Psalm 34:14: Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
Isaiah 26:3: You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you
Ephesians 2:14: For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
Colossians 1:20: And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross
Ephesians 4:3: Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
1 Corinthians 14:33: For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. We shall always have conflict. The heart of man is sinful and deceitful. The good news is we have a standard bearer. …show more content…
Proverbs 19:11 tells us that we have latitude to defer our anger and pass over someone’s transgressions. The litmus test Sande uses is, if you can answer “no” to all of the following questions-is the offense seriously dishonoring God; has it permanently damaged a relationship; is it seriously hurting other people and is it seriously hurting the offender themselves-then overlook the offense. However, if you answer “yes” to any of these, then the offense is too serious to overlook and must be dealt with scripturally. Always remember the goal is restoration and the offender has to be in serious rebellion before it becomes a matter for the church as a whole to deal …show more content…
He forgives us and through the cross, has provided the way to ultimate reconciliation. Our God expects us to forgve others in the same manner. Colossians 4:13 says we are to forebear “one another and” forgive “one another. If any man has a quarrel against any (of you)-even as Christ forgave you, so you do likewise.” Sande writes that the problems inherent in rebuilding a relationship while attempting forgiveness and reconciliation can be reduced by utilizing three levels. The first is “in thought”, where you replace negative thoughts with positive ones. The second is “in word”, where you make the effort to speak well of the person who offended you and stay away from spiteful gossip. The third level is “in deed.” Jesus teaches in Luke 6:27-28 to love our enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those that curse you and pray for those who spitefully use you. It is good to keep in mind that forgiveness is a spiritual process. It is a process you cannot do on your own. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). Sande writes about the four promises of forgiveness. They