Practicing Peacefullness

There are people who often fear the displeasure of another person and therefore may not consistently follow the Lord, if they feel they may insult or confront opposition rather than sustain camaraderie. Such people play the chameleon in order to maintain a certain strategic peace, even if it means leaning into worldly behaviour to maintain friendliness versus true godly  peace. This may be indicative that they do not truly have a peaceable heart in in the Spirit of Christ. They may not actually seek true peace, but their own expedience even if this would mean peace with the devil and the world, so much so, that they risk their eternal peace with God — as well as those to whom they display complacency, by deferrance from an honest and true biblical witness in godliness. This type of behaviour can be in a gathering, a lunch, or in a theological or ideological discussion.

Such people may insist that they must be silent and give in to ideologies that are at swords point with the bible — or else there would be unrest — so peace at any cost is best. If a sinner who needs to be converted from the error of his ways by way of exhortation and rebuke, one must refrain from this weakness — fearing that someone might get angry and cause us trouble. The world is at odds with Christ and His ways — so we might expect the world may tempt us to be compliant rather than manifest godliness, conceal it, conforming ourselves to the world. Such people easily influenced by the world’s definition of peaceful congeniality — a fake peace — will be prepared repeatedly to conform so as to not incur unrest or gently challenge someone, when a counterfeit peace will suffice.

God says, however, that godliness is intimately linked with biblical truth, peace and a gentle witness, working hand in hand. If spiritual agitation occurs due to our honesty, we must neither set aside our peaceable heart, nor refrain from pursuing God’s will with an inner peace in our conscience as we bear witness as the Spirit leads. We must not submit to an unbiblical carnal viewpoint. Instead, we are to oppose error and protect the truth. Thereby we shall thus oppose ungodliness and adhere to godliness — especially in a culture which is in a moral free fall.

If others cannot endure this; if this displeases them and they cause trouble and create difficulties—then this is to their account. A peacemaker will nevertheless adhere to truth and godliness, for God wills that these be conjoined. “Therefore love the truth and peace” (Zec. 8:19). Luther was accustomed to say: “I would rather have the heavens fall down, than that one crumb of truth would perish.”  “Follow peace with all men, and holiness” (Hebrews 12:14); “Righteousness and peace have kissed each other” (Psalm 85:10).

The ungodly Jehu answered the question of Joram very well: “Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?” (2 Kings 9:22).

What does the Bible Teach? “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17). This is the virtue which is so earnestly commanded and insisted upon everywhere in God’s Word: “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9); “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace” (Romans 14:19); “Be at peace among yourselves” (1 Thessalonians 5:13).