Seek Peace and Chase After It
Posted By Jacque on October 20, 2009
1Peter 3: 11 turn from evil and do good, seek peace and chase after it.
There are many references to our keeping ourselves from evil, and what to do when evil presents itself to us. Here we are told to turn from evil and seek peace.
No, this post is not about Halloween, which IS evil. That post is here.
I want to let you know something that is very important that we, as Believers, need to recognize. A fact that we all know, but need to remember occasionally: Christians and Believers are people too. They just are. We are all humans, and with that comes all the human emotion and sin that goes with the flesh. This flesh will express itself in many ways until we have fully given it over to the spirit that so longs to be like Yehovah God. Take it from someone who is still working on that.
Proverbs 4:20-27
20 My son, pay attention to what I am saying; incline your ear to my words. 21 Don’t let them out of your sight, keep them deep in your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them and health to their whole being. 23 Above everything else, guard your heart; for it is the source of life’s consequences. 24 Keep crooked speech out of your mouth, banish deceit from your lips. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze on what lies in front of you. 26 Level the path for your feet, let all your ways be properly prepared; 27 then deviate neither right nor left; and keep your foot far from evil.
Unity and Division: Follow Scriptures Alone
I have seen many many splits and arguments within churches and individuals, and have been and will likely be involved in more as I live out my days. Not to start a division or split, but to stand on Scripture and not waiver from its meaning for our family. It is inevitable that there will be disagreement, sometimes vehemently. Many times, we disagree with others. There is nothing wrong with disagreeing. Contrary to the popular doctrine of tolerance today, we do not have to be in complete unity in all things, nor can we be. We must each live out our own lives and walk in what we are called to in the Scriptures. You would think that means that unity would prevail, but that is not true.
Psalm 119:97-102
97 How I love your Torah! I meditate on it all day.
98 I am wiser than my foes, because your mitzvot are mine forever. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, because I meditate on your instruction. 100 I understand more than my elders, because I keep your precepts.
101 I keep my feet from every evil way, in order to observe your word.
102 I don’t turn away from your rulings, because you have instructed me.
Have you ever been accused of always having to be right? I do always try to be right. Who doesn’t? Do we intentionally try to be wrong? Do we intentionally do wrong things or do we try to be right in what we do?
Though these things are included, I am not talking about what is the best curriculum or best way to build a fence or how to wash laundry. I am talking about the most important things like Scriptures. All those other things are not important in eternity, unless there is a scriptural mandate of how to do it. This is where a line can be drawn. What is commanded to do and not is what is important. What we have been told in Scripture is not debatable, nor is it changing. If there is a conflict in understanding, the Scripture is never wrong, we are. We must seek to understand it and not allow man’s doctrine or that of well-meaning friends to come in and subvert it.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
16 Always be joyful. 17 Pray regularly. 18 In everything give thanks, for this is what God wants from you who are united with the Messiah Yeshua. 19 Don’t quench the Spirit, 20 don’t despise inspired messages. 21 But do test everything – hold onto what is good, 22 but keep away from every form of evil.
As for “being right all the time”: I seek Scriptures, and I ask for discernment, and I do my best to follow in the way of Yehovah. If and when I am shown in the Scriptures that what I believe is wrong, I will seek again and follow in the way the Scriptures tell me. Take a look at the past year of our lives in the Dixon family. We have been shown in Scripture that much of what we thought was in Scripture was man’s doctrine, and we are diligently seeking and walking in the way of Scriptures as we continue to learn.
We must be teachable in Scriptural things.
This will cause division with those who do not believe the way you do. It just will. That does not mean that you can’t participate in a home school group or go to a church or other function with this person, but it may mean you can’t be very close friends any longer. This happened in the New Testament, so we do have an example that it does happen, and can happen peaceably if we allow it to.
