Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

Peace For Those Making Peace

James 3:18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

“There is no one righteous, no, not one!” Will there ever be world peace? That is a question answered for us thousand's of years ago. Will we find peace in our religion? In our dealing with each others?

Romans 3:10 As it is written, "There is no one righteous; no, not one.

In other words, does the empirical evidence for the thousand's upon thousand's of years of mankind existence on this earth prove the living truth spoken above by the Holy Spirit? “The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace?

Let us not be confused here it is the fruit of "righteousness" that is sown in peace, not our works of righteousness, or many fruit(s), but one righteousness which fruit is “Peace”!

[b][u]The Question? What Peace Are We Seeking?[/u][/b]

Compromise is the fruit of peace for our fallen flesh, it is the best; the apex's of it greatest achievements in making peace in the flesh. But it is not the fruit of righteousness (Spirit) that cannot be compromised in our making peace.

Isaiah 48:22 There is no peace, says Yahweh, to the wicked.

We should be quick to distinguishing between right and wrong, between light and darkness, what is of God, and what is of mankind's, but do we?

James.3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't boast and don't lie against the truth.

If no one is righteous, then there can be no lasting peace among mankind, no matter what scheme, or what invention, or new law they come up with none will bring lasting peace found in true righteousness.

Isaiah 59:8 The way of peace they don't know; and there is no justice in their goings: they have made them crooked paths; whoever goes therein does not know peace.

Laws force people to obey, but at the sametime it makes others not obey, so that is not peace. Those not obeying or disobeying do so for the fear found written into the wrath of the law, (punishment) which is, in and of itself proof that none our righteous, no not one!

1Tim.1:8 But we know that the law is good, if a man uses it lawfully,
1:9 as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 1:10 for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine;

Many think reading the verse above written by James who was under the direction of God's Holy Spirit means that pursuing peace makes them righteous (like a work), or that compromising with others, that is, going along with them, even if we know that it is morally wrong i.e., doing what is best for the greater good, but is that the peace James speaks to?

Ezekiel 13:10 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there is no peace; and when one builds up a wall, behold, they daub it with whitewash:

Romans 3:17 The way of peace, they haven't known."{Isaiah 59:7-8}

Fruit of Righteousness

Christian's should know basic truth, but unfortunately, many do not, so when reading verses from their bibles the meaning gets shewed, or its seems so simple they give little or no attention to it. Basic fundamental truth of our bibles is, no Christian's has any righteousness outside of being in Christ.

1 Peter 1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:24 who his own self bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.

Titus 3:5 not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.

Christain's do not have a separated righteousness that is why the bible tells us no human being is righteous, no, not one! That does not mean some are, or that there are so few that God conveniently says there are none!

No! The fundamental truth, a truth the whole foundation God's household stands upon is; we are given the righteousness of Christ, Christ is our righteousness if we are in Christ. This is why we are called Christian, we are in Christ his body, so we belong to Christ making us righteous by his life.

Philippians 3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.

Philippians 1:11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Ephesians 5:9 for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

What righteousness are we seeking the righteousness of God, Christ Jesus, where the Holy Spirit exist, or peace with those in their flesh? (a yeast compromise against the truth) That was a serious problem for the first century Christian's, and certainly for us two thousand's years removed from the great apostasy; still not resolved?

Galatians 1:10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn't be a servant of Christ.

If we are thinking as a Christian's that peace can be gotten in our flesh, then we really haven't read the entirety letter of James, and/or his words just above his statements about peace? There cannot be a mixing of sweet water into salt water and lyingly calling it the righteousness of God, Christ Jesus.

James.1:20 for the anger of man doesn't produce the righteousness of God.
Moreover, what comes from our flesh is evil according to James, and we should be able to distinguished between the works of our flesh and the works of Holy Spirit, should we not? Our compromising with the standards of this world is not a friend of God, nor our thinking that we can mix our feelings from our flesh as apart of Christ righteousness is actually adding to the word of God a very serious issue for those wanting to be faithful to God.

James. 4:1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your pleasures that war in your members?
4:2 You lust, and don't have. You kill, covet, and can't obtain. You fight and make war. You don't have, because you don't ask.
4:3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures.
4:4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

1 Corinthians 5:7 Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place. 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Pursuing Peace

How does are flesh have peace with God, when it lust against the Spirit of God? Well, the question answers itself, if we are listening? It does not! God is not dealing with our flesh, because it can't be made righteous, it cannot find peace of God. The flesh is against God, it is unrighteous and God kills it in our righteousness, Christ Jesus life.

Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won't fulfill the lust of the flesh. 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire.

Rom. 8:7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to God's law, neither indeed can it be.
8:8 Those who are in the flesh can't please God.

The first step in pursuing peace is for us to stop bragging and lying in our flesh as though its doing God's works. It can't, and never did on earth. Once we stop that, we find peace with our brothers and sisters in Spirit and truth.

Rom. 12:2 Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God. 12:3 For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.

The flesh competes, it lust against the Spirit of God, that is, against the truth of what God is, and his Son Christ Jesus, because it trying to make other flesh accept it as a Christian's by some righteousness we are doing on this earth. It is not pursuing true righteousness, which is the life of Christ that should reside in all of God's anointed. Which is the wisdom of God for Christian's, the Christ, his life, in us, his mind in us, by the gift of God, giving us Christ righteousness. Not by anything good of bad we have done, but by God's love.

1Cor.1:29 that no flesh should boast before God.
1:30 But of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption:

That is the only truth which is going to bring peace to the body of Christ on this earth. It will not come at the demolition of false religion, or if we can find people that agree with us, or by making people believe us! No! Peace already exist as a fruit of peace in the righteousness of Christ for those indwelt with his life. It is not waiting at some future event. It already exist for those declared righteous, by Christ righteousness indwelling them.

Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 54:10 For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but my loving kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall my covenant of peace be removed, says Yahweh who has mercy on you.

Isaiah 54:13 All your children shall be taught of Yahweh; and great shall be the peace of your children.

Hebrews 13:20 Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus.

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:15 having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace;