Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
I Peter 1:2
Grace and peace. This represents from the epistolary writings of the New Testament a very familiar greeting and blessing from pastor to church. Churches in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae, and Thessalonica, all received this blessing from the Apostle Paul. To Titus and Philemon, and from Peter to churches in Asia Minor, the same blessing echoed. Even from the book of Revelation, this same greeting and blessing endured. And today, we receive from those sacred Scriptures the same blessing: “grace and peace.”
Grace and Peace. This represents the blessing spoken over the first century church, and this blessing must be grasped its depth by the church today, for something spoken so systematically is indeed significant for this very moment in the lives of God’s people.
Grace represents the undeserved merit of Jesus offered to all who trust Him. This gift comes through the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross, and this gift represents our being made righteous in God’s sight by what Jesus accomplished through His death. This is grace!
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. (Titus 2:11)
Peace represents the reconciliation accomplished through the grace of Christ our Lord, and through His effectual death and resurrection. We have inner peace – our reconciliation with God.
And through Him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation.(Colossians 1:20-22)
We also have the external peace with one another in the Body of Christ.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)
God has given us peace with Himself through Jesus. We also have peace with one another. And, this is only possible because of His grace. So, speaking the blessing of grace and mercy over God’s people was not simply a written formula for the epistles of old. This represents the grandest acknowledgement of wellbeing, the highest hope for others, and the loftiest prayer for which we can pray over one another.
So today I say, “grace and peace” to you in abundance. May God’s goodness flow over you exponentially, and may His grace and peace abound more and more in your life with each passing day.
Blessings!
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Read I Peter 1:2-12 and be joyfully reminded of the blessings of salvation in Christ.
