Follow Peace With All Men

We know that without holiness no man shall see the Lord. What about follow peace with all men?

 "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:" - Hebrews 12:14

God made peace with us. 

"And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." - Colossians 1:20

"To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." - 2 Corinthians 5:19 

God forgave us. Now it is our turn to have peace with others and forgive. (Follow peace: “to seek after eagerly, earnestly endeavour to acquire” - Thayer’s)

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." - Matthew 5:9

"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." - Luke 6:36 

"For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." - Hebrews 8:12

What if we do not follow peace with all men?

A servant owed the king ten thousand talents, but was unable to pay the debt. The king commanded that his family and possessions be sold to pay the debt. The servant begged for mercy.

"Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

“But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest." - Matthew 18:27-28

The fellowservant begged for patience, promising he would pay. Yet the servant had no mercy, casting him into prison.

 "Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

[Note: Because the servant was not merciful, the debt that he had been forgiven of was put back on him.]

“So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." - Matthew 18:33-35 

We are the servant that had a debt we could not pay. Our Lord and King Jesus forgave us of our debt of sin. It is now our turn to be merciful and forgiving, and to make peace with all.  

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;" - Hebrews 12:14-15

Following peace with all is essential to our salvation, not allowing unforgiveness in our life to turn into a root of bitterness, causing us to be defiled and to fail of the grace of God.