265 - Blessed are the Peacemakers#
265 - Blessed are the Peacemakers
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
What we want to share is Matthew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God."
The topic we are sharing is: Blessed are the peacemakers.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! Thank You and praise You! Thank You for preparing this wonderful time for us to share Your words together here. Please lead every brother and sister to receive Your words in their lives, to apply Your words in their daily lives, so that we can truly receive Your blessings and live in Your blessings. We also want to pass on blessings. At this moment, I am willing to open my heart to accept Your words. Please nourish and supply me, and I completely commit the following time to the Holy Spirit to renew our thoughts and intentions. In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. So what is the difference between us as children of God and the people of the world? Why can others see that you are a different group of people from the world? It is not because our hairstyles are strange, and others say, "These are the ones who believe in Jesus"; nor is it because of our speech that makes others feel we are different.
Every religion has its special jargon. "Amen, Hallelujah" is the jargon of Christianity. Are those who shout "Hallelujah! Amen" all saved? This does not allow the world to recognize us as disciples of Jesus. Where exactly is our difference from the world?
The most important point is that we possess the character of Jesus, who makes peace. Jesus came to the world, died on the cross for our sins, reconciling our relationship with the Father in Heaven, and at the same time, He reconciled our relationships with others; He is our peace offering.
I have been telling everyone that the cross has two aspects: the vertical aspect represents each person's relationship with God. You will find that the cross is longer vertically than horizontally. Each person's relationship with God is primary and is a vertical relationship. If the relationship with God is not good, the relationship with others cannot be good either. When you establish a good relationship with God and know your Father, your relationship with others will improve.
Who was hung at the intersection of the cross? Our Lord Jesus. Through the cross, when you look at the Father in Heaven, you will see the Lord Jesus, and your relationship with the Father is reconciled. How can your relationship with others be peaceful? It must also be through Jesus in the middle to look at others; only then can the relationship with others be peaceful.
What if you remove Jesus from the middle? What you see are the problems of people and many issues between God and man. Why do many people always complain about God? They do not know what Jesus has done for them. Why do those who believe in Jesus still complain about each other? Because they do not look at others through Jesus, they do not know what Jesus has done for them, nor do they know what Jesus has accomplished for you.
Blessed are the peacemakers; this peace offering is our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen! We have a characteristic: wherever we go, we always bring the gospel to others, and the gospel is good news. When problems arise in families, what is needed? It is the good news of peace. So how can we make them peaceful? You say, "Just think it through, take a step back..."
Can they be peaceful? No, unless Jesus enters their family. If there is no Jesus inside, our efforts are temporary and will cause problems. The biggest difference between us and the world is that we can bring Jesus to others, which means bringing peace to others. This is the style that the Father in Heaven hopes we live out, because blessed are the peacemakers, and we are to inherit God's blessings.
God does not want us to hate each other. Jesus also said that if people in a nation fight against each other, they will ultimately perish. If nations fight against each other, both nations will cease to exist. How can we be at peace with each other? It must be through Jesus.
Sharing the first point: Jesus is our peace, reconciling us with God.
First, we must receive the peace that comes from Jesus.
Isaiah 9:6-7,
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, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, this refers to our Lord Jesus Christ, who is called the Messiah in the Old Testament, and we know that is our Jesus. The purpose of Jesus coming is to solve problems; His name is called Wonderful Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, and The Prince of Peace. Importantly, He brings peace to the world. Although He has many abilities and authority, He brings peace to people.
Brothers and sisters, if a person's heart is not at peace, the greater the power, the greater the harm to the world. If a person's heart is filled with God's peace and harmony, the greater their power, the greater their contribution to the world; their government and peace will increase without end.
Jesus came into this world to increase our peace. He is different from other kings; He will govern His kingdom on the throne of David, and His kingdom is one of peace and harmony. Moreover, He governs the kingdom with fairness and justice, making it firm and stable.
