WEEK 12 – DAY 1

March 22, 2021

PEACEMAKERS LOOK LIKE DADDY

Blessed (enjoying enviable happiness, spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God! Matthew 5:9 (AMPC)

I (Susan) see many corollaries between the Beatitudes and the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Both the Beatitudes and the Fruit of the Spirit are a result of our relationship to Christ and not the way to establish that relationship. Our salvation is completely accomplished by God’s grace, and the works we exhibit are the result of our submission to Him. The Fruit of the Spirit flows through us to others when we have committed and submitted our lives to God’s will for us rather than our own will. The Beatitudes and the Fruit of the Spirit are an outflow of our BEING God’s children rather than striving to do works. When we are at peace with the Father, He enables us to make the effort to be at peace with others (Romans 12:18). Being peacemakers not only brings us the benefit of blessing (having a joy-filled life no matter what the circumstances around us may be), but also causes others to see the Father in us. We have a friend whose son looks more like his clone. Pictures of them at the same ages look almost like identical twins! He could never deny that he is that son’s father. We are being made more and more to look like Jesus (Romans 8:29) who is the exact representation of His Father (Hebrews 1:3). Peacemakers will be called the children of God. We are to exhibit His characteristics so that others will know we have been adopted into God’s family. We are to look more and more like our Father. God created people in His image (Genesis 1:26), but that image was tarnished by sin. As the Holy Spirit changes us from the inside out, He removes that tarnish, that stain, and polishes us to look more and more like the Father, to be a reflection of His attributes.

Father, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to die for us even when we were tarnished by sin. Thank You for infusing us with the Holy Spirit who works within us to remove the stains and make us more and more like You.