Pursue Peace & Sanctification

May 27th, 2026
by Lance Waldie

Hebrews 12:14-15 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.

The imperative verb “pursue” (Gr. diōkō) in v. 14 is, first, a command for Christians to chase after “peace with all men.” Also, as a present tense verb it signifies a daily quest for this peace with all men. Though this is a general command to all, it is specifically for Christians, for unbelievers are dead in their trespasses (Eph. 2:1), unable to seek God (Rom. 3:10-12). Only those indwelt by the Spirit (Rom. 8:9-11) can please God. But why would the writer exhort Christians to pursue such peace if they already have the peace of Christ? The answer is that Christians, though at peace with God through Christ (Rom. 5:1), still must strive to be at peace with one another. In spite of having been made holy by Christ when they first trusted Him, Christians still must pursue, strive after, and struggle for holiness. Though the pursuit concerns loving others and being “at peace with all men” (Rom. 12:18), this is no easy task.

Now Christians don’t just pursue peace, they pursue “the sanctification” (Gr. hagiasmos), a Greek term also translated as both “holiness” and “set apart” in English. The pursuit of peace is thus a pursuit of holiness, a life spent in pursuit of a pure, obedient life set apart from a selfish life in order to glorify God. How is such a life achieved? One way of peace is through forgiveness. After all, God is not instructing His people to be at peace with warmongers and those who hate that which his good. But in pursuing peace with those we might have grievances against, “the sanctification” is practiced—the divine fruit that only true Christians bear.

Notably, “the sanctification” is essential for one to “see the Lord” (cf. Matt. 5:8). Christians can practice this in their evangelism, for by sharing the gospel with unbelievers, they too are given the opportunity to be at peace not only with God through Christ but with Christians. Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). Being sanctified after coming to know Jesus is what evangelism reveals, for when unbelievers see Christians pursuing peace and holiness with them, they can be attracted to Jesus.

Verse 15 says, “See to it” (Gr. episkopeo)—a participle that means “to oversee,” the noun form translated in English as “bishop; overseer.” Christians are to thus oversee each other, helping one another grow in holiness. In light of v. 14’s exhortation to live at peace with all, coming up short of God’s grace in v. 15 is an exhortation to forgiveness. After all, if peace with others is hindered by anything, it is an unwillingness to forgive those who have hurt us. To “come short of the grace of God” would thus be a failure to show the same grace towards others in forgiveness as God has shown to us as believers by forgiving us our sins.

The second phrase in v. 15 confirms this, for to come short of the grace of God would mean that a “root of bitterness” has sprung up in one’s life, highlighting our unwillingness to forgive and come short of the grace of God. That root of bitterness toward one who hurt us can and will “defile” (Gr. miainō) us. It will stain our holiness and hinder our witness. We Christians must “see to it” that this never happens—not only in us but in our fellow believers. If it happens to us, we must repent. If it happens to others, we exhort them that they not fall short God’s grace.

Food For Thought
The Christian life is both a proactive and a reactive life. It is one of vigilance—looking for and being alert for those who want anything but peace. So live in peace with each other, yet refuse to tolerate troublemakers in Christ’s Church. They can defile a church in one minute. We are not to tolerate them any more so than Christ would (cf. Rev. 2:14-16, 20).