Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled… Hebrews 12:14-15
I have wrestled with the timing of this article for weeks now due to the widespread anxiety and polarization over the recent election cycle. I pondered putting this out before the election to try and preempt some of the struggle, but I feared it may be drowned out of many minds by the events going on at the time. Then I pondered printing it the Sunday after the election, but again, I thought it best to allow a little time for the high or low of the outcome to settle a bit. Having seen responses that range from rejoicing to lamentation, it seems my delay may prove the most effective approach. After all, it is hard to reason about things when emotions are running high.
This is not an effort to tell anyone how they should feel about the election. This is an effort to remind Christian people how we must conduct ourselves regardless of who is in political power, what the culture is doing, and how hard or easy our lives may be in the day-to-day circumstances we face. The ongoing struggle in our culture has brought out the worst in so many people, sadly even among people I know to be Christians. While the heathens will do what they will do, the Lord’s people cannot allow such matters to drag us down into the mire.
The passage above highlights two principles that must rest at the center of everything we do. The context of these two imperatives is fitting for the struggles people face in any society. These Hebrew Christians were facing backlash for the faith, and they were struggling to cope with that struggle. The term translated pursue here is the same word often translated persecute. The basic meaning is to chase after someone/thing.
This frames our peaceful existence and holy living among the world around in a different light. This is no passive activity but an energetic endeavor. The pursuit of peace with all is common in Scripture. Psalm 34:11-14 connects it with learning the fear of the Lord and pursuing good days (cf. 1 Peter 3:10-12). Romans 12:17-21 speaks in a similar way to encourage faithfulness to God and kindness to the world around, including enemies (cf. Matthew 5:43-48).
One of the most profound examples of this principle is the instructions the Lord sent by the hand of Jeremiah to the exiles in Babylon in Jeremiah 29. In 29:4-10, the Lord made it clear that they were going to be in exile for an extended period, despite the false prophets who said they would soon return to Jerusalem. It would be easy in such difficult surroundings to live spitefully and seek the harm of the heathen around you. Imagine if we were forcefully uprooted, deported to a foreign land and forced to live under their control.
Yet, God commanded them to settle in, make homes, grow their families, and seek the peace/welfare of the city where God had sent them (29:4-7). The premise was that in promoting the welfare of the cities where they lived, it would result in their own good. They had to trust that despite punishing them for their evils, God had plans for their ultimate good in the end (29:10-14).
Friends, nothing has changed in God’s nature or His plans for His people. He will turn everything to the ultimate and eternal good of those who love Him, no matter what the earthly conditions around them may be (Romans 8:28-39). So, however we feel about this most recent election and the conditions we expect to emerge from it, let us continually chase after peace with all people, and the holiness without which we cannot see the Lord. Remember, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).