The Lord – Our Peacemaker And Example

Feature 2 – December 2024 – Grace & Truth Magazine

The Lord – Our Peacemaker And Our Example

One definition of peace is “harmonized relationships between (1) God and men; (2) men and men; or (3) nation and nation” ( W. E. Vine ). A peacemaker then is someone who seeks to bring harmony into relationships. Only Christ could give us peace with God. However, each of us can seek to bring peace into the relationships within our circle of influence. Ultimately, the Lord Jesus Himself will bring peace even between nations during His 1,000-year reign of righteousness.

Let’s look at some passages from the Scriptures regarding peace.

Peace With God
Having made peace by the blood of His cross. —Colossians 1:20 JND

To begin, we would like to consider how Christ has made peace available between God and mankind. The Son of God came down from heaven (Jn. 6:38), lived a perfect life, and then went to the cross of Calvary in order to make this peace. Sometimes the question is asked, “Have you made your peace with God?” While the question may be well-meaning, in fact it is incorrect. We could never make our own peace with God. Only the Lord Jesus could do so, and the good news is that He has done it!

As our verse says, He has made peace through the blood He shed at the cross. In other words for peace to be established, He had to die and shed His precious blood. No angel could have made peace between God and mankind. None of the great men of this earth could have made this peace – no president, prime minister or wealthy billionaire. Only Christ could do so. We read: “There is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5 KJV). The Lord Jesus is the Mediator. This means He could represent God before men, and men before God. His work – and His alone – has brought peace for those who believe. “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).

Dear reader, are you enjoying this settled peace with God? If not, believe today that Christ has taken your sins upon Himself at the cross, and settled all on your behalf with a holy God. He suffered, so that you might be free and enjoy this peace. You can rest today in this peace that He has made!

Peace With Other People
If possible, as far as depends on you, living in peace with all men. —Romans 12:18 JND
Blessed the peace-makers, for they shall be called sons of God. —Matthew 5:9

We live in a day when we see the Scripture in Titus 3:3 lived out before our eyes, as people are “hateful, and hating one another.” Violence and corruption, the two things that characterized the world before Noah’s flood (Gen. 6:11), very much characterize our world today. Murder, family break-ups, murmuring neighbors – we live in a world where peace between people seems nearly impossible. Sadly, this is often true among real believers. The Scriptures above remind us that we are to seek to live in peace with all men. Let’s consider some examples, both good and bad.

• Abram And Lot
And Abram said to Lot, I pray thee let there be no contention between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen, for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if to the left, then I will take the right; and if to the right, then I will take the left. —Genesis 13:8-9

After returning from Egypt, Abram and Lot both had great herds of cattle, and there was strife between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. In order to resolve the contention between them, Abram offered to Lot his choice of the land, stating that whichever Lot would choose, Abram would take the other part of the land. If Lot went to the left, Abram would go to the right. If Lot chose the right, Abram would take the left. This was very generous of Abram, as all the promises of God had been made to him. But Abram was able to take the lower place and thus bring harmony between himself and Lot and their servants.

How often pride stirs up strife! Am I, are you, willing to take the lower place in order to create peace?

• David And Absalom
And David mourned for his son [Absalom] … And King David longed to go forth to Absalom. —2 Samuel 13:37,39

After David’s son Amnon raped his half-sister Tamar, David did nothing. Then Absalom took vengeance by murdering Amnon and fleeing to Gerar. David sorrowed deeply for Absalom, and eventually he reconciled with his son. It appeared that peace had been made, but was it really? An attempt at peace was made without dealing with the murder of Amnon. But peace must be based upon righteousness, “the work of righteousness [is] peace” (Isa. 32:17). Because Absalom’s sin was never dealt with, he eventually went on to rebel against his own father. Instead of peace, there was civil war in Israel!

In seeking to make peace, sin must always be dealt with in a righteous way, and not just swept under the rug as David did. Otherwise there may be further serious consequences!

