Verse 14
Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord.
Follow after is translated "pursue" by some and carries with it the idea of diligence and urgency, "peace" being personified here and designated as the quarry which people are to pursue.
Peace with all men is the objective of Christians at all times and places. Jesus gave his blessing to the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9), and Paul commanded believers to be at peace with all men, "if it be possible" (Romans 12:18). The same qualifier, as to its possibility, is present by implication here, since both peace and sanctification are to be sought, and since true holiness sometimes makes peace difficult if not impossible of attainment.
Sanctification is a reference to practical holiness as manifested by the pure and virtuous lives of God's children, being that state of life at the opposite pole from the sins enumerated in the next verse. It does not refer to any so-called second blessing, or special endowment of the child of God, making him invulnerable to temptation, or giving him any advantage not enjoyed by all Christians.
Without which no man shall see the Lord ... These words show the vital necessity of the peaceable and holy lives of Christians. The holy life is not an elective or optional matter for Christians, but is demanded and required of all who hope to enter heaven. Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8); none others need apply.
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