Let me ask you a question: When we talk about grace today, is there fairness and justice in it? If we only talk about grace and remove fairness and justice, people will deliberately indulge in sin. Jesus is called the Prince of Peace, but at the same time, He is someone who hates evil. Jesus never said, "Just believe in me! It doesn't matter if you sin." Jesus has never said such a thing, and Paul has never said it either. God loves sinners, but God hates sin. Jesus shows mercy to sinners and shows kindness to them, but He has never compromised with evil.
There are people in the world who are self-righteous, and those religious people display a kind of hypocrisy, which is exactly opposed to fairness and justice. How did Jesus treat these people? He was very harsh with them. The Lord Jesus pointed out the hypocrisy and evil of the Pharisees and scribes.
Matthew 23 is filled with Jesus' condemnation of them. I want to tell you a very serious fact: Peace is not compromising with falsehood. Some people always think that after believing in Jesus, we must be peaceful and cannot casually criticize others, especially some people say that under grace, they cannot hear others say anything bad about them. When others point out their problems, they say that others are treating them with the law, which forms a wrong concept: when they see the problems of brothers and sisters, they do not point them out because pointing them out is treating them with the law. Is this idea correct? This is completely wrong; peace is not compromising with falsehood. It is absolutely not about being a nice person for the sake of peace, even if what they say is a lie or wrong, we must love and be at peace with others.
Jesus never taught this. God's fairness and justice have never been compromised. Although He is the peace offering, He has not lowered His fairness and justice. In Galatians 2:11, we can see two people; what happened at that time? Peter preached the gospel to the Gentiles, and the Gentiles welcomed him. After many people accepted it, they said, "This gospel is so good; God loves us too."
So Peter began to associate with the Gentiles and ate with them. At this time, a group of religious people came from Jerusalem, who were more orthodox believers. When Peter saw this group of people coming, he immediately stood up from the table of the Gentiles, perhaps grabbing his bowl and running to another place. Paul happened to see this and began to rebuke him.
Paul, who emphasized peace with others the most in his many letters, why did he do this? It is obvious that this is not peace; how can you criticize the great disciple of Jesus? Their qualifications are older than yours; you should give them some respect. Just like today, if you want to criticize someone, you should do it privately.
But how did Paul say it? I saw that he was not walking uprightly according to the truth, so I had to say to him. If in this matter, for the sake of superficial peace, the people below will rush to imitate it, Paul's rebuke is a true manifestation of love and is also for everyone to have true peace; otherwise, it will become a group of Pharisees. After everyone meets, they say, "Sister, Jesus loves you!" while secretly wishing to take everything from her. Such things are very common in the world; people appear to be harmonious on the surface, but their hearts are not like that.
If this atmosphere appears in the church, it is no different from the world. Therefore, we should show the world that our hearts and mouths are consistent. Even if the world is hypocritical, we should be unified in heart and mouth. Amen! The peace in the church should not just be superficial but should truly come from the heart.
How can we truly achieve peace? First, we must be united in truth. Regarding evil, we must have the same viewpoint, never tolerating evil; regarding good things, we must have the same viewpoint, encouraging everyone to do good. Only then can the peace in the church be real. Amen! For Paul, he believed that where there is a lie, there will be conflict and disputes; therefore, where evil is tolerated, there cannot be peace.
The peace that people have is merely superficial. What causes discord? It is actually sin. When the ancestors of humanity, Adam and Eve, did not sin, they lived in harmony. At that time, Adam had the most classic declaration: "You are bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh."
This means: I cannot live without you, and you cannot live without me; you and I are like one person. They were so good that they became like one person; isn't that the highest pursuit of humanity today? Just like we say today, two people are so good that they are like wearing the same pair of pants; they are far from the state of Adam. They lived in harmony.
