“Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness — without it no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14 HCSB
“If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.”
Romans 12:18 HCSB
https://www.bible.com/72/rom.12.18.hcsb
“He will enter into peace — they will rest on their beds — everyone who lives uprightly.”
Isaiah 57:2 HCSB
https://www.bible.com/72/isa.57.2.hcsb
Peace does not mean we must believe and do the same things as the world. But it does mean we don’t make it a big deal and we love them despite what they believe. Romans 12 goes on to say:
“Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord. But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.”
Romans 12:19-21 HCSB
https://www.bible.com/72/rom.12.19-21.hcsb
If we were to live at peace and serve everyone in the name of Jesus we would see more people want to be like Jesus. But instead, the world has seen the Christians fighting among themselves and not living according to the word of God.
The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.
—Brennan Manning
If we truly believe Jesus is the only way to Heaven why do we try to get there any other way possible? Living at peace with people is important enough for God to command us to do it. The second greatest commandment is to Love People as we would love ourselves.
But the first greatest commandment is to Love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That is holiness! We cannot be loving God with all our passions, beliefs, thoughts, and actions and not live a holy life before God! Hebrews 12 says that without holiness no one can see God. We have a generation of Christians that think they can live like the world Monday through Saturday and on Sunday pretend that everything is ok between them and God, But God is mocked. God cannot have the wool pulled over His eyes. We may do it in front of people for a while, but never with God. We need to stop fooling ourselves, God requires a holy life out of us. Jesus did it and Jesus can enable us to do it too.
“I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:13 HCSB
https://www.bible.com/72/php.4.13.hcsb
Live at peace with God first and all the while living at peace with people is what God expects out of us.
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