Seek Peace and Pursue It

Peace. It seems to be God’s theme for me this month as I’ve been reading through the Epistles and now through James. Each day I wake up to a fresh reminder that while God calls us to be zealous for his name and his glory, he also commands us to "live at peace with others as far as it depends on us" (Rom. 12:18). The words "live at peace" imply action rather than a passive emotional experience. In fact, we’re told to “seek peace and pursue it,” or look for it and chase after it (Ps. 34:14).

From a purely doctrinal perspective, these exhortations appear rather harmless. Peace is a noble idea and, for the most part, we’re in favor of living tranquil lives. We join with the world’s chorus for peace until we stumble upon a situation that challenges our security, our identity, our pride. And right away we find our defenses rising, along with our blood pressure. The unpleasant incident, which may not at all have been leveled against us, becomes a personal attack and we take offense.

Seeking peace and pursuing it is costly when it’s personalized. We can drone on for days about being peace-loving and desiring to maintain good relationships within the body of Christ. But the real test comes when we’re confronted with losing something valuable. It's at this juncture that we make the vital decision about whether to respond in obedience by faith or to walk according to our own fleshly knowledge and the wisdom of the world (Lk. 6:45, Jas. 1:22, Rom. 8:5, Eph. 4:31-32).

I know many truths about the importance of being a peacemaker. And it’s often not until I’m embroiled in a personal battle that I realize I’ve taken up another goal all together. Instead of pursuing peace, I begin to defend myself, attack the other person, and go for the jugular. My response, at times, is so instant that I’m left clueless as to where the shift occurred or even how it happened. One minute I'm determined to live in harmony, the next I’m waging war.

The Bible says that we fight and quarrel because of the selfish desires lurking within us. We want something but can’t get it so we push and shove, often verbally, as we wrestle for victory (Js. 4:1). Many reformed evangelicals cite Luther and Calvin as their role models to justify using harsh and angry words. But they forget that these men, though outstanding theologians and leaders, were sinful, flawed people like everyone else. Their actions fell short of God's glory at any given time, making it impossible for us to elevate their behavior in areas that clearly or even vaguely contradicted Scripture. We can have a plethora of biblical truths and principles on the tip of our tongues and yet still be in sin if we communicate them with a harsh or angry spirit (Eph. 4:26, 1 Cor. 13:2).
 Jesus calls us to a higher road, a superior walk (Matt. 5:43). Luther, Calvin or a host of others are not our litmus test for righteous living, but instead we’re called to emulate Christ and his perfect righteousness. The apostle Paul himself refuted this kind of self-justification when he said, “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise” (2 Cor. 10:12).

Each of us will stand before God and give an accounting for what we’ve said and done (2 Cor. 5:10). His greatest desire is that we walk in love and humility (Eph. 4:2), speaking the truth indeed, but doing it with the greater goal of honoring Christ and building up and strengthening those who listen (Eph. 4:29). “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Cor. 13:1-10

God is Able to Make All Grace Abound

     I’ve been thinking a lot lately of what it means to be bold for Christ. I remember about twenty years ago going through evangelism training with a group of other Christians. We went out in the community, knocking on doors and sharing the gospel with total strangers. As easy as this was for me, sharing the same message with my roommate or coworkers was grueling. I was consumed with images of hypocrites in my own past who threw the truth at me in grenade fashion. Memories of their graceless presentations left me feeling too frightened that I might come across the same way. And fear, finding its home, kept me from sharing the best news I’ve ever heard with many people who desperately needed to hear it. I reasoned that if I simply lived out the gospel they would see the truth and come to salvation. I was prepared to give a reason for the hope within me, but seldom if ever took the initiative to proclaim it in a way that would bring others face to face with their own hopelessness apart from Christ’s redemption.

     I’d love to say that I’ve radically changed and matured over the years in this area of sharing my faith. But, I haven’t. As I go into classrooms each day, teaching over 150 college students, I’m terrified at the thought of putting my faith out there so boldly that no one can miss the message. I pray for these students in class, and I speak with them about God’s grace in my own life. Most of them would say, if asked, that I’m a Christian. They may even say that I’m a nice person and seem to do kind things. The main problem with this image is that it’s all about me. 

     God is reminding me that I’ve forgotten something essential. Yes, I am called to live out the gospel so that my works bring honor to God (Matt. 5:16). Yes, I’m called to pray for these students that they’ll come to salvation (1 Tim. 2:1-3). But I’m also called to proclaim the good news to them which will be good news to some and bad to others (2 Cor. 2:15-16). Some will embrace it, turning to Christ and putting their hope in him. But others will reject the truth and be highly offended when I say what Jesus said – that they must be born again. Some will hate me, no matter how kind I am, for daring to tell them that their good deeds are filthy rags before a holy God who requires perfect obedience. They may gnash their teeth at me when I tell them that coming to salvation means acknowledging their sinfulness and putting their hope in Christ’s perfect righteousness, trusting him alone to rescue them from the dominion of darkness.
     I’m hearing God call me to step out of the boat and onto the water. I’m afraid of rejection, no doubt, but even more afraid of the blessings I’m missing by not being faithful, of remaining in fear and becoming so accustomed to living in it that I don’t dare to take a risk for God. I want to say with the apostle Paul, and really mean it, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." I can't do it in my own strength or with my own determination but God is able to make all grace abound to me, so that in all things at all times, having all that I need, I will abound in every good work (2 Cor. 9:8). I don't know about you, but by faith I'm believing God!

The Hidden Truth on Suffering

     “In this world you will have trouble,” Jesus tells us in John 16:33. He doesn’t mince words; he’s the Lord of all truth and he shoots it to us straight. That’s one reason I enjoy reading John Piper’s works. He doesn’t hedge on difficult doctrine and when he talks about suffering he echoes the words of Jesus, reminding us that we will indeed go through many hardships in this world. Jesus didn’t say might or may, He said that we will have trouble. So why does it come as such a great surprise when we encounter trials of various kinds? And why do we hide this truth like a defect that we hope no one else will see? The doctrine of suffering has become the missing truth in the church, relegated to back rooms and closets where no one has to see it, much less discuss it.

     We’ve bought into the world’s lie of Disney Christianity, as Piper says. And it’s killing the church, wounding its people and undercutting our faith. It’s time for us to rise up and take hold of these truths which are such a vital part of the Christian life. We are living in a spiritual war, not Disney World. And the battle rages on despite our attempts to ignore it. We’re called to take up our armor daily (Eph. 6:11-13), standing upon the Word, and go into the world with a sense of urgency and expectancy. Urgency that the truth be proclaimed; expectancy that in the process of the proclamation fiery trials will come into our lives.

      Jesus closes his message on suffering with the exhortation. "But be of good cheer! For I have overcome the world.” Our calling isn't one of gloom and despair as if we have no hope but to endure hardships and difficulties.We can rejoice and give thanks in the midst of these sufferings – not because we enjoy pain, but because our Savior has gone before us, endured even greater trials, and bought our certain victory through his death and resurrection (1 Pet. 1:3-6). He hasn't left us here alone but has given us his Holy Spirit to empower and equip us (John 14:16-18). In him we have all that we need. He's calling us today to put our hope in him and his kingdom, not the world and its comforts, to live like he alone is our great treasure and reward.

"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from the world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever." 1 John 2:15-17