How can we live in peace with everyone (Hebrews 12:14)?

Further, the word is "pursue" (which is stronger than "follow") "peace with all and the holiness without which none shall see the Lord" (verse 14). Having peace with God through our Lord Jesus, we are exhorted to seek it diligently in practice, where there are so many sources of disagreement; and this not only with one another but with all. God Himself is the God of peace; and His children are to reflect His character. But there is a still more imperative warning attached to the exhortation to "holiness," "without (or, apart from) which none shall see the Lord." Here it is ἁγιασμός, not merely the quality in its abstract form, but in its action or its result as applied to us; and so found throughout the N.T. (Rom. 6:19, 22; 1 Cor. 1:30; 1 Thess. 4:3-4, 7; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Tim. 2:15; and 1 Peter 1:2). There is nothing to alarm the most timid in this, more than in all the scriptures which insist on conformity to God's will in all that are His (Rom. 2:7-11; 1 Cor. 9, 10, 1 Cor. 9:27; Gal. 5:19-20, Gal. 6:7-8; Eph. 5:5-7; Titus 2:12, Titus 3:8; 1 Peter 1:14, 1 Peter 2:3; 2 Peter 1, 2, 3; 1 John 2, 3; Jude; Rev. 21:8, Rev. 22:15).

Verse 14. They were to follow peace with all men. For while a Christian may have many enemies, he is himself a foe to none. Knowing the way of peace in Jesus, he is to walk therein. Grace, and not bitterness, is in the hearts which Christ has filled. Their mouths, which may have once been full of cursing, are taught to speak another language by the Spirit, who acquaints His people with the love of God. As the peace of God, which is His people's calling, should rule within their hearts (Col. 3:15), so, if they walked with Him, their constant aim would be to keep an outward peace with them that are without, as well as one toward the other. Peace is endangered, when men seek their own. While Christians walk in love, and only follow what is good, the Lord of peace Himself is their Protector, and can make their fiercest enemies to cease from strife (1 Peter 3).

Finally, “peace” is to be pursued. Peace is the fruit of righteousness, and also its twin-brother in the kingdom of God. Therefore, do not sow discord among those calling on the Lord out of a pure heart. Remember that self-will is the great enemy of peace. In an assembly a great deal of quarrelling and mischief is often caused by one or two insisting upon their own way. One says, “I know what should be done. I have learned it for myself. I know it is true. It must be done. I feel responsible to the Lord to see it is done, and it shall be done.” This may be self-delusion, but it is certainly self-will. And such sinful egotism is a frequent cause of division in the gatherings. But I am to follow peace with all, the things that make for peace, and the things wherewith one may edify another.

Romans 12:18. "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." All who know what human nature is, what the affairs of life are, know the difficulty of living at peace with all men. The apostle acknowledges the difficulty and limits the injunction by saying, "If it be possible." But the precept is plain and the duty most important; and the believer, notwithstanding the difficulty, is to do all in his power to live at peace with all men. "As much as lieth in you" — as to what is of you, as far as depends on you, live in the spirit of peace with all. The Christian is called, not only to preserve peace, but to be a peace-maker; and a blessing of peculiar honour and dignity belongs to all such. "Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God." To recompense evil for evil necessarily leads to contention and strife, while peace is the happy fruit of a forgiving disposition.

But here, again, my soul, thou must weigh up things. Consider, I pray thee, that from the wickedness of those by whom thou art surrounded this may sometimes be impossible; but let nothing fail on thy part; ever guard against giving any occasion to any one to complain of thee. Living near to God is the surest way of living in peace with men; for when a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. Avoid the snare of courting the favour and the praise of men, for this will surely lead thee to unfaithfulness in thy testimony. Some, in this way, may think themselves possessed of the spirit of peace; but it is rather a spirit of selfish indifference to the claims of Christ, and the salvation of our neighbours.

