The Beatitudes 7
Bible passage: Matthew 5:9
"9. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. "
Dear brothers and sisters, Today’s the 7th session of the Beautitudes.
The main bible passage says “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” The word ‘sons’ includes females as collectively refers to children of God. Are you all sons and daughters of God? Today’s passage says the peacemakers are called sons of God. If peace is broken, if irritation, anger, or disputes arise, preventing you from achieving peace, does that mean you’re a child of God?
If you’re not a child of God, you cannot enter heaven; which is a serious issue. But John 1:12 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” Galatians 3:26 tells us, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Like these verses, if you accept Jesus Christ as the Savior and receive the Holy Spirit, then you’re all sons and daughters of God.
The phrase ‘sons of God’ in today’s passage holds a deeper spiritual meaning than simply referring to saved children of God. I pray in the name of the Lord that you’ll be able to understand the spiritual meaning behind today’s bible passage and receive the 7th blessing of the Beatitudes, to be called sons of God. Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus, son of God, became the peace offering between God and humanity, reconciling all people with God by becoming the atoning sacrifice for sinners since Adam.
The first man, Adam, betrayed God and sinned, Adam and all his descendants became sinners, and a wall of sin separated us from God. Like Colossians 1:21, “And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,” we were alienated from God. The sinless Jesus was nailed to the cross to break down the wall of sin between humanity who was alienated, and bring about reconciliation. Colossians 1:20 says, “and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” Jesus, the atoning sacrifice, forgave our sins and brought peace between us, once sinners, and God. By coming in human form and fulfilling the role of peacemaker, He was fully recognized as the Son of God. Similarly, when we become peacemakers in all things, like Jesus, we too will be recognized as God's children.
Romans 8:20 says, “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.” By accepting the Lord, God’s firstborn Son who brought reconciliation, and growing to resemble His image, one becomes a child of God—a son or daughter of God. However, even though all believers are saved and become God’s children, not all hold the same position. Just as a family with multiple sons don’t hold the same position or role, the same principle applies here. For example, a king’s crown prince holds a different position to the rest of the king’s sons.
During the Joseon Dynasty, the crown prince, future king, lived in the palace, enjoying power and splendor but the other sons lived outside the palace as the king’s subjects once they grew to a certain age and got married. Similarly, parents often have a more endearing or favorite child – usually the child who is kind, obedient, and resembles the parents most is naturally more loved. Among God’s saved children are those who align with the heart of the Father and those who do not. Some people resemble the Lord, casting off sin in the heart and live obediently by the Word. Others say they believe but don’t cast off sin despite much time passing and make God troubled by being disobedient. The amount of God’s love received depends on how much we resemble Jesus’ heart. God endured much sorrow and pain to cultivate humanity, desiring true children who resemble Jesus.
The "sons of God" in the Beatitudes refer to those who, like Jesus, perfectly align with God's heart. Those who, like the Lord, sacrificed themselves for the people and obeyed God to the point of death on the cross are the peacemaker’s who can be called sons of God. When we become peacemakers, we can share in the spiritual authority and power that Jesus as son of God enjoyed. Just like Jesus, we can receive answers from God according to our prayers. Just as Jesus performed mighty works, we too can wield His power. Evil spirits will tremble before us, submitting to the authority of His words. In the future, we’ll be able to enter New Jerusalem and enjoy the honor and glory of being true sons of God. Dear brothers and sisters, Can you be called peacemakers?
Do you break peace or bring peace and harmony when you gather with others? When we believe in God and learn the truth, we are less likely to break peace with evil intent. But as we’re not fully perfect and still have self-righteousness, we may unintentionally make others ucomfortable. Let’s reflect on ourselves. Do you adjust to others when together or do they have to adjust to you? Do you insist on your wants and benefits, making other people’s lives difficult? Do you assert you’re right and push forwards despite knowing the other person feels hurt and struggling to cope?
Do you insist others have to obey because you’re older or in a higher position? Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we can begin to assess whether or not we are truly peacemakers. Hebrews 12:14 says, "Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord." Even if your will, action, and words seem right, it’s important to pursue both peace and holiness. If you cause discomfort or conflict, you need to remember that there is something within you not pleasing to God. Let’s check more closely on how we can become peacemakers. First, to be a peacemaker, we must first achieve peace with God and within ourselves. Making peace with God means not allowing sin to create a wall between us and God. Jesus, without sin, tore down the wall of sin through His crucifixion. But if we continue living in sin, the wall remains, and we are not at peace with God.
1 John 1:7 says, "but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." This means that living according to God's word and not committing sin is the first condition for being a peacemaker. Peace with yourself is achieved by casting off evil from the heart and always pursuing the desires of the Spirit. Sin can come out in various circumstances when you don’t remove it from the heart, causing suffering and preventing peace. While struggling internally yourself, it is difficult to find peace with others. But when you end the battle of sin and follow the truth under the Holy Spirit's guidance, peace within yourselves can be achieved, enabling us to make peace with others.
Second, to be a peacemaker, we must cultivate a heart of kindness. Matthew 12:19-20 tells us, "He will not quarrel, nor cry out; nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A battered reed He will not break off, and a smoldering wick He will not put out, until He leads justice to victory." Kindness means not quarreling, not having a prideful or self-exalting heart, and not making a loud display of yourself. Just as a battered reed or a smoldering wick is gently cared for, a person with a kind heart loves even the wicked or weak in faith, and hope for their well-being. These people are considerate and gently embrace the hearts of others.
