Hebrews 12:14
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
The other day I heard a pastor on the radio who read a verse from one of the epistles- I don't remember which one- but the message was similar. The pastor said that each year he chooses a passage to hold close and try to follow more intentionally. His chosen passage included the admonition to keep from criticizing one another. This morning I am reminded of this in the verse from Hebrews. Living in peace with each other, being forgiving and accepting of one another, and loving unconditionally are lofty goals. But this is on the path to holiness.
Lord God, thank you for your grace and your generous loving acceptance of each and every one of us. May I be more accepting and less critical of others, Amen
Becky, transforming
Tuesday, December 26th, 2023
Hebrews 12:14
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
What we believe as Christians, directly influences how we live. The bible teaches us about loving God and making sense of this life and the life to come. But what happens when there is a difference between what believers confess and how they live. God’s Word teaches us that those who repent, and believe will be forgiven, will receive the Holy Spirit. By faith, we believe God's Word when He promises that those who believe in His Son and express their faith in obedience will be sanctified. As the writer of Hebrews put it, let us consider…
Hebrews 12-14
Pursue peace. Make every effort to live in peace with everyone. Follow peace with all men. Work at getting along with each other. We seem to be living in a world where too many ignore these words and actually work at pursuing the exact opposite. We know they do not care about holiness or seeing the Lord. While it would be easy to say “that’s their loss” it is not that simple. It is up to each of us to work hard at peace, especially with those who do not.
Prayer: Gracious God, May I always work hard at peace with everyone, friend and foe. Amen
Hebrews 12:14
Spiritual holiness is central to the Wesleyan concept of sanctification. In fact, it was from Methodism that the various denominations of the “holiness movement” arose in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Importantly, this verse also ties holiness or sanctification to peace with others as well. This is in perfect agreement with the second part of the definition of sanctification I learned - “the process of becoming more like Jesus, for the sake of others.” The process itself does not occur spontaneously, but must be guided by the Holy Spirit. In the Roman Catholic tradition, St. Francis DeSales outlined the “five oblates of personal holiness:”
-Perseverance, patience, gentleness
-Joy and a sense of humor
-Boldness and passion