Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

Seeking Peace With God

Luke 7:47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.
But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."

Happy are the peace maker, but how do we seek peace with God, and why are we not at peace with God?

1.
It is vital to our eternal life to make peace with the God of all peace, there should be nothing more important in this life.

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;

First, we must start from where the power of peace comes from according to the God of peace YHWH. The power of peace, and this is so important so please let this really sink in? The power of peace starts with love! If God were not love, there would be no real peace for us found upon earth, and why is that?

God is all powerful He does not answer to anyone, or anything, he does not need to confer with us to rule and make decisions for or against mankind. God is not a Democracy, or a Republic there is no form of government on earth that is God's Kingdom, God has never not been King over our heavens and earth.

Isa.40:13 Who has directed the Spirit of Yahweh, or has taught him as his counselor? 40:14 Who did he take counsel with, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?
40:15 Behold, the nations are like a drop in a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on a balance.

It is precisely that God is love, which moves him in every thought and action towards mankind to make peace with us. So without a doubt love is the core of our finding peace with God who is love in our lives.

1 John 4:8 He who doesn't love doesn't know God, for God is love.

He That Loves Little Forgives Little

2.
God does not love little because he is love, it is within us we find a restriction of love, we are a conglomeration of emotions, feelings, fears, and hates which stops us from loving like God loves us.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.

Christ made this connections while upon earth to a religious legal person who was stopped from showing the slightest feeling of compassion towards a woman that lived an unacceptable immorally life according to God's law and his position to uphold God's law.

Luke.7:37 Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that he was reclining in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of ointment.
7:38 Standing behind at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
7:39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, "This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner."
7:40 Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." He said, "Teacher, say on."
7:41 "A certain lender had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
7:42 When they couldn't pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?"
7:43 Simon answered, "He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most." He said to him, "You have judged correctly."

3.

7:44 Turning to the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered into your house, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head. 7:45 You gave me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet.
7:46 You didn't anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 7:47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." 7:48 He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

This is a very powerful story because it proves the entire bible true when it says; God is love, and if we don't love, we cannot know God who is love!

Love puts fear of judgment outside, but was this true in the case of this prostitute wiping Christ feet with her hair while weeping? Her love for Christ was powerfully humbling beyond belief, she did not care what consequence faced her she went to Christ and before all humbled herself in loving Christ more than loving herself of her peers!

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.

It is in that type of love, now lets honestly listen, it is in that type of love there is no fear of judgment, it is the power of that love in Christ that puts all fear of judgment outside of those two hearts.

On the other hand, the Pharisee a teacher of God's law could not love, for his fear of not upholding the law; in not enforcing the law of God,

4.

there could be no more righteous thing that he could do in proving his own righteousness by convicting this woman of sin, even over the power of Christ Jesus the sinless Son of God true righteousness!

Romans 10:3 For being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn't subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

Subsequently, this is why few people calling themselves Christian's ever really have everlasting peace with God, because they love little, and they love little because of their religious education, and/or by their membership in a religion that tells what God's love is and how to apply it!

Peace Begets Peace

Happy are the a peace makers; when we have true peace with God because of God's great mercy towards us we can pursue real peace with others. We do so in a godly form of peace, not a legal peace, but a heart felt peace that can only come to us from above.

Luke.18:9 He spoke also this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others.
18:10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.
18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: 'God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
18:12 I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.'
18:13 But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn't even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'

5.
18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.

We must understand here we are not looking for a legal excuse to let someone off the hook, or to make a pretense of forgiveness because we have an obligation to act like a Christian.

No! Not at all, let us go back and recall the forgiveness by real love that puts all fear of judgment outside.

Christ did not go looking to make peace with this woman God's Spirit didn't make Christ find her, she came to him, all of us must come to the light; her coming to Christ God's light of this world, she made no excuses, she proved she wanted forgiveness at all cost of her pride, she did what her heart moved her to do, she loved much and was forgiven much!

John 3:19 This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.

John 3:20 For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn't come to the light, lest his works would be exposed.

Some people never wants peace no matter what we do they will not love us or care we have forgiven them because they love little and/or they see forgiveness as a weakness for material gain. Within their own hearts they aren't willing to come to the light, and we mustn't assume because we have they have also.

Matt.10:16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

6.
Matt.5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.

Our pursuing peace is done so we may maintain the peace of God in our own hearts. We have sought peace with others because the love of God compels us to show love for others. That is why Christ told his disciples to shake the dust off of their feet so that the peace of God remained upon them. We don't find peace when we are proving that the person needs our forgiveness, or why we should not forgive them, but are unwillingly doing so. None of that is found in the case above accept in the Pharisee's heart.

