Peace to a Divided City

Rev. Travis Drake

Seeing the division

Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath.- Proverbs 29:8 ESV

Scoffers are a bit difficult to define. Scoffers are a type of fool. Fools are headed to death. The wise are on the path to life.

Scoffers are proud and arrogant. They will not listen to others or God. They are unteachable. They are wise in their own eyes. So how does this type of person set the city on fire? First, a city on fire is a desperate situation; it is a crisis.

The way they do this is by deceiving us. The prime example is the devil. He uses lies and decit to tempt us to greed and selfishness. That is what burns the city to the ground. When we allow greed and selfishness to reign, we turn in to ourselves. This makes us see others as our enemy.

But the chief enemy is not the person we are fighting with. It is the devil. We allowed his lie to take root. We must remember that we are not fighting truly with others but rather the devil.

Scoffers are not the only fool. There is also the slanderer. They are looking to stir up conflict. They use half truth and innuendo. They just want to see the world to burn now.

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.- Proverbs 10:12 ESV

Finally, there is hated. It is digging up past wounds. It wants to shame and tear down the offender. It brings about strife.

The book does not pretend that everything is happy and cheery. We will offend one another. The question is how we will respond.

Making peace

How do we make peace? Remove the source of division. Remove the fuel for the fire. Drive out the scoffer. Why? Because the scoffer is unteachable and will not change. This seems harsh. Remember the chief scoffer is the devil. We are called to drive him out. But we can't fight him ourselves. Why? We actually like the self glorification. We like holding grudges. The fight is not just external but also internal.

But we don't need to lose hope. God will drive him out. He will show us that he does save. How? Through the cross. Our past, present, and future sins is covered by the blood of Christ. He destroys the accusations of the devil.

How then does the city find peace? Through Christ. Jesus sends us into the city. We, the foolish, are sent to the city. And because Christ is in us, the city has peace. How does this work? We are the worse of fools. We are the scoffer and the slanderer. But in Christ, that slanderer and scoffer also died on the cross. The old you who scoffed and slandered is dead. So in Him, you will be peace.

Living out that peace

Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath. - Proverbs 29:8 ESV

We are to let go offenses as far as it depends on us. Both scoffers and wise are in the city, but the wise stand in the gap and turn away wrath. How? They bring the injustice to Christ. They leave the wrath to God. They bring those who don't know God to Jesus to increase peace.

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. -Proverbs 10:12 ESV

Love cherishes the offender as a friend to be won. It doesn't lift them up as an enemy. How? Because we look at them, the same way God looked at us. We were enemies with God, He covered our sins and He reconciled with us.

We cover over offenses. Love acknowledges the offense and covers it over. It is not that we ignore sin. We must wisely confront some sin and cover/overlook minor ones. This takes the Holy Spirit. This reflects our God.

Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. - Proverbs 19:11 ESV

How do we practically apply this?

Accept the peace of Christ

Acknowledge the enemy is not just out there but also inside. Accept that God is enough for us. Accept the Jesus is King.

Examine the peace of yourself and the city

If you have the peace of Christ, are you living like that? Do your friends know you that way? Do your kids? Do your neighbors and coworkers know?

When you see division, do you try to turn away wrath? Or do you ignore it? Or does it get you worked up? Where can you bring more peace?

Commit to living out peace

As a Christian, this is a full time ministry. We cannot opt out. The people of God are peace because God has made us at peace. We are to see offenses as opportunities to overlook them.  This is the best clothes of those who are saved, of those who have tasted God's grace, His overlooking of our many sins.