Matthew 5:9 NASB
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”
[Emphasis added.]
When I think of Jesus, I am reminded of His single-minded focus on doing what His Father sent Him to do; save us! And how did He save us? By dying on the Cross in our place, cleansing us from sin and reconciling us back to God. But to partake in the Salvation He so freely offers, we must first accept Him, confess, repent and believe. Have you ever thought about why Jesus was so successful in His purpose? A glaring reason I notice and see lacking in many today is this...
Jesus was not and is not a bully! Gentle and meek yet boldly He walked among the dying to bring light and life. He did this with gentleness, humility and compassion without losing one iota of the non-negotiable Truth of repentance and forgiveness of sin through following Him. Long ago I talked about Kenosis; the concept of how Jesus emptied Himself for us. He didn't lose power, but He set aside His status and privileges to walk this earth in service and ministry to humanity. Humility and meekness do not mean Jesus was an insecure, self-conscious pushover, in fact the opposite is true, because they are actually restrained power and thinking of oneself less often not less than. How strong and powerful is He that He could restrain Himself from retaliating against the horrific abuse, pain and death inflicted upon Him and think only of the joy set before Him? He is fully man and fully God [that's another term called Hypostatic Union]. His humanity called upon the Holy Spirit to help Him deny the flesh and be led by the Spirit to not respond in anger, violence and thereby sin [His inability to sin is called Impeccability]. Believe me, with legions of angels at His disposal, to not call upon them and step down off the cross, is something only our Lord and Savior Jesus could do.
Jesus was not about being a bully, but a peacemaker. Peacemaking can sometimes involve confrontation, but that Holy Spirit led confrontation should be rooted in love and conviction, not pride and condemnation led by the Devil. As followers of Christ made in His image, we should be mindful to reflect Jesus in all we do. Nowhere in life has the bully ever prevailed in the long run. On the playground, in the board room, on the highway or across the backyard fence. It is no secret that we are seeing an avalanche of vitriolic [i.e. hateful/dangerous] rhetoric directed to the world and the unsaved without success, as it is being met with the continued and seemingly impenetrable darkness of the world and the unsaved. This can sadden even the staunchest of the faithful. But like Jesus we are called to walk in love even as we lovingly, kindly, appropriately and without compromise spread the Gospel. I heard a pastor once say that you can't influence what you insult. It is a sober heart check to reexamine how we are fellowshipping and doing community not only with fellow Believers, but with those we hope to reach for the Kingdom of God.
We are told to explain our Faith with gentleness and respect.
We can all evangelize even though we are not all called to the Office of Evangelist, but the Holy Spirit will ultimately bring the hearts of the unsaved to Christ.
Some will not listen but will only repent and come to Christ after they have wallowed in the pen with the pigs. Unfortunately, some hard heads will hit rock bottom before softening to the mind of Christ.
Trust our loving God to be firm, unwavering in His instructions, expectations and justice.
Jesus impacted because He empathized, challenged and walked in Truth without fear, shame, timidity or sin.
So, the next time that unGodly co-worker is pontificating [spouting off at the mouth] on the conquests, debauchery and immorality of their weekend, instead of the wagging finger of condemnation or the cutting words of the legalistic, you might choose to disengage and walk away. But what about offering to share a cup of coffee, pastry and Jesus with them in a quiet coffee bar? Now, don't go to THE bar with them, OK?! Try a quiet corner coffee cafe away from anything that might drag you into sin and hurt your witness. The key? Don't be foolish but be wise and see how God will move through you as an evangelizing peacemaker. Is that a guarantee that they will repent and accept Christ? Nope. But it is a guarantee that you planted a seed and who knows if and when it will bloom? Leave that part to the Holy Spirit.
Takeaways for you to remember:
#1 Being a bully is not only unGodly it doesn’t work.
#2 "A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare." ~~Proverbs 15:1
#3 Remember in Whose image you were created.
Yours in Christ!
Dr. Quahana
Want to enjoy some of the Scriptures inspiring this entry?
[NLT version unless otherwise noted.]
References:
1) Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology. Moody Press. Chicago. 1989.
2) Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd ed. Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2003.
3) Packer, J.I. Knowing God. Intervarsity Press IVP Books. Downers Grove, IL. 1973.
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