However, sometimes we must just part ways. Sometimes the other party disagrees with this. They want to fight you until the death on their principles. This is the very important thing I am speaking of. You may follow the way you are being led in Scriptures, and you will likely be persecuted for it by Christians. This will happen in part innocently as your beliefs are made aware to them and they just do not understand. Hopefully, this will be a time you can present the truth of what you are learning and win a friend as you let them know you love Yehovah with all your heart and show them in Scriptures where you have found these revelations that have changed your life. Hopefully, they will act in love, trying to also win a friend and try to understand you before they discredit and judge you as a heretic who has forsaken their god.
I have seen both sides this past year. It is a beautiful thing to see the love and unity of non-judgmental Believers and a horror to see the other side.
This beautiful side has been such a blessing to our family. It has allowed a peace and refuge from the evil others who are not open to even hearing of our love for Yehovah and our Messiah and how it has grown.
The ugly side, not so much. It has been a challenge, and it will continue to be a challenge. We are learning how to make it less of one though. This is where the “Flee evil” comes in. We must not keep going back. The conflict keeps growing and growing, and it is a conflict that is not healthy for our family, and it will certainly not bring about the glory to Yehovah, so it is best he take care of it.
1 Peter 3:8-15
8 Finally, all of you, be one in mind and feeling; love as brothers; and be compassionate and humble-minded, 9 not repaying evil with evil or insult with insult, but, on the contrary, with blessing. For it is to this that you have been called, so that you may receive a blessing. 10 For “Whoever wants to love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit, 11 turn from evil and do good, seek peace and chase after it. 12 For ADONAI keeps his eyes on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers; but the face of ADONAI is against those who do evil things.”
Flee Evil From Christians
Inevitably, we will find someone who cannot just leave it alone and stop talking about us. Either in real life or on the internet, it is a tough place to be. You WANT to defend yourself. You WANT to tell the truth. Don’t. If you already have said things, stop. We must “11 turn from evil and do good, seek peace and chase after it.”
If someone is saying or writing something that you vehemently disagree with scripturally and whether or not you have already responded to that person or not, it is wise to leave that conversation. Sometimes, we are able to lovingly let our beliefs be made known, but if not, it is wise to flee. If there is a case of conflict where you have asked forgiveness, forgiven and tried to move on, but the other party persists in their schemes, leave it alone.
Psalms 34:-11-16
Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of ADONAI. 12 Which of you takes pleasure in living? Who wants a long life to see good things? 13 [If you do,] keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceiving talk; 14 turn from evil, and do good; seek peace, go after it! 15 The eyes of ADONAI watch over the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. 16 But the face of ADONAI opposes those who do evil, to cut off all memory of them from the earth.
Set A Guard Over My Mouth…
If someone is talking about you or writing about you online, either in direct reference or in a manner that you know they are directing vicious lies or evil words to you, leave it and don’t return. It is a big temptation to want to know what is being said or to go and read what someone has written at you or to you, but I promise, if you avoid that conflict all together, you will find that your thoughts are no longer consumed by them, your joy will be full and you will forget about it. Turn from that evil, and their “delicacies”, and you will be right where you are supposed to be.
Psalms 141:1-4
1 A psalm of David: ADONAI, I have called you; come to me quickly! Listen to my plea when I call to you. 2 Let my prayer be like incense set before you, my uplifted hands like an evening sacrifice. 3 Set a guard, ADONAI, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips. 4 Don’t let my heart turn to anything evil or allow me to act wickedly with men who are evildoers; keep me from eating their delicacies.
Let them alone for Yehovah God to take care of. Pray for them if you feel led to, but just stay away. If their nature is to drudge up things of the past and continue in conflict, even under the guise of being holy and scriptural, then just know that they are insincere and will continue to cause problems with and for you. Leave it alone. Do not reply to emails. Do not read their writings.
It is not worth sticking around to see what evil will come up next for you to be involved in and create turmoil in your spirit. Rest in our Great Elohim-God and know he will call to them when they are ready to hear his voice. YOU listen to him now and FLEE the evil that is trying to work its way into your life! Seek peace as best you can.
Be blessed as you choose the narrow path~
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All Scriptures taken from The Complete Jewish Bible by David Stern.