After they sinned, were they still one? When God asked Adam, Adam shifted the blame to Eve, and Eve shifted the blame to the serpent. It is clear that they were no longer one and no longer at peace. The subsequent events can be imagined; after they were expelled from the Garden of Eden, did they live in harmony every day, saying, "We both went wrong in the past; from today on, we will abandon all previous concepts and rely on God"? Do you really think it was like that?
If it were like that, there would be no family conflicts in the world today. The origin of family conflicts lies there; after they were expelled from the Garden of Eden, they both carried sin, so it is very normal for conflicts to arise in families. It is too normal for sinful people to have discord. How can we completely solve these problems? God's grace is the antidote to disputes. I just shared with you that God's grace includes God's justice and mercy. When God reconciles with us, there is a cost; He must satisfy His fairness and justice before His mercy can be manifested in us.
Let’s look at a passage of scripture, Isaiah 11:3-9,
3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
Brothers and sisters, what do you feel in your heart when you read about this kingdom? It is wonderful; in all my holy mountain, there shall be no harm nor destruction, which proves that there is no harm between people, and there is no harm between things. All harm is gone. How is all this achieved? There is a person managing this kingdom. Who is he? Our Lord Jesus, who is also the Messiah mentioned in the Old Testament.
He shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord, and shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears. Jesus does things not based on what His eyes see; people believe that sometimes what they see with their eyes may not be true, let alone hearsay.
He shall judge the poor with righteousness and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. Jesus can do this not based on His own reasoning or favoritism towards those He has a good relationship with; there is no favoritism here. Therefore, when we talk about grace, it is absolutely not favoritism. Many people think that God loves me; this statement is correct, but do not forget another fact: God loves others just as much. We cannot say that this is God's favoritism; this is the love between parents. Grace is filled with fairness and justice.
Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. God does things, judging His people and governing His kingdom with righteousness and faithfulness, which is already manifested in Jesus. When Jesus went to Nazareth, He stood in the synagogue and spoke about this passage, saying, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me." Isn't that how Isaiah 11 begins? The Spirit of the Lord is upon him, enabling the lame to walk and the blind to see. What Jesus did in the world was to bring peace and harmony to people. In God's kingdom, which is the new heaven and new earth we are going to, it is a scene of peace. There, we will see the Lord governing His kingdom in this way, as we just read.
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb; how can these two coexist? You can try putting these two together today, and the next day, only one will be left. Even if a wolf falls in love with a lamb, only one will remain. This can only happen in God's kingdom because there is no evil there.
The leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the young lion shall feed with the calf and the fatling together. Can such things happen in this world? Think about it; how did all this happen? It was not like this at the beginning. At the beginning, God created everything good, and animals did not kill each other. After Adam sinned, the earth was cursed, and everything suffered. How can we completely solve this problem? It must rely on God's justice; when God rules the entire world, this will be accomplished.
A little child shall lead them; which child would dare to lead a leopard, wolf, or lion? But the future kingdom will be like this. The cow and the bear shall feed together; why does God have to describe two animals that are completely impossible to be together? He wants to tell us that in all my holy mountain, there shall be no harm nor destruction. This is a scene of peace. Amen! Brothers and sisters, this is the vision of our future kingdom. Do you believe this?
The church is actually a model of the future kingdom of heaven. People must be able to see a glimmer of hope in the world; otherwise, why would they believe in this Lord? Just like the scene we see today, "Lord, how wonderful! I long to go to this kingdom!" In this world, God gives us a template; although it cannot fully represent the kingdom of heaven, at least it can reflect part of it, and that is the church.
If there are wolves and sheep in the church, fighting and killing each other, in the end, there will be nothing left. What hope will the world see? If brothers and sisters are still fighting, hating each other, and sabotaging each other, will an unbeliever want to believe in this Lord after coming in? They will stumble and lose hope. Peace is indeed very important. Now you must believe that it is the Lord's power that fills that kingdom because the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the earth as the waters cover the sea. In that kingdom, God's words will fill the earth, and everyone will know this Lord and be willing to obey Him, and that kingdom will be realized.
