The Pursuit of Peace and Holiness
Hebrews 12:14
In the opening verses of Hebrews 12 we are told that as Christians we are to run the “race”. But what is that race that is set before us? Verse fourteen provides the answer – it is “the Pursuit of Peace and Holiness”. We are given a command to energetically strive toward the goals of peace with all men, and of personal holiness. We are not to be passive, believing that it will simply happen without any effort or action on our part. Philippians 2 tells us that this a synergistic work. Our responsibility to work out our salvation, in dependence on God's indwelling Spirit, is the pursuit of peace and holiness.
I. Pursue Peace with all men.
A. Peace with God.
1. The root cause of every war and every conflict, whether internal or external, is rebellion against God. When God created man, there was perfect harmony with God, but when man sinned that peace was broken and conflict entered the world; the greatest conflict being that of enmity with God. (Genesis 3:15, Romans 8:7)
2. While we are called to pursue peace with all men, you’re never going to make peace with all men until you first make peace with God. And there is only for you to make peace with God; and that is through the cross.
3. Colossians 1:19-21 says that " For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled.”
4. Martin Luther told a story about a monk who denied original sin. The monk was frustrated with his own contrariness and impatience. He decided to go and live out in a desert by himself because he believed that people around him made him sin. He wanted to isolate himself and then sin would not be a problem. In the desert he thought he could live in peace and holiness because he was alone. One day he went to a spring to get some water. Inadvertently he knocked the container over and spilled it all. In anger he flung the pitcher to the ground and broke it. He realized something; he couldn’t blame his anger on other people. It was inside. It is inside us too. Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can understand it?” We need God’s transformation of our hearts.
5. Peace with God is only accomplished when you acknowledge your alienation from God due to your sin, repenting of that sinfulness and surrendering to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
6. Romans 5:1 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
7. Ephesians 2:14 “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us”.
8. God grants peace as a gift through Jesus Christ. His suffering and sacrifice opened the way for peace between human beings and God, and between human beings and other human beings.
9. Once God has made peace with you and you begin living a Spirit-filled life, you begin to realize the peace of God. The fruit of the Spirit includes a peace that goes beyond that of salvation. Isaiah 26:3 says, " You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."
10. God’s peace transcends on earthly issues and matters, as Philippians 4:4-7 illustrates. Christ’s children are to be "anxious for nothing," for God promises to "guard our hearts and minds." It is a peace “which passes all understanding”;
11. Because as believers we have been reconciled with and have peace with God, we are instructed to be peacemakers among fellow believers and with unbelievers.
12. Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God”
B. Peace with fellow believers.
1. Within the Christian community, God tells us to live in peace with one another. Unfortunately, peace is something that is lacking in many churches today.
2. The church is an amalgamation of individuals who have different personalities, backgrounds, and outlooks. Residing in the depths of each of them is residual sin of the old nature, leading to conflict within the church.
3. Our relationships should be without any of the things that get in the way of peace: selfishness, argumentativeness, discord, jealousy, lying and distrust, cliquishness, as well as a host of other sins.
4. James 4:1-2 (ESV) “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.”
5. We are called to make every effort to preserve peace and unity within the Body of Christ.
6. Romans 14:19 “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.”
7. Romans 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.’
8. It is inevitable that conflicts will rise, but when they occur within the church, God provides us with the biblical method of resolution in Matthew 5:23-24 and Matthew 18:15-16.
9. As believers our first priority must be to glorify God in our lives and in the church. Dr. Bob Kelleman has written, “Paul teaches us that we must always place our human conflict within the much larger context of God’s eternal glory. If conflict arises in your life, relationships, or ministry, strive to help all parties, including yourself, to ask,’ How can I please and honor God in this situation?’ It’s not about ‘winning’ the conflict. It’s not even about “win/win” scenarios. It’s about joining together to advance God’s Kingdom.” – Dr. Bob Kelleman, RPM Ministries.
C. Peace with unbelievers
1. Not only does the command to pursue peace with all men apply to our relationships with believers, it also includes pursuing peace with the lost.
2. “Pursue Peace with all men.” – Paul wrote this command to Hebrew Christians who were suffering, at that time, from persecution because of their faith and urges them to demonstrate a spirit of kindheartedness toward all - even to those who were persecuting them.
