – Pure Vision    

It is mind-boggling to think God came to be with us in the flesh.  In his first letter the Apostle John captured this miracle when he wrote, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched–this we proclaim concerning the Word of life” (1 John 1:1).

However, as incredible as it seems that God became one of us, the incarnation was not His ultimate objective.  Instead, as the humble Son, He became obedient to death – even death on the cross! (Philippians 2:8).  Then He was highly exalted and given a name above all names.  The Son came to earth to win our salvation.  This was the Father’s vision, and it must be ours too.

We seek a pure heart in order to see God, that we might comprehend what He sees when His heart breaks for lost souls.  This heart inhabits every recorded moment of Jesus’ ministry.  We find it in His compassion for sinners.  We hear it in His parables of the lost sheep and coin (Luke 15).  We find it in the portrayal of the lost son’s father who proclaimed, “But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (Luke 15:32).  Then, at the very end, Jesus forgave a crucified thief and mediated the sins of His killers” (Luke 23:24).  Can there be any doubt where God stands when it comes to sin and His passion for our redemption?

How Clear Is Our Vision?

If seeing Jesus is synonymous with seeing God, how do we calculate clarity?  Do our visions of the Son and the Father run parallel to one another, or is it possible to see less of one and more of the other?  How do we see Jesus since He isn’t physically with us?

In our search for answers to these questions it is important to remember our ultimate goal of sharing the 100% Jesus with our world.  How can we help others see what we have not first seen?  Because of God’s infinite qualities, it is impossible to estimate how much of Him we have actually seen.  But it is important to ponder how spiritual eyesight works so we can consistently improve our vision.  The eternal future of others may well depend on whether or not we consider this a priority.

We see Jesus in the scriptures, through believers whose lives have been fashioned by His teaching and inner presence, and through circumstances in which He appears to be moving.  The last of these three is the most subjective and we must be honest enough to admit our discernment of events can be flawed.  The obvious influence of the Lord in the lives of His people is more tangible, but even this can be misdirected by those who have learned to use Jesus as a vehicle for personal gain.  The scriptures paint the most definitive picture of all, and even though they must be interpreted by fallible human beings, they are distinct and unchanging.

With these three visions in mind, we might correctly say any attempt to mathematically align our image of the Father and the Son is irrelevant.  Jesus was “God with us”, but His earthly acts before those who saw Him helped people understand the attributes of the Father whom they had not seen.  God put His Son in human form, but the form was not His fullness.  The fullness of God, found in Jesus, could not be seen with the human eye.  Yet, what was seen with the human eye made that fullness possible to grasp.

From the objective to the subjective, we paint the most accurate picture of Jesus possible in our minds, and we take our artwork on tour each waking moment.  We pursue what we cannot see in its entirety, so we can give our world a glimpse of its Creator.  It isn’t necessary to show others 100% of Jesus, but it is important to do our best to make sure what we pass along is pure Jesus.

“Anyone Who Has Seen Me” 

If Jesus is the member of the Godhead people have looked upon with their own eyes, then His words in the Sermon on the Mount were more profound than His listeners could have realized.  God was in their midst, but they would not see Him if their hearts were darkened by selfish ambition or self-righteousness.

Jesus once healed a man who was blind since birth.  The healing caused a great stir among the spiritual guides of the day who refused to accept Jesus as being from God.  After an incredibly frustrating encounter with some Pharisees the man who was healed confessed His belief in Jesus and worshipped Him.  Within earshot of the Pharisees Jesus remarked, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” (John 9:39)  Jesus came to offer those who wanted to see God a pure heart, but His presence hardened the hearts of those who rejected Him.

The parables Jesus told were directed at blind guides with toxic thoughts.  Parables have a way of drawing people into a story and convicting them when their defenses are down.  Unfortunately, conviction can make hearts harder when people refuse to repent, which was the case with the Pharisees and teachers of the law.  Jesus said, “This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand” (Matthew 13:13).

If we have seen Jesus, we have seen God, but we can see neither if our hearts are polluted.  Now we rely on scripture to see Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to encounter His presence.  But just as in Jesus’ ministry on earth, we can only see what we are willing to see, which is why a pure heart is still critical if we hope to know and share the 100% Jesus.