Shouldn't the church first achieve this? No matter how much we can achieve now, we must first say, "Lord! We are willing to believe in Your words and willing to bow under Your words. May Your words fill me." This kingdom can be realized here. Thank You and praise the Lord!
We must see spiritually that Jesus has already accomplished this; this is the pattern we live out in the world. Jesus has lived out this pattern for us. I want to emphasize again: Peace is not compromising but holding on to God's fairness and faithfulness, using His words to build us and those around us. Amen! May God's words fill us and fill others.
Ephesians 2:13-19,
13 But now in Christ Jesus, you 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; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.
This passage of scripture is particularly important; it tells us what kind of existence we have now. You were once far from God, referring to the past when you did not believe in Jesus. Now, where are you? Now you are in Christ Jesus. Two things must be acknowledged: First, you are near to God through the blood of Jesus. It is impossible to achieve this under the law. Who would dare to approach God under the law? Moses, David, Isaiah...
They did not dare to approach God. At the beginning, the people said, "We want to see the Lord," but when God appeared with lightning, thick clouds, earthquakes, and thunder, the people said, "Moses, you go up; you meet God. Whatever God tells you, we will listen; we will not go up." Isn't that terrifying?
Because under the law, God punishes sin, which is a manifestation of justice. He sees righteousness and must accept it, and then He rejoices. Before believing, did we have this righteousness? No, so at that time, seeing God made us afraid. But now it is different; now you are in Christ. This point must be remembered often: you are in Christ. There is an outer layer of protection or armor, a robe of righteousness that allows you to stand before God without fear, just as Jesus stands.
If you are not aware of this, you cannot approach God. You see problems everywhere and cannot approach God. When you come before God, you are not sure that He will listen to your prayers. But knowing that you are wearing a robe of righteousness, which is pleasing to God, is like having a pass to approach the Father. When the Father sees you, He is very willing to welcome you. Amen! You must believe: you are near to God in Christ Jesus.
Second, your closeness to God absolutely does not depend on your behavior. So do not come before God based on your behavior, asking Him to accomplish something for you: "Lord! I prayed for ten hours today, and I also gave offerings, and I preached the gospel for You; please accomplish this for me."
This is a very bad prayer. Or someone might say, "What should I do for You to accomplish this for me?" These are all exchanges based on behavior, and such prayers are rarely fulfilled. Gradually, they lose faith in God. Now I want to tell you to put all of this down, you are already near to God, not based on your behavior, but on the blood of Jesus. Amen!
For He is our peace, which refers to Jesus as our peace offering. A peace offering is when two people are enemies, and when they meet, they kill each other. A peace offering comes in to satisfy both parties; as long as this person is in between them, they will always be at peace. This is called a peace offering because He satisfies both parties. Jesus is our peace between us and God, making God satisfied and us satisfied.
He makes both one, breaking down the middle wall of partition. This passage has a background. In the past, the Israelites made God very far from people. There were outer courts, inner courts, men's courts, and women's courts, and only then could one reach the holy place and the most holy place. If a Gentile wanted to get closer to God, it was impossible; Gentiles were only qualified to stay in the outer court, with many walls in between. Even if you worship God, there are many walls separating you.
So Jesus came to start breaking down these walls. Even the most devout Jews could only reach the holy place; entering the most holy place would mean death. There was also a veil in the most holy place, which was another wall. After Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross, that wall inside was torn, and the entire way from the inside to the outside was opened up. That is why Jesus said He broke down the middle wall of partition.
Gentiles no longer need to first become Jews and then follow Jewish customs and rituals to qualify to enter that court. As long as you believe in Jesus, He directly brings you to the most holy place. Amen! You can be very close to God directly; you do not need to pray to God through someone else, thinking that Jews are more orthodox. I first tell you, even after telling him, it does not work; you must tell our priest, and the priest says, "I cannot either; you must tell our high priest."
