Hebrews 12:14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
This verse gives one of the basic principles of the Bible. God is holy and anything in relationship to God must also be holy. Only that which is holy can be in the presence of the Holy God. Anything no holy is judged as sinful and removed. The goodness is that we can be made holy through Jesus’ blood as the perfect sacrifice on the cross. As the only worthy High Priest, Jesus opens the way to God so that we can be in the presence of God. What is the relationship of peace with everyone and holiness? Peace is one of the results of faith in Jesus. We are at peace with God through Jesus (Romans 5:1) and this peace becomes visible in our relationships with others. The author has been stressing in this chapter the need for faith in response to trials and God’s discipline. Faith continues to be in the background in this verse also. The best way to find peace with others is through holiness. However, because holiness shines purity and light into the darkness and immorality of the world, we should expect that our efforts at peace will be rejected by some people. But a peaceful response to persecution can be a witness to God’s love and grace. Peace is the result of holiness. Both are gifts from God and are part of God’s promises in Jesus. Faith is our requirement response to see these two attributes in our lives. We must response to God’s promises of peace and holiness by pursuing these. We must “strive” or seek these in our lives. They don’t happen by accident. They are evidence that God is at work in us and that we have responded in obedience. Faith in God must be put into action, otherwise it is meaningless. Peace and holiness do not happen by accident buy only through following God’s promises in Christ.
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