Thursday, January 26, 2023

Romans 12:18 (Live at Peace)

 
Romans 12:18
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Christians are to be known by their love (John 13:35). As their name implies, they are to be followers of Christ, and He is the best example of love. It is written, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters," (1 John 3:16). So Christians should not simply "love with words or speech but with actions and in truth," (1 John 3:18). Paul writes that a Christian can know the truth, by letting God renew their mind so they can "test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will," (Romans 12:2). After a Christian's mind has been transformed by the love of Christ, they will know that one way to show God's love is to live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18).

In Paul's letter to the Romans, the phrase "live at peace" was all one word. To "live at peace" in Greek is the word εἰρηνεύω (eiréneuó), which is a verb form of the word for "peace," which is εἰρήνη (eiréné). In Greek "peace" refers to having no hostility. It makes sense then, why Paul wrote "live at peace with everyone," after he wrote, "Do not repay anyone evil for evil," (Romans 12:17). Removing hostility by not seeking revenge is loving, however Christians are called to "go the extra mile," (Matthew 5:41). They are to show even more love by being careful to do what is right in other people's eyes (Romans 12:17), which means trying to follow other people's rules and customs. So in this world of unbelievers we live as though we are from a foreign country (1 Peter 2:11), but we respect this world's laws and social-graces. Christians should "live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us," (1 Peter 2:12).
Living at peace with everyone does not mean Christians
should do everything the world does, because Christians
are to set their minds on "things above, not
on earthly things," (Colossians 3:2).
These days many unbelievers and a decent amount of believers would say the best way to live at peace with everyone is to let people be themselves; to "let you do you." Christians, who have their minds set on God's will, should disagree. Paul wrote a letter to a group of believers, and in it he said "never tire of doing what is good," and then he said doing good includes taking "special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer," (2 thessalonians 3:13-15). So Paul says Christians should not be hostile, and Christians should help disobedient believers become ashamed of their actions. That might not seem loving to a world that craves affirmation for bad behavior, but Jesus, Himself, is not even willing to let people just "do their thing." He says, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent," (Revelation 3:19).

Why should believers let themselves be thought of as "judgmental" when they correct and rebuke others? It is because it is loving. Paul showed this love, when he wrote a letter to the church in Corinth with strict words and harsh rebuke. In this letter Paul wrote that the believers in Corinth were deceived (1 Corinthians 3:18), puffed up (1 Corinthians 4:6) and behaving worse than the pagans (1 Corinthians 5:1). None of this, as well as much more of what Paul wrote, is generally thought of as being loving. What Paul wrote, though, was not his own opinions, but the Lord's commands (1 Corinthians 14:37). When Paul wrote his next letter to the church in Corinth, he knew his previous letter might have grieved those who read it. To explain himself, Paul wrote this in 2 Corinthians chapter 2 from verses 2 to 4:

For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? I wrote as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.
It's hard for Christians to imagine writing something
to other believers that would purposefully cause them grief,
and yet Paul says that when the circumstances call for it,
this is the most loving thing to do.
Paul's rebuke to the church in Corinth was written out of deep love, and this is the kind of sincere love all Christians must imitate(Romans 12:9-10). Christians who live at peace with everyone must also love with the truth of Christ.

When we love, we earn the right to speak the truth
When we speak truth, we show the world we truly love
I'm not pointin' my finger, I'm holding out my hand
I lay it all on the line now to see God save my friend
Let my life and my words be the proof
I'm gonna love you with the truth
- Casting Crowns

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