Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Daily Encouragement for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

5 January 2025

Reading From Matthew 5

“God blesses those who work for peace,
    for they will be called the children of God.”

“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.”

–Matthew 5:9, 23-24

     Heavenly Father is our Perfect Parent.  He is Love.[1]  He is not abusive in any way.  Unfortunately some mothers and fathers give their children commands without any instructions and expect them to obey without explanation.  Our God is not like that at all.  He knows what is best for us, gives us the guidance of His precepts and principles, and then blesses us with the tools we need to accomplish His will upon the Earth.[2]  If we turn over control to Him and yield to the movement of His Holy Spirit within us, He will actually do the work through us.[3] 

     In this world, filled with conflict and turmoil as a result of the sins of mankind, He has laid out a way for us to be reconciled.  When we were spiritual dead in our sins, we were enemies of God.[4]  But by believing and receiving Jesus as Lord, the Spirit applies the atoning, cleansing blood of the Savior to our lives and we are adopted into the eternal family of God.[5]  We have peace with God the Father through God the Son.  

     Not only are we given the commission to share that love and message with others,[6] but He has also given us practical directions on how to see His peace in our daily lives.  When I have been hurt, wronged, or find myself in conflict with someone, the first step is for me to pray for them.[7]  At first, if my heart has anger and bitterness toward them, my prayer might be for their harm.  In that case, I must also pray that the Lord will begin to soften and change my own heart.  Gradually the Lord changes my prayers for their harm to prayers for their good.[8]

     Sometimes it is better for both parties that there is a cooling off period, but not too much because I don’t want my ill feelings to fester and resentment to set in.[9]  Forgiveness is not so much about the other person, as sometimes they don’t even realized they’ve done any harm.  It is more about me releasing them from any grudge and letting go of all bitterness.[10]  As I pray for them, I also pray for wisdom and for God to give me the words to say to the other party.[11]  The Lord Jesus calls us to be bold and go to the other person or group and communicate with them about what is bothering us.

      If the situation is too tense or the other party is dangerous, then it is prudent to have a conversation with them in a safe setting.  If going to them one on one does not produce peace, then we are to take along a brother or sister with us.  If they still will not listen, we are to bring the situation to the elders of the church.[12]  At that point, if the other party still will not cooperate, then we are instructed by the Apostle Paul to hand them over to Satan, which means to exclude them from fellowship until they are ready to repent.[13]  This preserves the value of our fellowship and protects the family of God.  If the offender shows genuine repentance, they should be restored with love, grace and mercy.[14]

     This process laid out by our Lord gives us a healthy plan for conflict resolution.  We are called to do whatever we can to bring peace to our daily lives.[15]  We are to put God’s plan into action,[16] but there is a certain point where if the other person is not reciprocating, then we pray and leave them to the Lord.  At that point, a maxim my wife found in some of my Grandma’s sermon notes after she passed comes into play.  “Not my fault, not my problem, not my failure.”  Once we have done everything God has called us to do, we release ourselves from responsibility and continue to pray for peace.  Forgiveness is mandatory and is more about me.  Restoration of relationship is hoped for, but not required if the effort for reconciliation is not mutual.[17]

“God, life is so hard.  Relationships can be fraught with tension, friction and conflict.  I pray that You would guide us as we navigate difficult situations.  Bring peace to our hearts and tranquility to our daily lives.  Help Your sons and daughters to forgive.  Give us the courage we need to communicate with those who have wounded us and bless us with the words to say to them.  May we speak the truth in love and see the miraculous work of Your Holy Spirit in our lives.  Give us the forebearance we need to work Your plan and patience to see the results.  In the life-changing Name of Jesus I pray these things, Amen.”

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.   Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sinfor us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

–II Corinthians 5:16-21

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[1] I John 4:7-12

[2] II Timothy 3:17, II Peter 1:3

[3] Acts 17:28

[4] Romans 5:10

[5] Ephesians 1:5, Galatians 4:4-5, John 1:12

[6] Matthew 28:16-20

[7] Matthew 5:44

[8] Luke 6:28

[9] James 1:19

[10] Ephesians 4:31

[11] Exodus 4:16, Jeremiah 1:9, James 1:5

[12] Matthew 18:15-17

[13] Matthew 18:17, I Corinthians 5:4-5

[14] Galatians 6:1

[15] Romans 12:18

[16] James 2:14-26

[17] I Corinthians 7:15