Blessed are the peacemakers

[This is the seventh in our series of the eight Beatitudes.]

By Arthur Pink and others.

(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

Matthew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."

True peace cannot exist apart from God. Man, in his natural sinful state, is at enmity with his Maker--alienated, hostile, and rebellious against Him. Yet He, in sovereign mercy, sent His Son to reconcile God-hating sinners to Himself, through the sin-atoning blood of the cross. And now, those whom He has redeemed, are called to reflect His heart by becoming peacemakers--instruments of reconciliation, pleading with men to be reconciled to God.

This beatitude does not speak of those who merely promote harmony between man and man--but those who labor to bring ungodly rebels into peace with God. These true peacemakers are those who understand that the greatest war in the universe is not between nations, but between the Creator and His sinful creatures--and they strive to intervene.

But this is not a work of fleshly effort, or clever persuasion. It is the humble, God-glorifying task of proclaiming the gospel--the good news that Christ Jesus came into the world to save wicked sinners. The peacemaker knows the terror of judgment and the beauty of grace--and so with prayer and bold love, he points guilty souls to the only Savior. He speaks of . . .
  God's holiness,
  man's utter ruin in sin,
  Christ's sin-atoning work on the cross,
  and the free offer of peace through faith in Him.

And what is the promise? "They will be called sons of God"--by the glorious Father Himself! For in imitating their Heavenly Father's reconciling love, they reflect His likeness. Just as Christ, the great Peacemaker, was called the Son of God--so too are those who carry His message of reconciliation to the world.

This is a high and holy calling, and it is not without cost. The peacemaker will be . . .
  hated for confronting sin,
  rejected for preaching Christ, and
  scorned by those who love darkness rather than light.
Yet as he bears the family resemblance of His Father, one day he will hear the voice of His Father saying, "Well done, My child! You have been a faithful peacemaker. Come and share your Father's happiness!"

"O Lord, make me a true peacemaker. I once was at war with You, but You had mercy on me. You reconciled me to Yourself through the sin-atoning death of Your precious Son. Now use me, unworthy though I am, to bring others to that same peace. Let me never be ashamed of the gospel, but proclaim it with boldness, compassion, and humility. In Jesus' name, Amen."

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You may want to listen to Anne Steele's comforting hymn, "When I Survey Life's Varied Scene."