Sometimes among workers, there are those who love God and serve passionately but feel sorrowful and embarrassed when peace is broken around them. Knowing the truth and not wanting to break peace, but also failing to realize why there is still conflict. When working on something, these people think something is beneficial for God's kingdom and passionately push forwards, but this can cause discomfort or opposition from others. Despite this, they believe that for the good of God's kingdom, enduring discomfort is necessary. Even if there are opposing views or uncomfortable feelings, you choose what seems best for God's kingdom and push forward with the plan.
But how does our Lord, who does not break a battered reed or extinguish a smoldering wick, feel about this? While the Lord would commend the zeal for God's kingdom, He would also grieve with the souls who stumble and get hurt. Imagine there’s an elder son who loves his father and buys a great gift but harshly rebukes his younger siblings for not doing the same. The father would prefer that the eldest son love the younger siblings and desire peace, even without the gift. Similarly, God desires not just that we accomplish great things for His kingdom, but that we understand and reflect His heart. Unless it contradicts the truth, we should consider the weak faith of others and pursue peace, which aligns with the Father's heart. But we must not use those words and principles for our own gain. With responsibilities and unity in the church, we should not assert our own thoughts and convenience by saying be at peace with all, but humble ourselves and align with the will of others.
Third, to be a peacemaker, we must seek the benefit of others, not our own. In Genesis 13, a dispute arose between the herders of Abraham’s and Lot’s livestock when they lived together. Lots received blessings alongside Abraham and their livestock grew exceedingly. As a result, there was not enough water for the animals causing quarrel. They had to separate and decide where each would go. As the elder, Abraham had the right to choose the better land, especially since Lot’s blessings were due to him. But Abraham did not assert his rights and gave his nephew the first choice. Genesis 13:9 tells us, "Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left." Lot chose the fertile land in the east.
Did Abraham feel upset when Lot took the better land after he gave him the first choice? Would Abraham have complained that Lot, being the younger and lower in position, should have yielded despite yielding at first? If Abraham hadn’t casted off self-interest and only pretended to yield outwardly, true peace wouldn’t have been achieved. But Abraham genuinely desired for Lot to choose the better land, and by pursuing peace, he received greater blessings from God. With the same heart, Matthew 5:39-41 tells us, "Whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also... whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two."
As Matthew 5:44 says, loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute you makes you a son of your Father in heaven. Even while crucified, our Lord Jesus prayed for the forgiveness of those who crucified Him. True peace comes when we love our enemies from the heart and seek the benefit of others. This is when we can become qualified to enter New Jerusalem as true sons of God. Fourth, to be a peacemaker, we must deny ourselves and become a dying grain of wheat for the sake of others.
Each person’s faith, self-righteousness, and thoughts are different. Their innate character, upbringing, and habits vary, so what they believe to be right or what they like will differ. When people insist on their own opinions, claiming that their way is right and the other person’s is wrong, peace cannot be achieved. Even if you’re right, and even if you feel uncomfortable because of the other person, you must be willing to sacrifice for the sake of achieving peace. For example, let’s say person A likes cleanliness whilst person B, sharing the same room, is messy. It would be right for B to change their habits. But A, feeling uncomfortable, tries to change B. When B continues to be messy, A becomes frustrated, emotionally hurt, and might express displeasure in some way. If this happens, Satan will create opportunities for disputes, and even if person B realizes their mistake, they will be upset, which can lead to conflict.
While cleanliness pleases God, if emotions are hurt or people clash with each other because of the issue, then it doesn’t align with God's will. It is more fitting to clean up the mess, endure any uncomfortable feelings, and wait for the other person to change to be at peace. There is also a difference between covering faults for peace and ignoring them out of convenience. Seeking peace does not mean allowing someone to continue on the path of death through sin or compromise of falsehood. We are to make peace with everyone, but it must be peace in truth. This means we must first achieve peace with God before peace with others. If we seek peace with others by acting in falsehood, we break our own peace with God.
This does not lead to spiritual blessings, but to compromising with the world and falling into sin. For example, can you bow before idols to make peace with unbelieving family members? What if unbelieving coworkers suggest a gathering on Sunday or ask you to have just one drink to avoid unbalancing the gathering atmosphere? In these instances, you must firmly reject the temptation and choose what pleases God. While you should be as wise as possible in your approach, pursuing peace with others through falsehood is not God's will and has nothing to do with the Beatitudes. Dear brothers and sisters, Genesis 17:1 says, "Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless.'" Our God desires His children to be fully sanctified and to live perfectly, resembling Jesus’ character.
To obtain these sons and daughters, God placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and has cultivated us until today. When God has obtained a perfect child, He loves them deeply and walks with them on earth. When they reach the kingdom of heaven, God will have them dwell near His throne in New Jerusalem, to eternally share His love. Today, we looked at being a peacemaker. When you become a peacemaker, you will be recognized as a child who resembles God and who walks perfectly according to His will.
During the past era of kings, a prince who would inherit the throne enjoyed great glory. How much more glorious and blessed would it be to be recognized as a true son who pleases the heart of the all-powerful Creator God? When the loving Father looks at you, He would be beyond pleased and answer your heart’s desires immediately. Even if you do not seek to exalt yourself, God Himself will lift you up before others and testify that you are His beloved child, making the heavenly hosts to honor and serve. May you resemble the heart of the Lord who loved even His enemies, and become peacemakers with all people.
I pray in the name of the Lord that you will be recognized as true children of God, enjoy glory and power, and dwell near God’s throne in New Jerusalem.