• Jehoshaphat And Ahab
And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? —2 Chronicles 19:2 KJV
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? —2 Corinthians 6:14-15

Jehoshaphat, the king of the southern kingdom of Judah, made peace with Ahab, the king of the northern kingdom of Israel. This was good. However, Jehoshaphat went beyond this and made “affinity with Ahab,” meaning Jehoshaphat developed a relationship with him by having his daughter marry Ahab’s son (2 Chr. 18:1). This later created disaster in Judah, as the royal line of David was almost wiped out by Ahab’s daughter Athaliah (2 Chr. 22:10-12). Jehoshaphat also joined Ahab in a military alliance and very nearly lost his life (18:2-34).

To live at peace with unbelievers is proper: “If possible, as far as depends on you, living in peace with all men …” (Rom. 12:18 JND). However, we are not to be “unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (2 Cor. 6:14 KJV). A believer is not to marry an unbeliever or even to join in a business partnership with an unsaved person. And, how could an unbeliever join us in the work of the Lord? Impossible!

We may know many unbelievers at school, work or in our circle of acquaintances and friends. However, we should not join in their disobedience to God or compromise the standards of the Word of God, even for the sake of peace with them.

• Euodia And Syntyche
I exhort Euodia, and exhort Syntyche, to be of the same mind in the Lord; yea, I ask thee also, true yokefellow, assist them. —Philippians 4:2-3 JND

Euodia and Syntyche were both believers. They must have been shocked to hear the apostle address them directly in his letter to the assembly of Christians in Philippi! But, even conflict between two sisters in the Lord can be very damaging to a local gathering of Christians. Paul recognized this fact. Therefore, he sought to act as a peacemaker in exhorting them to be of the same mind in the Lord. He also asked a local brother, whom he called “true yokefellow,” to help these two sisters to be reconciled. Some Bible commentators suggest “yokefellow” may have been the actual name of a man in the assembly. However, it may simply have been his character as a fellow worker with Paul, whom the apostle could trust to act as a peacemaker toward these two sisters.

My dear sisters in Christ, while your role among the Lord’s people is not a public one – although we do value your voices in singing and in saying “Amen” – it is still very vital. As brothers, we need your prayers and encouragement very much. Also know that while the Lord can use you for great blessing among His people, any conflict between sisters will have a negative effect on the whole gathering of God’s saints, just as does conflict between brothers in the Lord.

Peace Between Nations
His name shall be called … Prince of Peace. —Isaiah 9:6 KJV

In spite of peace treaties, ceasefires and international organizations aimed at bringing peace into this world, there are still many conflicts and wars. We Christians look forward to that wonderful day when the Lord Jesus will return in great power and glory to subdue all things to Himself (Mt. 24:30; Mk. 13:26). He alone is able to cause the nations to turn “their swords into pruning hooks,” and to ensure that they will not “learn war anymore” (Isa. 2:4). During those 1,000 years when Christ will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, there will be an “abundance of peace” (Ps. 72:7) – no more wars or conflicts of any kind! As the Great Peacemaker He will at last establish peace in this conflict-weary earth. He came the first time to establish peace with God. He will come again to establish peace between nations. How great He is and worthy now of our worship and praise!

Summary
As we wait for Christ’s soon return, first for His Church and then with His saints to reign, may we seek to enjoy the peace He has made for us with God through the blood He shed on the cross. May we also seek to live in peace with one another – with unbelievers and with true believers – without compromising God’s standards.

We close with the Lord’s words: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Mt. 5:9 NKJV).

By Kevin Quartell

“Blessed Are The Peacemakers”If we are to present a bold front to Satan and his wiles, to resist the Devil, we are to be men of peace among the people of God. Error, doctrinal and moral, must be met firmly and constantly. But the pasture land of the sheep of Christ must not be made a battlefield – unless indeed the enemy has come in there, when of course he must be driven off. But it is not to fight our brethren. Let there be no strife between me and you, for we be brethren. How often is this forgotten. Personal affronts and private grievances are made the subject of conflict. Alienation and discord come in, and before we know it the people of God are thrown into confusion, the Holy Spirit is grieved and God’s testimony and work are hindered. Happy is the one who at times like that remains quietly in the presence of God, and has but one object, the glory of Christ, in the removal of evil, and thus healing of the breach. Let us covet to be peacemakers. It is not easy; we shall get charges from both sides, but if we love all, serve all, and are true to the Lord, His approval is worth everything, and we shall see the frightened lambs and sheep lying down again in the green pastures. —Almanac And Counselor, 1914