I hope this website imparts hope to you. Christians are born into a living hope because of Christ’s death and resurrection (1 Peter 1:3-4). Because of this hope, we have hope in relational conflict between one another.
Our Model is Christ
Jesus Christ was a peacemaker. Romans 5:1 says: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The passage goes on to say, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” Jesus Christ bought us peace by the blood of his cross (Colossians 1:19-20). He did this to reconcile us to God, to pay the penalty of our sins and to free us from slavery to sin.
By nature, we are law breakers, haters of God and lovers of ourselves. We are selfish and don’t seek God’s glory in anything, especially our relationships. But Christ, in his grace, does not leave us to be slaves of sin and ugliness (2 Peter 1:3-9). The reconciliation that Jesus Christ accomplished on our behalf results in peace with God and is our hope for peace in relationships with each other.
Thus, knowing the radical love of Christ for his enemies is what enables us to love our enemies. It is knowing his love and forgiveness that frees us to to forgive others and to be peacemakers. In other words, we love because he first loved us. As Christians, we can fulfill the royal law of love by loving others.
Our Vision: the Glory of God
God gives us a radical view of conflict. Romans 5 says, “… we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
Come, let us glorify the Lord together in our response to conflict! Let us rejoice in hope of the glory of God.