– THE PEACE MAKER –

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
(Matthew 5:9)

Christians are to have, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7). Peace is sought by nearly everyone, yet, though most desire and love it when they have peace few know how to possess it. Christians must love and seek after peace. We must learn how to make peace and there is not a better teacher than the Master Himself. Jesus came, “To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79). Sadly, most are better at disrupting the peace of brethren so the application for this beatitude as necessary today as it was in the first century.

To make peace we must learn what things take away our peace, what things create discord. When we learn to recognize them, we can then eliminate them one by one from the recipe moving us closer and closer to making a lasting peace. What destroys peace must be an enemy and we must accept the responsibility as peacemakers and eliminate everything that disrupts our peace. Following are some things God in His word identifies as anti-peace, or that which destroys the peace between brethren.

Proverbs 16:19b “…And one who sows discord among brethren.” Merriam Webster defines discord as: “a. lack of agreement or harmony (as between persons, things, or ideas. b. active quarreling or conflict resulting from discord among persons or factions)” When we sow discord, that is when we focus on what we disagree on to the point of division and quarreling which results in discord and factions we are destroying peace. Make no mistake, if the words we use cause “one to become two”, it is discord. Hear James on the tongue, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell” (Jas. 3:6).

And James goes on, “With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so” (v.9-10). One that sows discord among brethren is doing one of the seven things that the LORD hates (Prov. 6:16-19). Much is written on the subject of discord in God’s word. Proverbs alone: “A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends” (16:28). Do your words separate or unite? “He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends” (17:9). Do your words seek love, or do they focus on every transgression to the separation of friendship? “It is honorable for a man to stop striving, since any fool can start a quarrel” (20:3). Are your words engineered to stop the quarrels or strive for them? I will never understand brethren who can destroy brotherly relationships that were built over years and years together in love, in worship, and in service. I must question the understanding some have of love. “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart”, “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous”, “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins”, and “Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen” (1 Peter 1:22, 3:8, 4:8, 5:14).

It is truly amazing how one can in a moment destroy brotherly relationships that have been years in building, and then turn and say, I am a loving person, I am not the one who is causing the discourse. One whisperer can, by one word, create alienation between brethren who have known and respected each other for years. Wisdom demands that we recognize these things and make every effort to stop the mouths of those whose words kindle great fires and not peace. This is Bible peacemaking in action.

Another thing that can destroy peace is a domineering brother or sister. We all know what that means. “My way or the highway”, and if you can’t do things their way, look out, because they will destroy the peace of the local church. Paul warned, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4). Selfish ambition and conceit are opposites of peace and harmony. Only strife will result by those who are “always” pressing to have everything done their way. Listen, we all must stive to do things God’s way, so let us not mistake what I am saying. My way, yours ways must be aligned to God’s ways if we are to have peace among ourselves. Therefore, a peacemaker will make every effort to influence such domineering brethren to stop. I have known brethren in large congregations who have dozens of men qualified to be elders, but have not eldership, only because they don’t want to be “told” how things must be done. Many local churches are deceived and duped into thinking that they are “making peace” by giving in to members who want control but they are actually empowering them and in the future the battle for peace and proper organization will become more and more difficult.

 Peace can never be found within a local church that allows a man who preaches false doctrine to continue. That will destroy peace among brethren, and souls will be lost. Paul speaks of the Judaizers in the churches of Galatia. This is a good example of how preaching and teaching false doctrines destroys the peace of the brethren. Paul began by saying, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert[a] the gospel of Christ” (1:6-7; cf. 5:10, 12). Allowing false doctrine to be taught or preached will always trouble brethren who stand for the truth. Often the false teachers are like the Judaizers work secretly among the members (2:4), this too is contrary to love, and godliness and is so powerful that it can alienate brethren. Just see what happen between the Galatians and Paul, a faithful gospel preacher “Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” (4:16).

Paul warned the Romans of similar brethren saying, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (16:17-18). What caused these divisions and offenses was the preaching of false doctrines.

Peace only comes when those things that destroy it are removed from within a congregation. False doctrine, domineering brethren, gossips and whisperers must be required to give account of themselves! No Christian can surrender to the devil in the interest of peace and expect to have peace. “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the [a]wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). This is the only road that leads to true Bible peace.

In Christ

Love

Dave Scarpino