Blessed Are The Peace Makers

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”

In the Bible the word “peace” means peace with God as well as peace with men.

Jesus made peace between God and man with His blood atonement, as Saint Paul wrote: “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” (Colossians 1:20)

The expression “peacemaker” covers a large area. “And the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). Men who are peacemakers are those who love, seek, and desire peace. They take no delight in commotion, strife, and quarreling, but shy away from them as much as to restore it. They not only strive to keep peace with God and man themselves but are also concerned that all men might have this peace.

If a person wishes to secure this peace he will soon learn that he must comply with the demands of the Gospel. Christ came into this world “To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death: to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:79)

The peacemakers shall be called the children of God; for they serve God from true love as a child obediently serves its parents because it love them. When they obediently serve God he uses them to promote both temporal and eternal peace among men. That is their purpose and aim, they strive to soften monstrous passions of men, and by the help of God to reconcile man with man, but above all to reconcile man with God. Where the enemy has succeeded in destroying peace, the peacemaker makes every possible effort to restore it; he goes to his task prayerfully, works earnestly to this end, using all his talent, for it is the delight and joy of his heart to see peace among the children of God.

This peacefulness that converts us to children of God, also makes us respect other people, esteeming them higher than ourselves, that we seek not only our interests, but also the welfare of others. If this were always done there would be less trouble in the Church. But the children of God carry their peacefulness even fuller, and are not content to remain at a standstill in the Church of God, but do good to all men. They are busy letting their light shine before men, that they may see their good works, and glorify their Father which is in heaven. Their most important business in life is to guide souls to salvation and light; they always rejoice when they hear of men who are converted to God, and this is well worth all efforts even if it is only one soul (Luke 15).

God alone can change a man's heart, but He uses the influence of His children to demonstrate His love, grace, and joy of the Spirit, and to invite other people to share the bliss of salvation with them. The peacemaker is always busy recommending the grace of God to poor sinners, as the only remedy for sin and of receiving the peace of God. They are also eager to enlighten those who are already converted but do not yet have full knowledge of the things of God. They help the wavering to become steadfast; they employ the idle hands and support the weak knees, and lead backsliders to their former way of peace.

Blessed are such; for they are constantly promoting more and more the work of faith as it concerns peace, salvation, and eternal life; these shall be called the children of God, for they are in reality God's children, because “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.” (James 1:18). Therefore they are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). To such God will give the spirit of love and kinship; yes, He will poor out His spirit on them in such abundance that it will constantly grow and become more forceful in them; and He will bless them with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

A person might suppose that such a peaceable character whose every motive is love and who always defends the interests of others, and seeks to lead all men to accept salvation, would be highly respected by everyone, as a man greatly honored of God, and be elevated high above all opposition and trouble; but that is not the case. Our Lord Jesus very well knew the disposition and depraved nature of fallen humanity, and therefore He added to this the eighth step of salvation. By saying: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake; for theirs I the kingdom of heaven.”