Heb. 12:14

14 Follow [dioko] peace [eirene] with [meta] all [pas] men, and [kai] holiness [hagiasmos], without [choris] which [hos] no man [oudeis] shall see [optanomai] the Lord [kurios]: KJV-Interlinear

14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. NASB

Peace results from you attaining spiritual maturity. It is the relaxed mental attitude and contentment which comes with capacity for life that accompanies spiritual growth. As you grow up spiritually, you gain not only knowledge about the world, about people, and certainly about God, but you gain knowledge about yourself. This is the source of ones self esteem, capacity for life, and orientation to everything and everyone, just mentioned above.

Pursuing peace means pursuing your spiritual life. With all men, means simply your being adjusted in your own life, adjusted with the rest of mankind, as well as reconciled to Gods plan and your role in that plan.

Sanctification is being set apart for some purpose. God sets us apart as believers in Christ. We are set apart from the rest of the unbelieving world. We are set apart from all other indifferent believers.

Positive believers in Christ, pursue their spiritual life. Positive believers in Christ, are growing up in their spiritual life. This is being set apart from all other chosen life styles by all other peoples unbelievers and negative believers alike.

Without salvation, which is obtained by believing in Christ, there is no access to Christ, or God, or eternal life for that matter.

Unbelievers all have forever life. That is what we all have when we are born into this world. Eternal life is a very specific life, one which is lived with God, and not apart from God.

Living forever gets you into the Lake of Fire and no further. Eternal life gets you into heaven.

Likewise, advancing to spiritual maturity gains you those eternal rewards which God has promised to those who actually demonstrate a genuine desire to pursue their spiritual life. This too, sets you (mature believers) apart from all other believers who don t seem to be interested in their spiritual life.

Those extra eternal rewards will not be seen by those who do not advance in their spiritual life, nor even demonstrate any kind of pattern of life style which would advance them in their spiritual life.

In order to have a relationship with God, you have to be set apart from this world. In sin, you have to be set apart through salvation. In fellowship, you have to be set apart through confession. In your spiritual life, you have to be set apart by means of the principles that guide you through your daily life. For reward, you have to be set apart by means of your spiritual maturity.

In all of this, you have to be reconciled with the knowledge that not everyone will believe as you do, not everyone will pursue life as you do, and therefore not everyone will have an eternal destiny like the one which you (as a spiritually mature believer) will have.

Some folks, perhaps some whom you probably know, will not be in heaven with you because of their unbelief. They will be gone from your life and from your memory, forever. Many folks who will be in heaven, will not have the phenomenal blessings that await you, because of their indifference toward their spiritual life. Many folks will suffer in this world because of their unbelief or indifference toward God and doctrine.

So there is only one way to be at peace with all of the realities that will occur in the future, and even the realities that will occur in history now. Many people will suffer and lose out because of their negative attitude toward God and doctrine. Your way out, just as everyone s way out of the suffering and loss of life, comes through an active pursuit of ones spiritual life.

Listen to the news that is taking place these days. Professors teach liberal and anti-patriotic ideas. Children are growing up with anti-truth ideas. They are disoriented to truth. In the past, the world was always engulfed in war when there were aggressor nations on the horizon. This was and is one means of Gods application of judgment and severe discipline. In the past, when war was not going to be an issue in a given generation, then disease or economic disasters such as famine or depressions are used to apply judgment or discipline where it is appropriate.

As a mature believer, you need not only to be aware of contemporary history and the things and philosophies that are circulating, but be aware and be prepared for the coming disasters that God will being sooner or later. Depression, recession, storms, bird flu, etc., etc., etc. There will always be hints of the kinds of disasters that God can unleash.

Your best preparation is by maintaining and continuing your spiritual growth. Don t get upset when disaster strikes, but be mentally prepared at least, and know that God will honor your faith regardless of whatever comes along in life.

You don t need to build up your supplies, nor run off to the mountains and hide. None of us know when disasters will come along. Could be tomorrow. Could be ten years from now. Persevering in your spiritual advance is your best course of action. God will take care of all of the rest of the details of your life.

Now is the time to post a prayer.