No Justice–No Peace
While “No justice, no peace!” is a marvelous sentiment and it sounds nice when you get a couple hundred people chanting it in echoed harmony, but it is not a solution that works towards ’true’ peace. It doesn’t work because in order for ‘justice to be just’, it must be applied to everyone. All things considered, I will choose God’s mercy over His justice any day of the week.
How Then Do We Achieve Peace
The answer is revealed in God’s promise and oath recorded in Psalm 110 (above). Everyone knows the text speaks of Jesus, therefore making Him the short-answer as to how peace is achieved. But why—why is Jesus the solution to warfare, strife, and dissonance?
Melchizedek!
For this Melchizedek…first being translated “King of Righteousness, ” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace.” Hebrews 7:1-2
Melchizedek is the high priest who met Abraham after he and 318 servants fought and won a decisive battle against Chedorlaomer and his huge army. Many believe (as I do) that Melchizedek was in reality a Christophany, or an appearance of our Lord Jesus. Regardless what you believe about Mel, the passage from Hebrews 7:1-2 answers the question (in part) as to why Jesus is the only way to everlasting peace.
It tells us that Melchizedek means, ‘King of Righteousness, ’ and then afterwards, he is called ‘king of peace’. In other words there is an order, righteousness comes before peace. The Psalm passage reminds us that Jesus is coming in the order, or ‘style’ of Melchizedek. Jeremiah 23:6 puts the icing on the cake, so to speak…
In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Only One King of Righteousness
We are not righteous; no man can be unto himself—a quick review of the Ten Commandments drives that point home. Our righteousness is His righteousness; we are, as Philippians 3:9 declares:
…Found in Him, not having (our) own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith
Only perfect righteousness leads to perfect peace and why Hebrews 6:20 rightly identifies Jesus as our ‘Forerunner’. Picture the football team bursting through the paper banner with their captain leading the charge. Better yet, envision the Temple veil being rent in two after Jesus finished the work on the cross.
NO RIGHTEOUSNESS, No Peace
I am so thankful that Jesus Christ is at the core of the Compassion program. Quite honestly, if Jesus were not the focus, I would not have joined their ranks as a volunteer or a sponsor. You see, the moment you take Jesus Christ out of the equation, the best result that is achieved is only temporary. Once a person is in Christ and Christ is in that person, the results are eternal. Please sponsor a child today.
Compassion Dave’s ‘Blog of the Day’: “Bridge to Children through Compassion, by j lee jagers”
And for consistent Compassion-related issues, please visit the Compassion International Blog daily
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