The first declaration of war is recorded in Genesis 3:15, by God Himself.
The greatest conflict ever recorded in history began with Adam’s sin, that moment, described as ‘the fall’.
A man who was in harmony and at peace with his God, who spoke beautiful poetry the first time he saw his wife, shows remarkable change because of the fall. Sin touched every part of man, permeating every part of his being. For the first time, they felt shame, alienation, fear, and guilt and in their sin resorted to self-justification. (Gen. 3:7-12)
We are at war
We are at war, spiritually speaking. Genesis 3:15 divides mankind into two parties, the seed of the serpent and the seed of promise. The serpents’ seed are all who retain Eve’s pre-conversion hostility to God.
Scripture is very clear, the source of conflict on earth is due to the evil heart of man (James. 4:1-2, Matt. 15:19). Because the heart is evil it wants to make war. Removing weapons will not remove the threat of war, because the heart will create ways and opportunities for war.
But with the first declaration of war came the protoevangelium or the first prophesy proclamation of the gospel (Gen. 3:15). God says to the serpent “I will put enmity (extreme hatred) between you and the woman” speaking of a change of heart. He will awaken the conscience of the seed of the woman, and that group that once believed the lie will recognize the lie of the serpent, and their hearts will be attracted back to God. Through the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David, this long-awaited Seed of the woman was none other than The Christ or Messiah – King Jesus.
The price for peace
Adam and Eve’s sin brought hostility between them and God. Romans 5:12 tells us that, through Adam, sin entered the world and so death was passed on to all men (Rom. 3:23, Ps. 51:5). So everyone born of Adam is a sinner and therefore an enemy of God.
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. – Col. 1:19-20
Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. – Eph. 2:12-16
Both Colossians 1:19-20 and Ephesians 2:12-16 have to be read with Genesis 3:15 in mind. This is what the Apostle Paul is writing about. God did not say His Seed would excuse or make life easy for the seed of the serpent. No, God said He would crush the serpent’s head. And so it pleased God, to bring reconciliation and peace through the blood of the cross (Is. 53).
Peace is not the absence of strife, conflict, or war, but is the presence of the righteousness and goodness of Christ imputed to us.
The Prince of Peace
Jesus stood between two warring parties and satisfied something essential for true and lasting peace. God’s justice had to be satisfied, His wrath had to be appeased and the sin debt fully paid. Peace between two parties is not possible without reconciliation – to make that relationship right again.
This is where both Colossians and Ephesians make it crystal clear. Only the cross could accomplish it. Completely.
Peace is not the absence of something (strife, conflict, or war), but is the presence of something – the righteousness and goodness of Christ imputed to us.
Peace is not a truce. Jesus provided the righteousness that made peace possible. In the midst of the greatest injustice and violence came the greatest peace as Christ hung on that tree and cried out ‘It is finished’ removing the guilt of sin (Heb. 10:17-18).
The cross creates peacemakers
The very peace Jesus affected in our lives becomes the very essence of us becoming peacemakers. King Jesus, our Prince of Peace (Is. 9:6) identifies Kingdom citizens calling them sons of God, by their character of peacemaking.
- Christians are called to pursue this ministry of peacemaking in the community.
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. – 2 Cor. 5:18
The gospel is good news because the gospel is a message of peace. The apostle Paul begged those in Corinth on behalf of God – ‘Be reconciled to God’. So every Kingdom citizen carries with them the gospel of peace, for God in His wisdom has chosen to appeal to sinners through His Kingdom citizens.
The Apostle Paul in Romans 10:14-15 says,
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent…
And then in part quotes Isaiah 52:7 which says;
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
- Christians are called to pursue this ministry of peacemaking among believers.
Every New Testament church was filled with disputes, division, and problems. Corinth was divided into Paul, Apollos, and Jesus factions, and they were proud and indifferent toward sexual sin. The church in Rome was failing to walk in love by putting their personal preferences above their fellow brothers.
Church conflict is ultimately never about whose right & wrong. It’s ultimately about lordship and submission. It’s about people who have stopped being the body of Christ. The church in Rome had stopped living in the reality that they were connected to one another.
What makes us the body of Christ is not that we believe the same doctrine, that we practice the same guiding principles, or that we hold to the same personal values.
No! What makes us the body is that we share in common the vital and eternal union with Christ. We are not part of the body until we are united to Him. He is the head of the Church.
This is what distinguishes us from other assemblies, and an important truth as to why we gather as a body. It’s not because of an absence of sin, on the contrary, we come with the purpose of dealing with our sin.
Our sin affects the body of Christ, but sadly churches today allow no one to be a sinner. Sinners are looked down on, so everyone hypocritically builds a façade or form of righteousness hiding sin. Confessing sin is a vital part of the gospel (James 5:16), but this does not mean one has to stand up and publically confess all sin. No, as James points out, we are to confess our sins with mutual honesty and openness enabling believers to uphold one another in the spiritual struggle.
Peacemakers delight in giving forgiveness
Kingdom Citizens who understand and delight in God’s forgiveness delight in giving forgiveness to others. Forgiveness brings peace to the body of Christ i.e. the church, and we make peace by way of the cross (Luk. 7:41-50)
King Jesus is showing us how to identify a child of God. It’s those who make peace, and there can be no peace without forgiveness. Forgiveness from God, and then forgiveness toward one another.
a bruised reed 