Make tracks of peace and holiness

Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. In verse 14, we have another imperative or command. Pursue peace. This is probably the straight path the author had in mind in the previous verse. Let me help you see how similar this is to the apostle Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians to pursue love (1 Cor. 14:1). In 1 Cor. 12:31 Paul wrote, “And I show you a still more excellent way.” Then Paul defined the way of love with its application to the gifts of the Spirit in the body of Christ. The idea was that as you relate to one another with various gifts, make love the way you relate to one another. Pursue the greatest gift of love, not the lesser gifts. In Hebrews 12, the Holy Spirit teaches that we all have various kinds of trials in our race, and the way or the path we need to make is the path of peace. As we relate to one another with our various trials, run together in the way of peace. It’s simply another way to say pursue love or live to love with Jesus. Why do I say repeatedly, “Live to love with Jesus?” The “with Jesus” is what holiness or sanctification is all about. He is the one who sanctifies. Let me remind you of Heb. 2:11. “For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” The finish line of the race is holiness or the revelation of the glory of God in Jesus. We will be perfectly one with Jesus. In this life, we are being sanctified or becoming more and more one with His life as we cast off unbelief and fix our eyes on Jesus. Heb. 10:14 says it succinctly, “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” The finish line is perfection in Christ, and as we run the race of suffering, pursuing the paths of peace and holiness, God produces a progressing conformity to Christ.  Here’s the apostle John’s version of the same truth. 1 John 3:2-3.  Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Heb. 12:14 gives us great insight into what living to love with Jesus looks like. Pursuing peace with every kind of person in their various trials and pursuing oneness with Christ. If the readers of Hebrews were to practice (make paths) like this, they would see the Lord Jesus manifested in their midst. If a congregation isn’t pursuing living to love with Jesus, they won’t see Jesus in their midst. It’s that simple. They will simply be a religious organization or club organized around being victims of the circumstances of life. To live to love with Jesus is to pursue holiness and peace with everyone through Jesus Christ. We are united as one body, in one race, with one access through our high priest, to the grace we need because of what He has done for us. So make some tracks for those following you—the tracks of peace and holiness—or, in my words, living to love with Jesus. You will see the Lord in your midst!