Much as thou art to seek after peace and pursue it, neither truth nor principle must be sacrificed to maintain it, either with the world or with Christians. The love of popularity is a great snare to many; even a Peter might be drawn aside for a moment by it; but Paul could not have peace on such terms. (Gal. 2) The great apostle, much as he loved peace and desired it, knew very little of it during the whole period of his life, because of his faithfulness. But though he had little outward peace, he was kept in perfect peace with God because his mind was stayed on Him. May we all know this solid, lasting peace with God, which the world neither can give nor take away.

(V. 14). Thirdly, if there are those who take a course that makes for discord, let us see that we follow peace with all. The Christian is to seek to pass through this world quietly, not interfering with this world's politics, nor expressing strong opinions about things which, as a stranger in the world, are not his concern. There is in fallen human nature an innate love of engaging in strife. The Christian is not only to refrain from all that would stir up strife, but also to pursue peace by taking a course that promotes peace.

The fruit of the Spirit is peace. If we feel a tendency in us to create trouble, and that is possible in each of us, it is the easiest thing in the world, then let us cry to the Lord to overcome that tendency and to produce instead the things that make for peace amongst the saints of God. One of the best ways, I think I can say humbly that I have experienced is, to act in forgiveness when it is a question of personal affront, things that affect one personally. It is a good thing to practice forgiveness. If it is something about me personally let it go, it does not matter; but if it is a matter about the Lord Jesus, His honour, His glory, some vital matter of truth then fight for it tooth and nail, but if it is about yourself, let it go. Moses was the "meekest man in all the earth" (Num.12:3), that is, in relation to himself, but when it came to the things of God, he was as bold as a lion! He could speak and act in a way that was very, very severe indeed when it was in relation to God, but not in relation to himself. So this matter of peace is a very wonderful thing to pursue amongst the people of God.

But peace is not only the absence of war, quarrels or disagreements, but also a result of the presence of God in the life of man. He is the God of peace and His message is the gospel of peace (Romans 15:33; Ephesians 6:15). This peace comes from Golgotha, for it was there that the Lord Jesus made peace through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20). Thus He has become our peace, and then He came and preached peace to those who were afar off and to those who were nigh (Ephesians 2:14-17). Because of this, sinful men without peace are now able to obtain peace with God for their consciences and the peace of God for their hearts (Romans 5:1; Philippians 4:7). This personal peace is a gift of the grace of God for each one individually. It is also the prerequisite for true peace on earth. Yet peace among men, and among believers, is also dependent on the condition of our hearts and on our conduct. Therefore we are very often exhorted to follow or to strive after peace (Romans 14:19; 2 Timothy 2:22; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 3:11). In the Greek text the same word is used every time, meaning “to chase, run, follow”. In Ephesians 4:3 we are also told that diligence and zeal are necessary to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. If these exhortations were not necessary, God would not have had them written in His Word. Every believer is being addressed when the Lord Jesus says to His disciples, “ … have peace one with another … ” (Mark 9:50).

First then, he would put these two sisters right. There seems to have been some alienation between them. The impartiality of Paul comes out in his addressing both (ver. 2). It must affect Christian joy if we are at variance with our fellow-believers. So as far as in us lies, we are called to live peaceably, with all men, not only with fellow-believers. I dare say we forget sometimes we do not "see ourselves as others see us," and that others have to forbear with us as we with them. I may try them as much as they perhaps try me. I could quite imagine a worldly Christian finding it difficult to get on with a more spiritual one. I heard a lady recently say that Paul must have been a difficult man to get on with; at any rate, Demas could not do so.

Then He goes on to say, "Follow peace with all men." God does not wish us to be men of strife. He wants us both to have and to promote peace with the saints, and peace in the world as far as we can; but notice one thing that goes with the peace: "and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." "Peace and holiness" must go together. If they are separated, it is a false peace indeed.

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Peace and holiness are normal fruits of Christianity: if they are entirely ab­sent, one has not known the Lord, nor will he stand in His presence. But let the believer follow these things in wholehearted devotion. Too often also souls may divorce these things, and insist on peace while ignoring holiness, or insist on holiness while ignoring peace. The former involves a friendly tolerance of sin, the latter a conten­tious spirit of legality. Our preservation lies in godly concern to follow both peace and holiness.