SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/28/2020
10:51 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-1 “The
Messengers of Peace: Believers”
Bible Reading & Meditation
Reference: Matthew 5:9
Message
of the verse: “"Happy are those who make peace, for they will be
known as sons of God!” (Philips).
We begin
the second to the last section in these messages on Matthew 5:9, and it seems
to me that at least from the title of this section that it has great importance
to every believer in the church age.
As
true believers in Jesus Christ we are the only ones who can truly be
peacemakers, as we are the only ones who belong to the Maker of peace. In 1 Corinthians 7:15 we read that “God has
called us to peace” and “no all these things are from God, who reconciled us to
Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” as seen in
2 Corinthians 5:18. I have always been fascinated
by this word reconciliation and so let us take a moment to look at what the
Greek dictionary has to say about it. Reconcile
and reconciliation are actually from different Greek words and we will look at “reconcile”
first and then reconciliation. 2644 καταλλασσω
katallasso kat-al-las’-so
from 2596 and 236;
TDNT-1:254,40; v
AV-reconcile 6; 6
1) to change, exchange, as coins for
others of equivalent value
1a) to reconcile (those who are at
variance)
1b) return to favour with, be reconciled
to one
1c) to receive one into favour
Reconciliation: “2643 καταλλαγη katallage kat-al-lag-ay’
from 2644; TDNT-1:258,40; n f
AV-reconciliation 2, atonement 1,
reconciling 1; 4
1) exchange
1a) of the business of money changers,
exchanging equivalent values
2) adjustment of a difference,
reconciliation, restoration to favour
2a) in
the NT of the restoration of the favour of God to sinners that repent and put
their trust in the expiatory death of Christ
Let us now look at 2 Corinthians 5:19-20
“19 namely, that God was in Christ
reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He
has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were
making an appeal through us; we
beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
John
MacArthur states in his commentary that at least four things characterize a
peacemaker and we will begin to look at these things now, but will probably
will have to finish them in our next SD.
1.
The peacemaker is one
who himself has made peace with God. Most people probably know that the word “gospel”
means good news, but the gospel is also all about peace and that certainly is a
part of what good news is all about, that is having peace. Whether or not believers know it or not
before coming to Christ for salvation we were at war with God. I suppose that I could come up with many
reasons to write about that show that before coming to Christ that I was at war
with God, but I won’t do that for some of those memories are painful, and
certainly not peaceful. Paul talks about
this when he writes in Romans 5:10 “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the
death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His
life.” Once a person has received
Christ as their Savior and Lord we have been imputed with the righteousness of
Jesus Christ our battle with God ended, and our peace with God began. There are many things that happen to us as
soon as we become a true believer in Jesus Christ and this is just one of
them. I have also mentioned that once we
have been given that peace with God that we also can have the “peace of God” as
seen in Philippians 4:7 and Colossians 3:15.
Now since true believers in Jesus Christ have been given God’s peace we
want to begin to share that with others.
Ephesians 6:15 tells us that we are “having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE
PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE” which is a part of our Spiritual
Armor.
One thing
that I am sure that all believers have figured out is that peace is always
corrupted by sin, the peacemaking believer must be a holy believer, a believer
whose life is continually cleansed by the Holy Spirit and that is why that I
have stated many times in my Spiritual Diaries that we must keep a short list
with God. What does sin do to us? Sin breaks our fellowship with God, and when
that fellowship with God is broken, peace is also broken, as the disobedient,
self-indulgent Christian is not suited to be and ambassador of peace.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: It is very important to me to keep my
life free from sin so that I can continue to have fellowship with the Lord, and
so that I can be ready to share the gospel with people that God brings into my
life. One of the first things that I do
when I begin to pray to God is quote Psalm 139:23-24 “23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me
and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see
if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to be taught contentment, and also
humility, and continue to have joy as I study God’s Word each day.
5/28/2020 11:38 AM
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