With God's peace in us we bring a message of peace in Spirit and truth to others. But without God's peace in us we have no Good News for others.

Romans 10:15 And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!"{Isaiah 52:7}

If one see in the example of Christ forgiving the sins of this woman mention above as an obligation then they have missed God's love, and real peace of God within themselves.

Rom. 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

Love is not an obligation, mankind's love is an obligation, law is an obligation, but not the love of God. God has no obligations because he is love, and love cannot do or act unrighteously it always acts in the best interest of others, for God is love.

7.

And that is why so few of us understand why we lack peace, and why we never can find peace with others, anything less than God's love will not bring us peace, peace is the fruit of God's Holy Spirit it is a gift to us from above because God is love, and God's love moves him to have unmerited kindness toward us.

James.3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 3:18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

In other words, an obligation is for merit to put credit into some treasury we think we are earning with God in heaven that thinking causes a lack of peace not faith!

Love is the complete value of all things God where our merit purchases us nothing, conversely, where love obtains to all things God.

1Cor. 13:1 If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don't have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. 13:2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don't have love, I am nothing. 13:3 If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don't have love, it profits me nothing.
Freely Forgiven

Without love nothing is free everything has cost and a price to pay. God's standard of love are so high for us human living in sin that God's love gave us a gift of undeserved kindness, freely, and without a clear understanding of this key, which is, the truth of Christ; we will never have real peace with God or mankind.

8.

Romans 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.

Romans 5:15 But the free gift isn't like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

There is no understanding God's grace from our human love because there is nothing we have to compare it too. We all fall short of God's glory because we have all sinned. Yes, it is the love of God from above in the life of Christ within us that teaches us God unmerited kindness and/or grace.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;

Hebrews 12:15 looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it;

Furthermore, this is why the Pharisee could not reach a love that would love this woman more than the righteous law of God he was sworn to uphold! The power of that law in his mind blinded him to the love of God.

Hebrews 10:1 For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near.

9.
2 John 1:3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

God gave her his love because she could not stand in her sins without a love that freely forgive her sins once for all times; a love that was not deserved or earned or could she ever earned enough to free her from her deserved judgment by God's law.

Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

Sadly, so many Christian's never have peace or feel God's love because they love little; the laws of God prevents them in showing love. They see not the truth of Christ, eventhough, like the Pharisee who could not admit it because of an “assume knowledge” which entitles hin in a false power to represent God and be a teacher of God's word.

There no truth of God without God's grace, and without grace there is no love of God, nor the truth God's in Christ life in us. Hence, there is no peace so the person lives a life of wrangling and fights with flesh by laws, never proving a thing; adding trouble in their lives and others creating a lack of peace within themselves and others!

Matt.7:1 "Don't judge, so that you won't be judged.
7:2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you.
7:3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but don't consider the beam that is in your own eye?

10.

It is the undeserved kindness of God in Christ that moves us like the prostitute to love Christ beyond ourselves for such an unbelievable gift from God kindness and love, it is the touch stone that enables us to believe in a God of love that He lives and gives freely to us. It is the key to God's personality which brings us to the point of knowing a God's of love who's love can never fails us.

Rom. 8:37 No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 8:39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It is in that peace we are free of judgment, we can't judge ourselves because there is no higher form of forgiveness but by God's grace; it is the same gift that helps us not to judge others, because God's kindness given us is beyond our ability to earn what is beyond human ablity. It is in that freedom of God's love that we come to know in a person worst sin that we are no more deserving than they are of God's love.

All that power is found in God's loving kindness which bring with it a peace that excels all thoughts.

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

If our lives are controlled by God's grace and we live in it, we have peace for we are walking then in Spirit, and in Spirit there is no contention of the flesh. Peace is the truth mark of the Spirit.

11.

God's peace is as real as the waters of life, it not an act that we are drinking by repeating bible words, it is a truth of love, it either with us or it not, God is not a lie or does He love an actor that deceives others into believing a falsehood by their false actions. You see, the womans heart lined up with her actions towards Christ the Pharisee's actions lined up with his unloving heart.

James.3:11 Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water? 3:12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water.

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.

Let us honestly reflect by peering into the perfect law of freedom, let us not live a lie as so many do because they repeat a religious word then acting religiously around others, let us by the Spirit show peace through us because we love God. Let us not preplain love, let God's love act through us and we will have peace, a peace that is not of this world, a peace God's gives not like this world. There is where the treasure of our life are found eternally with the God of love.

1 Peter 3:4 but in the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God very precious.

Ephesians 4:2 with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love;

Philippians 2:3 doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;