In the past, how much effort it took to meet God! It is not like that now; those who believe in Jesus can pray directly to God. This is what Jesus has accomplished for you. Hallelujah! He has torn down all the walls in between.
You must believe one thing: You are at peace with God today; you are close to Him. He has abolished the enmity in His flesh, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, which satisfies God's justice. Therefore, we are close to God today, relying on Jesus. This is why when you pray, you say, "In the name of Lord Jesus," because you come before God through Jesus. He makes both one, creating one new man. Please remember, brothers and sisters, you are now a new creation.
Last week, I was thinking: What is a new creation? How can one live out a new life? Some people have experienced life and death, such as terminal illness. They go to the hospital, and the doctor says there is no chance of survival. Later, this person is healed by Jesus; they understand God's healing. The past version of them is actually dead. Now, living one more day is a gain for them. They are grateful to God every day; this is a true resurrection from the dead; that is a new creation. Today, many people live with past thinking, using past experiences and methods because the past version of them has not died.
When a child is born, can they use all their parents' ways? No, they cannot. Although they are born from their mother's womb, their life is a completely new beginning. Some time ago, I watched a TV series where soldiers were trained this way: when an old soldier fought against a new soldier, if one side was defeated, they would have a "killed in action" sticker put on them. After they died, the instructor would take them to the mountain, have them dig a hole, and put themselves in the body bag. Of course, after a while, they would be dug out; they were not really suffocated. After being dug out, they were asked, "Did you experience the taste of death?" They said they did. After they came out, they made a tombstone with their name on it and had to say goodbye to their past. Many soldiers said goodbye to their weaknesses and shortcomings, having died once.
In the spiritual sense, we should view the past like this: the past version of me is dead. We cannot let it still be alive, running out of the grave. It is truly dead now; you are a new creation. You do not need to view yourself through the lens of the past or the world's perspective.
You are a new creation, wearing the robe of righteousness of Jesus Christ. You represent Jesus living in this world, and your relationship with God is close. When God sees you, He does not see the past version of you; He sees a completely new person. Your past history has entered the grave, having died with Jesus on the cross. Now you are a new creation living before Jesus. So how should you plan your life?
From today on, I am a new creation. I will no longer use the past to define me. Every day is the most precious time given to me by God. When you view yourself this way, you will see peace because now every day is a day that Jesus has fought for you, and every day is God's grace upon you. The past version of you has died. Therefore, having abolished the enmity on the cross, He reconciled both unto God by the cross, knowing that your relationship with God is reconciled and close, you can also have a peaceful relationship with others.
Verse 17 says, "And came and preached peace." If there is turmoil in this family, and you preach Jesus to them, and they get divorced the next day, that proves you did not preach the gospel of peace. Jesus entering their midst will change their family and make their relationships better. Because as we grow closer to God, we will also grow closer to others. Amen!
Being close to God will get better and better. This is why there are so many testimonies; after they understand the grace of Jesus Christ and continually listen to the word, the relationship between the two people gets better and better because Jesus is the peace offering. As we grow closer to God, our relationships with others will also grow closer. Because we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Now we all come to the Father through the Holy Spirit. Remember your identity; when your relationship with God is good, your relationship with others will also be good. Thus, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God.
The saints here refer to those recorded in the Bible, such as Abraham, Isaac, Paul...
So many are saints, and you are in the same kingdom with them. Hallelujah! To go there relies on what Jesus Christ accomplished for you on the cross. When you understand this, your life will undergo a complete change.
Titus 3:1-2,
1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, 2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men.
Where does this strength come from? You cannot do it by yourself. To be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, and to be ready for every good work. Can these rulers and authorities know your God? They may not know your God, but they can see you. Do not expect them to be like God, able to see through your heart; after all, you are a beloved child of God!
