Hebrews 12:14 TPT
[14] In every relationship be swift to choose peace over competition, and run swiftly toward holiness, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
The writer of the book of Hebrews is not known, but the audience would appear to be Christians who were facing persecution, and were maybe losing their faith. The messsge in the letter covers various topics such as the sonship and suffering of Jesus, and what both means to us who now follow Him. The letter also draws a connection between the rules of the old testament, and the amazing relationship that Jesus has come to lay down under the new testament. We also read about the priestly role of Jesus, and how those who know, serve and follow Him also walk in His footsteps. This journey will not be possible without the help of the One who set it up.
There are many dimensions to our faith that we may not be able to fully grasp on this side of eternity, but we have the help of the Holy Spirit to navigate all that is ahead. Just as we have a relationship with God, so must we also value, preserve and sustain a relationship with those who we have been placed among to impact. Salvation means I am bound for heaven to reign with Christ, but I am not taken out of the world immediately I am saved, because there are lives to impact. There is no one who can successfully claim to be a child of God that will not have to apply many of the principles of God's word to human interaction and engagement.
As human beings are complex, so must I strive to rely on God's help to deal with fellow human beings. The wise counsel in the verse above is that I must choose peace over competition. There will always be the temptation to get in the last word, or to prove that you are not stupid, but when dealing as a child of God, the world's principles do not apply. I must also not forget that peace is a fruit of the Spirit, while contentions are signs of the works of the flesh. Whichever one I feed is the one that will grow; repercussions will be made manifest in due course. As I take stock of where I am now, which one am I feeding? Which one is my daily focus?
The second part of this path is the pursuit of holiness. The verse above says I must run swiftly toward holiness. Reflect on this: I run towards what is critical and important to my eternity. Holiness is the nature of God, and all who will be with Him for all of eternity must seek after Him with all their hearts. It cannot be half-hearted devotion; I am either all in or all out. There is no fence of indecision to sit on, because if I am not all in, the verse above says I will not see God. It really leaves no room for alternatives; I cannot pick one and leave the other. I now know what God desires; the power to choose is mine. What would it be? God's time of favour is here.
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