3. Commenting on this passage Steven Cole writes, “All men” includes all those within the church, but also those outside the church, even if they are persecuting you. As Jesus said (Luke 6:27-28), “… love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Those are not easy words to obey! They apply to wives who have husbands who verbally abuse them. They apply to believers who have family members who ridicule their faith or provoke them in an attempt to get them to deny their testimony. They apply to Christian teenagers whose parents are godless and verbally abusive. They apply to Christians who work with people who hate them for their faith, who spread falsehoods about them behind their backs.”
4. Matthew 5:43-45a “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven”
5. Romans 12:17-18 “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”
D. The Limits of Peace
1. We need to understand that we are not called to make peace at any price.
2. Romans 12:18 “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”
3. Spurgeon - Peace is to be studied, but not such a peace as would lead us to violate holiness by conforming to the ways of unregenerate and impure men. We are to be peaceful so far as never to be at peace with sin...”
4. The reality of living in this fallen world is that sometimes it is not possible to be at peace with everyone. When peace would require compromising obedience to God, either morally or doctrinally we must stand obediently to God. You cannot and must not sacrifice personal holiness or commitment to God’s truth for the sake of peace.
5. Acts 5:29 “We must obey God rather than men.”
6. Titus 3:10 (ESV) “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him”
Transition: Because we are at peace with God, we should be peacemakers. Because we are counted righteous, we should live righteously. Our practice should match our position. Otherwise the unbeliever will stand back and ask, “Why don’t you practice what you preach? If you don’t live like Christ says to live, why should I accept Him as my Lord and Savior?” – John MacArthur
II. Pursue Holiness
A. We have also been commanded to pursue holiness. But what is holiness? The words “holy,” “holiness,” “saint” and “sanctify” come from the root of a Greek word meaning, “to set apart to God.” The believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is set apart for God by the Holy Spirit.
B. The Believer’s Positional Holiness – a standing based on Christ’s Righteousness
1. Imputed (Credited) Holiness – Romans 4:22-25 “therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”
2. The Bible states that Abraham believed God and it [his believing] was credited to him as righteousness.
3. God "imputes" his righteousness to us through faith because of Christ's obedience. Faith is the vehicle by which Christ’s righteousness is credited to our account.
C. Personal Holiness – a progressive and practical growth in Christ.
1. "Holiness does not consist in mystic speculations, enthusiastic fervors, or uncommanded austerities; it consists in thinking as God thinks, and willing as God wills." - John Brown
2. It is, therefore, not a static experience or event in the life of a Christian, but is the dynamic receipt and expression of God’s holiness, initially and continually as He leads us into conformity to Jesus Christ.
3. “When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives at our salvation, He comes to make us holy in practice.” – Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness.
4. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.”
5. Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
6. This is the outworking and fruit of our positional holiness, evidenced in the way we think and live, a progressive sanctification whereby we daily become more and more like Jesus Christ, bringing us into conformity with Christ. – Romans 8:29 tells us that He (God) has “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son (Jesus Christ)”
7. Philippians 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
III. The result of failing to pursue Peace and Holiness
A. Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.
B. Our walk and fellowship with God is hindered.
1. Psalm 24:3-4 “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart...”
2. You cannot walk with the Lord and the world at the same time.
3. “There is no plateau in the Christian life. We are either growing closer to Christ's likeness or we are falling away.” – Aimee Byrd
4. Some has said, In the Christian life “Either you're growing or you're decaying; there's no middle ground. If you're standing still, you're decaying.”
5. Matthew 5:23-24 “if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”
C. Our witness is damaged.
1. Matthew 5:16 “"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
2. J.C. Ryle said, “People who live holy lives are a blessing to others (Galatians 5:13). Consistent holy behavior is a powerful testimony to God’s saving grace. God blesses the service of people who are holy. People who live holy lives are not selfish; they are a blessing to other people (1 Pet. 1:22).
3. Dr. S.C. Riser has written, “By definition, an influence must be different from that which it influences, and Christians therefore must be distinctively and delightfully different from the world they’re called to influence. We can’t influence the world for God when we are worldly ourselves. We can’t give light to the world if we hide our light and revert to a lifestyle of darkness ourselves.”
4. A holy life will make the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine. - D. L. Moody
5. A lack of peace in the church does not just harm the church—it harms the gospel witness and message as we fail to be light and salt.
Disclaimer: I make no claims of absolute originality are made for this outline. I like what one man said, "I milk a lot of cows, but I churn my own butter." Please use this material contextually as the Lord leads.