They cannot see this; they can only see your behavior. How can you express your God? Through your behavior. After understanding so much, God prepares us to do every good work. If you do good works, how will others say? "These people who believe in Jesus are not bad."
Let me share a testimony. There was a brother who prayed to God, "Lord! Give me wisdom on how I can spread the gospel in this place." Later, God said, "Show your love." At that time, he was trying to preach the gospel but could not find anyone willing to listen. Finally, he found a beggar who was willing to listen to him. He said to the beggar, "Come to my house; I will provide you with food and drink every day, but there is one condition: you must listen to me."
Later, he took in many orphans and beggars, supplying them with his own money. Eventually, lonely elderly people also came to him. He said to them, "No one is taking care of you. My ability is limited. We will make a pact: I have nothing else but Jesus. I may not be able to provide you with delicacies, but I can provide you with home-cooked meals. One thing: if you get sick, do not look for me; you can only look for Jesus because I have no money."
He was very practical: "I have no money to provide for your medical needs; that is my limit. So if anyone gets sick, we will pray together." In his place, no one died from illness. Later, some people in the area began to attack him, saying he was a heretic. Some government officials also came, and those elderly people said, "If you say he is a heretic, fine! Then we will follow him." Later, when they understood the situation, they realized he was doing good works, and it was reported in the newspapers. Many wealthy people drove their cars to donate money and items to him, and it became a movement.
Brothers and sisters, what have you discovered? If you always say, "My God is so good; I am God's beloved child; I am loved by God..." the more you say this, the more people will dislike you. But when you truly express God's love, do good, and do what the world does not do, people will see Jesus in you.
Now that we believe in Jesus, we should not just think about benefiting the world; can we benefit the local community? Even smaller, can we benefit our families? It is not acceptable to believe in Jesus and have constant chaos at home, whether it is a war movie or a spy movie. This cannot happen; let your home change. This power must come from Jesus. It is still the same: first, restore your relationship with God. It does not matter if you have gone astray; we can repent, adjust, and readjust. After you grow closer to God, your relationship with others will definitely be closer because this power will naturally manifest.
Sharing the second point: Believing in Jesus means being a child of God.
Who do you believe in? The Son of God. The Son of God, as manifested in the world, is to make peace. The scripture we just read says, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." If we do not understand the entirety of the Bible, we might say, "Today, to become a child of God, one must make peace." You will find it is impossible; can one still be called a child of God?
Here, God does not tell us how to become a child of God; He simply tells us that the Son of God will do one thing: make peace. No matter how much you understand the truth of the Bible or how many gifts you have, these are not important. What matters is whether you can bring peace to others. Bringing peace to others allows the world to see the likeness of God in you. Of course, you do not become a child of God through these actions; you become a child of God through faith.
John 1:12-13,
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
You become a child of God because you are born of God, just as I am my father's son, born of my mother. Today, you become a child of God because you are born of God. We are born through the gospel; you do not strive to become a child of God; you will never be able to. We are already born and are already children of God. What does the child of God do? The work of making peace.
2 Corinthians 5:19, "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."
Today, we are to preach the gospel to the world, telling them that today God does not impute their trespasses unto them. Today, unbelievers live under the law; for example, if someone fails at everything they do, others will surely say, "This must be because their ancestors did not accumulate virtue." Some people succeed in everything they do, and others will say, "Look, their ancestors' graves are smoking."
These are the consequences of accumulating virtue, right? The world relies on the psychology of merit; in spiritual terms, this is the heart of the law, relying on one's behavior and the good behavior of ancestors to exchange for blessings. But we are not like this. We must tell the world that even if your ancestors' graves are not smoking, it does not matter. After you believe in Jesus, God will no longer impute your trespasses unto you.
The law is about cause and effect. The world believes in this, so they say, "Do not do evil; doing evil will bring evil consequences." We should indeed receive evil consequences, but God does not let you bear the consequences of doing evil; instead, He places His love upon you, which is accomplished through Jesus Christ on the cross. Amen!
