The Ultimate Peace Plan!

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.


THE FOLLOWERS of Jesus have been called to peace. When he called them they found their peace, for he is their peace. But now they are told that they must not only have peace but make it. And to that end they renounce all violence and tumult. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

Since there are many definitions of what peace means to different people,in order to understand this beatitude we should focus on its biblical meaning. One commentary says this, "The Greek word translated "peacemaker" is used in only one other place in the New Testament, in a slightly different form. Colossians 1:20 says, "For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross."

It is important to say that the peace with God is the foundation of any other peace. While many look for world peace, history shows that though peace is a worthy cause it is hard to achieve much less sustain. Even when we have tried to rid the world of an evil dictator, it leaves a vacuum for another dictator to come into power. The fact that we lack peace in this life points to the fact that true peace can only come from. We are given a glimpse of peace when God's kingdom comes here on earth as it is in heaven. But true and lasting peace will only come in when Jesus returns in great and promised glory.

We do however find peace with God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. As we trust in faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross, we are promised forgiveness for our sin and a new relationship with God. This new relationship is characterized by peace. And this peace continues through the Holy Spirit, who lives within us. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is "peace". Galatians 5:22 Paul says in Philippians 4:6 when we are anxious (the opposite of peace) we should pray. He states, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the "peace" of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

So what then does it mean to be a peacemaker? If peace with God is the only source of peace, then being a peacemaker means being an ambassador of God's peace. We cannot create any peace by ourselves, but we can bring God's peace to others through Christ. We can be a person of peace that others trust and go to when they need peace. We can be a person of peace when we seek reconciliation in our relationships when there is conflict. And when others are in conflict, we can encourage a process of peace through reconciliation.

But the biggest way we can be a peacemaker is to introduce people to a relationship with God through Jesus. This is the ultimate peace plan. As we are open to the Holy Spirit's promptings and guidance, God can use us to lead others to Christ.

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