Keep the Peace

By Sandy Ditoro

In order to have peace with God, we must do His will. Peace with God is gained by two efforts:

1. We are at peace with God when we do not have sin in our lives.

2. We are at peace with God when we eliminate the influence of sin within the realms where we have the power to do so.

If we fail to do either of these, we are not at peace with God. Our souls are in danger. Failure to obtain and guard peace in either area jeopardizes all the souls within our sphere of influence. Anyone who has any part of causing another person to be lost will not go to Heaven.

I understand how this works in the home. I keep my life pure and holy and I am at peace with God. I do not watch things on TV that I shouldn’t. I do not say things that I shouldn’t. I do not do things that I shouldn’t. I also do the things that I should.

If I have children, I am aware that I must maintain a pure environment for them so that they can grow up to be pure and holy. Failure to guard the home and keep the enemy away from our children will cost them their souls and it will cost me my soul. I lose my peace with God when I fail to guard the doors of my home to keep the Devil away from my loved ones.

We also have a responsibility towards our church family. We must be holy and pure so that we are saved and so that we will be a good example. We also must guard the doors of the church to keep the influence of sin away from the members. Leaders in the church have a responsibility to not let false teachers teach in classes, in private, through videos or other literature. Leaders in the church have a responsibility to guard the congregation from leavening influences of those who are worldly. The Apostle Paul admonished:

But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.” (1 Cor. 5:11-12)

Can we ignore this command from God and still be at peace with God? No! We cannot! Therefore undisciplined sin in the church threatens our peace with God. As members we cannot just sit back and complain when the leaders of the church are not doing their job. We have a responsibility to keep the church pure just as much as our leaders do. We will be just as lost as our leaders and our loved ones who were influenced by the evil, if we do not act upon the knowledge we have of “sin within the camp”.

We must go to the leaders and voice our concerns. Leaders respond to pressure from members and too often it is the wrong voices that are speaking in their ears. The “good” members sit quietly by in dismay watching the walls of the church crumble about them. "Good" members are fearful of being considered trouble makers when they point out sin or error. Christ died for the church! If it was worth His blood to die for it, isn’t it worth my effort, even my blood if necessary, to fight to keep it pure!

We also have an obligation toward the sinner to try to win him back to the Lord. Besides the bad influence he wields and the fact that he jeopardizes all the members because of his sin, the sinner’s own soul is bound for Hell.

Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.

Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand.

Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.” (Ezek. 3:17-21)

Each of us, yes, even us ladies, are watchmen for the church! We complain that the women aren’t allowed to do anything. Well, here is something we can do! Here is something we must do! The greatest threat to the church at this very moment are the evil associations that are creeping into our home congregations! The watchmen have either all died or are sleeping! Wake up, ladies and protect the souls of those you love! Keep the peace!