And has committed unto us the word of reconciliation. The gospel we preach to others should be the gospel of reconciliation, telling the world that you have been reconciled to the Father through Jesus, and at the same time telling them that they have also been reconciled to each other through Jesus. If both people believe in Jesus, they will definitely be at peace. Our God is a God who loves peace and makes peace. The entire history of human redemption reached its peak when Jesus Christ suffered and resurrected. This is God's plan; God wants His justice to be satisfied and then to pour His love upon these rebellious people, bringing His peace upon them. As children of God, we also possess the nature of our Father; we are loved by God and should do what God is pleased for us to do, which is to make peace and bring peace to the world. Thank You and praise the Lord!
Matthew 5:14-16,
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Jesus said, "You are the light of the world," referring to you and me; we are the light of the world. Amen! You are the light of the world. What is the purpose of light? To illuminate the path ahead of people. Without sunlight, we would live in darkness and not know where to go. Therefore, light is good and brings benefits to people.
A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid; the city here refers to Jerusalem, which is a sign of God's presence, indicating it is very high and cannot be hidden because it is elevated. Why do people always say, "Look, he is still a believer in Jesus, yet he curses"? The reason is that you have been placed in a very high position. People say, "Christians can do such things."
People look up to you, fearing you might say, "I am like this; what about it?" In the end, they will hate you and your God. Your enemies will raise your issues; we must understand this because we are in a high position; God has lifted you up. When a person lights a lamp, does it not emit light? Placing it on a candlestick is a high position. Putting it under a bushel hides it. Therefore, the life inside you cannot be hidden. God has lifted you up and placed you in a high position; what is the purpose?
Now, if the whole family is in darkness, you are that lamp. Being placed in a high position illuminates the whole family, the purpose is to bring benefits to that family. Amen! It is not to place the lamp in a high position and then have guests come to your house and say, "What a beautiful lamp!" and then you say, "Yes! I am that beautiful lamp; I do not want to shine." What use is that? God places us in that high position to manifest His glory; this is where you differ from the world. Hallelujah!
If your lamp is particularly beautiful but does not shine, what is its purpose? At night, what is needed is the light that the lamp brings. Brothers and sisters, do you understand now? What does this light refer to? Below, Jesus gives us a metaphor: "Let your light so shine before men." So after you believe in Jesus, has God lifted you up? Are you shining? After shining, you must illuminate those in darkness and bring them benefits. Amen!
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works. Under grace, we also need good works. This good work is not about striving to have good works; it is about continually drawing near to Jesus and knowing Jesus. Good works will naturally bear fruit, just like a grapevine; if you keep watering and fertilizing it, it will naturally bear abundant fruit. This is the part where good works can be manifested, and this part must bring benefits to others. Amen! When we bring benefits to the world through these good works, people will say, "It is so good to believe in Jesus." With this, it will be easier to say, "Thank the Lord!"
Mark 9:50, "Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another."
In the Old Testament, when offering a grain offering, salt had to be added. Salt is an indispensable part of our lives; if you cook without other ingredients, you can manage, but if you cook without salt, it is not acceptable. The body cannot lack salt; this salt refers to the peace between us and others. Therefore, you are an indispensable part among others.
Having believed in Jesus, what role do you play in your family? Salt; you are absolutely indispensable. You are particularly important in your family. If your family used to be chaotic, now that you believe in Jesus and continually draw near to Jesus, receiving the grace of Jesus Christ, your family has become harmonious because of you, this salt. Therefore, pray for your family, and God will change your family.
But here it says, "If the salt has lost its saltness, how will it be seasoned again?" Salt is meant to bring saltiness to others; if it loses its flavor, what can be done? What hope is there for people? Originally, food needs saltiness; when you scoop a spoonful of salt and it has no flavor, why put it in? If a Christian's behavior is worse than that of the world, and there is no salt in them, others cannot see what is good about your Lord and cannot benefit from you. This salt refers to making peace with one another. In short, we must remember that blessed are the peacemakers because this is a characteristic of the children of God.
