“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Hebrews 12:14
The brilliant sun. The flowers that speckle the earth with color. The laughter that flows when friends and family gather. The love between a mother and her children. Life is full of beautiful things. Some are seen with the eyes. Others are felt with the heart.
While God has blessed us with wonderful things that make life more enjoyable, the reality of hardships is mingled in as well. We can probably all agree with Job 14:1, which says, “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.”
Even so, the good news that Christians are already aware of is that Jesus is the friend who will never leave us nor forsake us. Being sold out to Him in every area of our lives brings blessings and benefits the world so desperately needs.
Jesus gave His disciples the command to share the gospel with the world in Matthew 28:19-20, which we continue on with today. Our Savior has entrusted us to carry out His message of hope to all those we encounter. How can we do this effectively?
To truly be a Christian, it must be a priority in our lives to be surrendered to the will of God. We must let the fruit of His Spirit grow within us and mold us into what He wants us to be. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” When these attributes grow in us because we are surrendered to God, people begin to see Jesus in us more and more.
Additionally, 1 Peter 1:15-16 tells says, “But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” Being holy is being consecrated to God, set aside for a sacred cause. In so doing, our conduct, speech, dress, attitude, and every other aspect of our lives stands apart from average, leaving our old ways behind.
Being filled with the Spirit and walking away from our old ways while embracing holiness open great opportunities for us to share Jesus with the hurting, the searching, the empty, and the lonely.
Our opening scripture tells us that without peace and holiness, no man shall see the Lord. This powerful scripture reminds us of the importance of these two attributes, while also having a dual meaning which impacts us and those around us.
When we are not surrendered to God, practicing peace toward all of humanity, and living a life of holiness to God, we are jeopardizing our own relationship with God. Furthermore, if the Spirit and our dedication to Christ are not actively exercised in our daily walk, others will not look at us and see the Jesus we claim to serve. Contention and worldliness speak nothing of our Lord, hiding His hope and healing from those who are looking to us and needing answers for the turmoil in their lives.
Friends, we are all in this together with one journey to accomplish our part to make this world a better place. Are we doing our best? Will they see Jesus in us?