If you have other questions about how to scripturally deal with Christians who continue to sin against you, see Conflicts Among Believers
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9 Responses to “Seek Peace and Chase After It”
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Thank you for posting this! You are so right, it can be such a struggle! Often times the persecution continues. In these situations there is often the factor of being unrepentant. If one is truly repentant then they can live in unity with others. Unity does not mean that we will necessarily be the best of friends again but living without harboring ill will and distain for the other. They may not see their actions as being wrong. They may see it as their duty to set you straight. What one often looses site of in these circumstances is that it is not their duty. They can share but it is the Holy Spirit that makes the changes. We can share and disagree. We can think the other is completely wrong. But can we be okay with them thinking we are completely wrong? It is difficult when dealing with others who are unwilling to be teachable. We must also be teachable!! Having a spirit of teachableness does not necessarily mean that we will agree, the Holy Spirit is the one who changes the heart. Being teachable means at least having a heart that is open to change.
MamaArcher´s last blog ..Let the Nominations Begin
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Wow, very profound post Jacque. I struggle with this in my own family, with brother and grandmother. I have always been “different”, something that I relish as being a gift from G-d, but it has caused me a lot of pain as well.
Thank you for the insight.
Stephanie´s last blog ..Faith Is An Exciting Adventure
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Unity ~ I like to think of an orchestra playing together. Different instruments, making different sounds but playing together in unity. That is the body of Believers.
MamaArcher, you are so right, we must be more concerned with our own teachableness (is that a word?) than if others are teachable.
Learning to love someone who disagrees with us is hard, but it is by His Spirit that we are able to live in His grace and learn to love others that are so hard to love. Our prayers for them makes this possible also. I work in ministry with many who do not agree or understand various convictions that we have. We agree to disagree. I don’t try to convince them of why I think they are wrong, like you said, that is up to the Holy Spirit. I love them & love serving the Lord with them. That is how we are unified, through our love for ministry and for Christ our God.
Good post! Thanks friend.
Dana´s last blog ..Decreasing for His Purpose
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What a wonderful post! I need to be reminded to seek peace rather than strife. It’s such a temptation to continue arguing, especially with my passionate personality. As always, I continue to pray and ask Yehovah to grant me humility and love.
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I have to pray for the guard over my mouth a lot. God answers (did you see the worksheet we made with this verse and guard and door?).
Terrific post. God is teaching you deep through trials and it is helping many others. I walked through some heart breaking standing up for what I believe and lost dear friends. God comforted me through it.
{{{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}}}
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October 21st, 2009 at 7:57 pm
I remember your tweet of this verse about the guard over my mouth… but I did not see the worksheet…
Did you post about it? Do you have a link?
Would love to see what you did~
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Thank you for your comments everyone. I have read each of them, though I haven’t responded. Been a bit busy!
I love the point about being Teachable. We must each be. I try very hard to be, even if it takes me a bit. It is very important to always be open to learning all Yehovah has for us.
I like what you said about the orchestra. I hope I didn’t sound like I thought it was ok to not be in unity. I just believe that as the days get closer to the End, as the Scriptures say, the love of many will wax cold, and lawlessness will abound… and that in itself will be a dividing factor within the Body of Believers. I see that happening more and more…
Yehovah has surely brought us closer to him and is showing us every day in these trials. He is our greatest comfort, though he has provided much comfort in friends and family!
Be blessed~
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Great post! I know that I have had troubles with some of the same Christians as you, and it is heartbreaking to see such division and sadness between believers. As tempting as it is to get angry (especially when a Scriptural issue or something else that is very important is being discussed), we must seek to have ‘gentle and quiet spirit’ and let Yehovah deal with justice – after all, one day every knee will bow before the name of Yehovah!
If we stand firm in our faith, have a teachable and humble spirit, and rely on the Scriptures, we cannot go far wrong!
Jade´s last blog ..HELLoween, more like
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Thanks for this post. What a very timely reminder.
Cassandra´s last blog ..2/3 complete
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