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In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
Matthew 9:50
“God has called us to live in peace.”
1 Corinthians 7:15b
“Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”
2 Corinthians 13:11
“Live in peace with each other.”
1 Thessalonians 5:13b
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.”
Colossians 3:15
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Throughout this past week, we have been exploring the matter of peace, the main theme of the second week of the Advent season. We have discovered our sources of peace (God and His Son Jesus, the Prince of Peace), the amazing nature of peace that the Lord brings (peace beyond human comprehension), how the indwelling of the Holy Spirit produces a harvest of peace within, how peace brings gifts to the believer in and of itself, and how the Lord grants peace to us so we can bless others with it.
This all leads to today and the final message, one of critical importance because we need to know that when it comes to serving our Lord, sowing peace as believers isn’t optional for our God commands us to be a people of peace. We see this in five separate verses that form the foundational text for this truth:
“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” Matthew 9:50
“God has called us to live in peace.” 1 Corinthians 7:15b
“Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” 2 Corinthians 13:11
“Live in peace with each other.” 1 Thessalonians 5:13b
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.” Colossians 3:15
Note that there are two key peace callings we find from the Lord.
First, God demands that all Christian believers are to be at peace with one another. It’s a common thread we find through all these passages and yet, we find conflict and derision, and division happening all the time.
Can we see where this is happening in direct disobedience to the orders of the One who is the Head of the church?
Disagreements will happen. There’s no question on that but it’s how we handle the disagreements that makes all the difference in this matter. For when we do differ from one another on matters, we are to not resort to sinfulness but rather righteousness, working things out in love and gentleness and peace, all fruits produced that will be produced by the Holy Spirit if we only submit to His leading.
This is aided exponentially by the other key calling we find in the scriptures from Paul’s letter to the Colossians. For it’s there that we find the command for Christians to allow the “peace of Christ rule” to “rule in (their) hearts”. Again, the Word of God isn’t recommending this. Rather, it’s a strict directive, one that believers are absolutely required to adhere to and obey without exception.
And why wouldn’t we want this? What true Christian wouldn’t want the peace of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to rule over their hearts?
Friends, if we as believers would always seek to live our lives in a way that is Christ-like in every way, peace will come naturally and it won’t be any worldly manufactured peace we share with one another and those we seek to save. Rather, it will be the perfect peace found through the only perfect person who has walked this earth.
As we finish up this second week of Advent, moving ever closer to the birth of the Savior of the world, let us gladly receive His peace into our hearts and minds and souls, so much so that there is an overflow for us to extend to others.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.
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