Colossians 3:12-13, "12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."
This is the scripture we should meditate on this week. First, you must recognize your identity: you are the elect of God, chosen by God. Holy means you are different from the world; beloved means you are such an existence in God's eyes. When you understand this, you will constantly meditate on being the elect of God, being holy and beloved. Repeatedly think about your relationship with God, how God loves you, and then you will be able to have mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering.
Isn't that simple? Because this is inherently in the Holy Spirit. The more you communicate with the Holy Spirit, such as praying in tongues, the more this unity of communication increases, and you will be changed by the Holy Spirit.
Mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering; how can we have meekness? Is not getting angry enough to be meek? What about when you get angry? God says, "I now give you a piece of clothing; when you wear the clothing of meekness, you will be meek." Amen! You say, "Lord! I want to become a meek person." Then the Lord will give you this meekness, and you will possess meekness. How do you wear it? By thinking about being holy and beloved, being the elect of God.
When your relationship with God is restored, if any man has a quarrel against any, does this not reflect the shape of the cross? The vertical aspect believes that your relationship with God is so beautiful, receiving meekness, self-control, and tolerance from God, and then when you live it out, what you want will appear. If there is a quarrel between this person and that person, is it not a lack of peace? It says here, "Always bear with one another." This strength certainly does not come from within you; it comes from continually knowing God and drawing near to God. Then God grants you His strength, and you will live out this tolerance.
Some time ago, I was communicating with a friend. She said, "I feel like I have not changed much." She had just given birth and stayed at home for half a year. When she returned to work, her colleagues said, "Wow! You seem to have changed; you have become gentler." Where does the reason lie? She could not see it herself. Day after day... listening to the word, attending gatherings, listening to the word... Unknowingly, her life changed. This is the change in the life of Christians. Therefore, when you continually realize your relationship with God and receive His life, your life will change.
When you have a quarrel with someone, and others speak ill of you, you do not take it to heart. You say, "I bless you in the name of Lord Jesus!" If your heart is filled with bitterness, you are so pitiful. You will give him God's grace; you will sincerely bless him, and then you will be able to tolerate them. Forgiving one another, brothers and sisters, peace requires us to take action. There must be a conflict in between that requires a peace offering. We need to have forgiveness in it. Where does this power come from?
As the Lord forgave you, so also do ye forgive others. Amen! We still need to think about the forgiveness and grace that Jesus Christ has given us, and then you will have the strength to live out this life of making peace.
Many people say, "Tolerance and forgiveness are really impossible; it is too difficult because I cannot tolerate him when I see him." What is the reason? Tolerance and forgiveness do not mean you acknowledge the mistakes of the other party; rather, it is about helping them overcome their problems and offenses with a heart of tolerance. Tolerating others does not mean, "Even if this is your fault, I will endure it."
It is not like that. We tolerate and forgive him not by acknowledging his mistakes but by giving him the opportunity to grow. Jesus is like this; He tolerates and forgives us. When we understand this, our lives will change. Brothers and sisters, handle your interpersonal relationships with this heart, and your relationships will be more harmonious. Always think about Jesus' tolerance and forgiveness towards us, and you will be able to easily live in peace with others.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! Thank You for helping us again through these words. You said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." We not only live in front of God but also in front of people. So, Lord, grant me Your peace, and let me always think about Your tolerance and forgiveness towards me.
Grant me Your strength; I am willing to become a messenger of the gospel of peace, renewing my thoughts and intentions. I am willing to be this peacemaker, for I have Your peace within me, which is an incredibly beautiful thing.
A new week has begun; You give me strength. Wherever I go, may I bring peace to others, allowing relationships between people to be restored through You. Thank and praise You! Please use me, let the light of Jesus shine before men, in the name of Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen! Hallelujah!