Encouragements for our troubled times No. 72
COVID-19 Series | Date: 04 August 2021
The Elders and Deacons want to encourage the members and those who regularly meet with us through this weekly letter. If you have news which you would be happy to share with the fellowship or request for prayer, then please let us know.
A message from our Pastor
Matthew 5:9
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
“O, the blessedness of the peacemakers.” Who are these peacemakers who are so blessed by God? There are the peacemakers of the world. Those who broker peace deals among warring nations. And there are those who seek to bring peace between two arguing parties. And yet others who seek to live peaceably with all. While all of these are admirable and do have their own reward, in the form of earning the respect of our peers; they are not what is being referred to here. By bringing peace in the world, we do not earn a place in Heaven nor into God’s family. God expects all men to be peacemakers because He calls us to love our neighbour as ourselves, even to love our enemies. Therefore, there can be no reward for doing what we should do.
The peace that Christ is referring to here is peace between God and man. Our Saviour is the Prince of Peace. He came into the world to reconcile God and man by dying in the place of rebel sinners, paying the price of their rebellion and bringing them back to God. Christ has done all the work necessary to make peace between man and God, and it is our job to encourage rebel sinners to be reconciled to God and seek that peace through Christ. Therefore, we are the peacemakers referred to here. We, through our work and witness for Christ, are used by the Holy Spirit to bring about this wonderful work. We admire those who seek to bring peace between men, but how far greater is the privilege of being used by God to bring peace between God and man. Peace between men is often short-lived and is forced (peace, peace where there is no peace). But peace between God and man in Christ Jesus is for eternity.
And what a blessing God’s peacemakers enjoy, “for they shall be called sons of God.” We will be called sons of God because we take after our Father. He sought to bring peace between Himself and man by giving us His only begotten Son. As the Angels sang when they declared the Saviour’s birth to the shepherds, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” We will be called sons of God because we take after the Son, the Prince of Peace, who gave His all to reconcile God and Man. And we will be called the sons of God because we take after the Holy Spirit whose mission it is to bring about that reconciliation. We will also be known as the sons of God by the world because we represent the Prince of Peace. What an honour to be called the sons of God and to know that He loves us as His children and will love us and call us His children for all eternity.