Godly Living
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Pursue Peace With All Men
Pursue Peace With All Men
Life is too short to live at odds with anyone. Often times a trivial experience can ruin a lifelong relationship. They will spend years at odds, when they could have had a healthy relationship. Pursuing peace is hard work. You must learn to forgive and take responsibility for your contribution to the disharmony in the relationship.
A few months ago, I was in El Paso holding an evangelistic meeting, and the young people were serving dinner to the mothers being that it was Mother’s Day. I was seating in a chair watching what was going on, and right in front a four-year-old girl pushed a two-year-old boy, who felt on the floor and started crying. I picked him up and tried to make him feel better, but he kept crying. So I call the little girl and say, "Do you have something to say to him? Something like sorry?" Then she said sorry and gave him a kiss on the cheeks. "Would you forgive me?" "Uhmhu!" And he jumped out of my lap and started playing with the little girl again as if nothing had happened.
That organization that was there as a resistance against the British government, is still there today: IRA, the Irish Republican Army. There are still some terrorists acts carried out against the British government, because those seven counties in the northern part of Ireland wanted to be free.
No wonder Jesus said: If you don’t become like children you can not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Though we pursue peace with all men, it will not always be reciprocated.
Winston Churchill was sent to solve this problem, and it was considered to be an unsolvable problem. He met with the head of the resistance, and before that he had taken out a bounty against them. There were posters posted in Ireland, ten thousand pounds for this man – dead or alive. And it was actually Churchill, who had that secretly done. He had also established the Black & Tans. They had the authority to shoot on sight if a member of the resistance was found.
There was tremendous hostility between Churchill and Michael Collins, the IRA. Nevertheless, they met in 1921, and began peace talk. They both were bull doggish men! Stout, harsh and rough. They went back and forth on how posters were made - The Boars had put out a poster against Churchill for a bounty of just 10 pounds. Anyway, this was the beginning of the peace talks. Over the course, they made the decision that the 7 northern counties remained a part of Britain, and the rest of Ireland a free state, as part of the Empire.
Jesus was peaceful toward all men, but all men were not peaceful toward Him. Paul clarifies the principle. “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Rom. 12:18). We are only responsible for our side of the peace process, but we cannot use another’s belligerence as an excuse for responding in kind. We have an obligation to live peaceably, whether or not those around us treat us peaceably. If they do not live peaceably, that is their problem; it is never our excuse.
The Agreement was signed, Dec. 6, 1921. As they were signing, Churchill and the others said "this may be our political death warrant." Collins said "This is my death warrant." Within two months he was killed by his own people, IRA gunmen.
It is our responsibility to pursue peace. Do you have anyone in your life that you are not at peace with? Pursue it with every fiber of your being staying within the boundaries of the Word of God!
Pursue Sanctification
Pursue Sanctification
There is a price to be paid for peace-making, and if you are going to be a peace-maker, you probably will have to sacrifice your own life to do it. You have to lay down your own ego, your own desires to make peace.
sanctification n. — the act of becoming more personally dedicated to God; especially by becoming more distinct, devoted, or morally pure.
The less we are dedicated to the world, the more dedicated we will be toward God. We often crowd God out of our lives much the same way, schools have gotten God out of the schools. We prioritize other things such as success, academia, wealth, physical health and the pursuit of worldly item and neglect the most important aspect of life. That is our soul. We fail to build our faith and see it as less important.
26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
A life of peace is one with correct priorities. When our relationship with Christ is the most important thing to us and we pursue it at all cost, you will have peace!
Sanctification is so important because it is God making you what He intends for you to be.
C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity: "Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is he up to? The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought of--throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."
He wants you to be a person that you never thought you could be.
Present the Gospel
Present the Gospel
See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God. The only way a person can receive the grace of God is by sharing the gospel.
14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who [a]bring good news of good things!”
We must be a people of sweet feet. We have good news to share with a world. The message that we have will literally save their life!
Put Away Bitterness
Put Away Bitterness
Bitterness poisons the soul. You cannot adequately worship when you have a root of bitterness in your heart.
23 Therefore if you are presenting your [i]offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your [j]offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your [k]offering.
Jesus wants us to reconcile before we worship. When we desire harm for someone physically or emotionally we have bitterness in our heart.
Why do people refer to the Alabama/Auburn game a bitter rivalry. Because their is hatred between the two fan bases.
Their is no room for bitterness in our hearts. It will consume us and make us someone that we don’t need to be.
Put Away Immorality
Put Away Immorality
Esau was a godless person that sold his birthright for a bowl of soup. The significance of the birthright was not that you got a double portion of the inheritance, but you were to be the spiritual leader of the family. Esau did not see a relationship with God as more important than his physical need at the moment. He desired the things of the flesh more than his relationship with God.
Unfortunately many people live their lives like this today. They live for the momentary pleasure of the flesh without considering the eternal consequences of their decision. When you breath your last breath and have not recieved the grace of God it is too late.
So when does a person come to a point when they can find no repentance. It is at the point that you want the forgiveness or blessing of God without wanting God. You have come to a point where you want forgiveness without wanting change. This is a point that God cannot forgive. When you want God as part of your life then you live by his Word not your desires.