Blessed are the peacemakers Matthew 5:9

Introduction

God in His word references himself as the God of peace and throughout his word has made peace a dominant idea. In fact the Bible begins with peace in the garden of Eden and ends with peace throughout all eternity.

Although sin in the garden disrupted the peace on earth, Jesus gave us hope for peace again when he died on the cross paying the penalty of our sins, and he becomes our peace when we place our faith in Him.

The world we live in is full of violence, war and truly absent of peace. There are two reasons for this; The opposition of Satan and the disobedience of man. In 1968 a major newspaper reported there had been 14,553 known wars since 36 years before Christ. We live in a world absent of peace, and yet Jesus in His sermon, says “blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are the peacemakers

One writer put it this way “The peace of which Christ speaks in this beatitude, and about which the rest of the scripture speaks, is unlike that which the world knows and strives for. God’s peace has nothing to do with politics, armies and navies, forums of nations, or even counsel of churches. It has nothing to do with statesmanship, no matter how great or with arbitration, compromise, negotiated truces, or treaties. Gods peace, the peace of which the Bible speaks, never evades issues; it knows nothing of peace at every price.”

The peace Jesus speaks of here is more than the absence of conflict and strife; it is the presence of righteousness.

Men can stop fighting without righteousness, but they cannot live peaceably without righteousness

God’s peace not only stops wars, but replaces it with righteousness that brings harmony and true well-being.

The Jewish greeting “Shalom” wishes peace and expresses the desire that the one who is greeted will have all the righteousness and goodness God can give.

Look what James says to confirm the nature of God’s peace.

James 3:17 “17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

God’s way to peace is through purity, you can not exchange the one for the other.

Peace that ignores the cleansing that brings purity is not Gods peace.

Hebrews links peace with purity as well

Hebrews 12:14 “14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:”

Psalm 85:10 “10 Mercy and truth are met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.”

Biblically speaking, where there is true peace there is righteousness, holiness and purity. Trying to bring harmony by compromising righteousness forfeits both.

The great enemy of peace is sin.

Sin separates men from God and causes disharmony and enmity with Him.

Because of the disharmony with God, it causes disharmony with man

Mark 7:21–23 “21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”

When our heart is full of evil we will never have peace, it is impossible.

James 3:16–18 “16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”

We cannot make peace at any price.

Mcarthur said this “The person who is not willing to disrupt and disturb in God’s name cannot be a peacemaker.”

Being a peacemaker is essentially the result of a holy life and the call to others to embrace the gospel of holiness.

The maker of peace is God

Men are without peace because they are without the source of peace.

Old testament references to the God of peace

Psalm 29:11 “11 The Lord will give strength unto his people; The Lord will bless his people with peace.”

Isaiah 9:6 “6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

There are many more as well

New Testament references

Romans 15:33 “33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”

1 Corinthians 14:33 “33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

2 Thessalonians 3:16 “16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.”

Christ coming to earth was the peace of God coming to earth, because only Jesus Christ could take away the sin that caused the absence of peace

Ephesians 2:13–14 “13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;”

Christ brings back together God and man, reconciling and bringing peace

Colossians 1:19–20 “19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”

Jeremiah 29:11 “11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

John 16:33 “33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Peace is coming and it will last for all of eternity with God!

God’s messenger of peace today is believers

To be a messenger of peace, you must first have made peace with God

Romans 5:10 “10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

A peacemaker leads others to make peace with God

Peacemaking is built on humility, sorrow over sin, gentleness, hunger for righteousness, mercy and purity of heart.

G. Campbell Morgan said this “Peacemaking is the propagated character of the man who exemplifies all the rest of the beatitudes, thereby brings peace wherever he goes.”

A peacemaker helps others make peace with others

Matthew 5:44–45 “44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Romans 12:18 “18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”

For they shall be called the Children of God

For all of eternity we will be called the Children of God.

What a day that will be when we finally live in peace with God for all of eternity, with no more sin, no more pain, no more sorrow and no more tears,

Conclusion

True peace is based on righteous principles. Genuine peace between man and man can only be achieved when there is peace between man and God in human hearts. So the goal of the peacemaker is to get people right with God; then they will quickly get right with one another.