“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14
Peace and holiness are attributes that require willful decisions on our part. The writer of Hebrews makes plain that peace is to be “pursued”, not simply wished for. The pursuit of holiness; that is, “completeness”, also involves willful decisions not only to resist evil impulses but to actively engage in the pursuit of those virtues and deeds of mercy in the name of Christ that make our Holy Father look good to non-believers. It is a tall order, I’ll grant you, but the promises of Scripture make plain the rewards.
Do not be deceived by the worldly suggestion that our faith is a private, personal matter. Our faith is to be lived openly and in plain sight for all to see, and it is in the active pursuit of “peace” and “holiness” by which our faith is made manifest to those who lack both – not to “force” them to make a decision or live according to standards our faith demands of us, but to give them a compelling reason to want to know more.
You know the Truth. So must we order our lives accordingly.
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