The Blessing of Adoption

This morning we come to the seventh beatitude, and the third conditional beatitude. As we’ve worked thru these blessings, we’ve seen that the grace of God bestowed on the poor, mournful, and meek leads them to a change of life. God’s grace drives them to desire righteousness, to show mercy, and to seek purity. Now, we come to a blessing of adoption. Let’s read the seventh beatitude from Matt. 5:9. From this beatitude I want you to see two points: The Formation of Peace and the Family of God.

First, let’s consider the formation of peace. This beatitude tells us that the blessings of God’s kingdom come on those who make peace. So, we have to ask, what does the Bible mean by peace? Every beautifully naïve child longs for peace. What is it that makes a child long for the resolution of conflict? As a child’s eyes are opened to the realities of this world, there is that child-like innocence that recognizes that things shouldn’t be as they are. Schools shouldn’t have to do active shooter drills. Cities shouldn’t need a homicide or special victims’ unit. Countries shouldn’t be on an endless arms race for weapons that can wipe out the whole of humanity 100 times over.

So, when we read the word, “peace”, in scripture, we might be tempted to think of it in terms of a cessation of conflict. But, that is not what the Bible means by peace. Rather, the Bible has in view a greater conflict. The Hebrew word for “peace” is “Shalom.” In modern times, Jews use this word as a greeting and farewell. Yet, “Shalom” is not just a well wish to a friend. And, shalom cannot be so easily translated to “peace”. In reality, there are two words that get at the meaning behind Shalom: rest and reconciliation.

First, shalom means a hope for rest. Rest is one of the ultimate goals of God’s creative and redemptive plans. In Genesis 2:1, after God had created all things, we read that, on the seventh day, God rested. Now, we know that God is all-powerful. After all, he had just created the whole of the universe in six days simply by speaking it into being. So, why would the all-powerful God of the universe need to rest? He didn’t. The last act of his creation was to create rest – to direct all of his creation towards enjoyment in him. Yet, that rest was broken in Genesis 3. After the sin of Adam, God cursed him with toil. God’s good creation would no longer give rest to him, but it would produce thorns and thistles that would torment and enslave him.

But God was not done with his purpose of rest. After 400 years in slavery in Egypt, God rescued Israel and led them to Mount Sinai. In his law, he established a command that they should rest one out of every seven days – the Sabbath. This rest was intended for good. The Israelites had worked their fingers to the bone, seven days a week, all to build idols for the kings of Egypt. Now, the true God commanded that they rest. Even still, Israel could not enjoy this rest. Men secretly collected manna or worked on the Sabbath. Religious leaders used the sabbath laws to place unreasonable burdens on the people. They even tried to use these regulations to trap Jesus. But Jesus understood the true meaning of the Sabbath, and so he answered back in Mark 2:27, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” In saying this, Jesus is claiming to be God. He is the one who ultimately brings rest. In John 16:33 he tells his disciples: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” In Jesus Christ, we have peace, even with all the pain, sorrow, and evil of this world. We have this peace because Jesus has brought rest to our souls.

We can have rest in Jesus because of the second aspect of this word, Shalom. Not only does it mean rest, but it also means reconciliation. In order to have rest, in order to be freed from the toils of this world, in order to escape the curse of sin, we must be reconciled to God. But, the good news of the Gospel is this – Jesus has reconciled us to God through his death and resurrection. The first announcement of Jesus’ birth promised that he would bring peace. Remember that famous line that the angels proclaimed to the shepherds in Luke 2:14: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace among men.” The angels announced peace among men because Jesus had come to bring reconciliation between God and man. So, Paul says, in Rom. 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This is what “peace” means in Scripture. We have rest from the toils of a corrupt, fallen world, and we are reconciled to God. But, Jesus doesn’t say, “blessed are those who are peaceful.” No, he says, “Blessed are those who make peace.” As those who have received the grace of God, not only are we called to mercy and purity, but we are called to seek peace with our fellow man. But how do we do this? We do this by pursuing rest and reconciliation in the world. We bring rest to our fellow man by seeking to live peaceably. Rom. 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” This means that we seek the common good. It means that we pursue justice and love mercy. It means that we are honest and helpful in our business. It means that we love our neighbor as ourselves.

We also make peace by pursuing reconciliation with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Rom. 14:19 says, “Let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” Eph. 4:3 says that we should be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Now that we understand what it means to make peace, let’s consider the second point, the family of God. Jesus says that the peacemakers shall be called “Sons of God.” Just like the word, “peace”, this term “Sons of God” has deep meaning in the OT. The Israelites themselves were considered the “Sons of God”. The kings of Israel were called the sons of God. To be a son of God was to be chosen by God, to be called out and separate from the rest of the world. So, when Jesus is announced to be the Son of God, this is not just a claim to deity. It is a claim to be the true Israelite and the true king of Israel. Jesus is the only one who has ever lived a life of perfect mercy. He is the only one who had a pure heart. He is the only one to bring peace between God and man. So, if Jesus is the only true Son of God, how can we too be considered sons of God?

We are sons and daughters of God through two means. John 1:12 says, “To all who did receive [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Paul puts it this way in Gal. 3:26 – “In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” So, we are adopted as sons and daughters of God by trusting in the true Son of God, Jesus Christ.

But, we aren’t just declared to be children of God, but we are also formed into children. Rom. 8:14 says, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Understand that there is a direct relationship between believing and becoming. When you trust in Jesus Christ, God gives you his Spirit. Because of the presence of the Spirit in your life, you should start to act like a child of God. To be precise, you should start acting more and more like Jesus. So, you do start to desire peace with your fellow man. You do start to make peace by pursuing the good of others and seeking reconciliation.

Friend, do you want the peace of God in your life? Do you want the rest that comes only through Jesus Christ? Do you want to be reconciled to God and man? Then come to Christ today.

Brothers and sisters, if we have the Spirit of Christ, then we are children of God. And, if we are children of God, then we will seek peace. We will seek the good of others and reconciliation. May we leave this place and pursue peace.