Two Great Gifts
Two Great Gifts
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Phil. 1:2)
The Gift of Grace
When was the last time you experienced grace? When was the last time you got something totally for free, no strings attached, that you didn’t deserve or earn in any way whatsoever? It doesn’t happen often. We’re used to operating under the system of “you get what you pay for” and “no free lunch.” That’s just how things work in this world. Yet nothing is better than grace. We long for it.
The Gift of Peace
Peace is just about as rare as grace. We struggle to maintain a sense of personal peace, not to mention interpersonal peace. There are so many things in life that can rob us of peace, so peace is a gift we need and long for too.
Thankfully Paul delivers on both counts when he passes on the blessing of grace and peace from “God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” He’s not just giving us a theological treatise on grace; he’s actually offering it to us on behalf of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s a personal blessing. Imagine what it would be like to live under that blessing all day, every day. Imagine God speaking grace and peace to you and over you personally. These are biblical realities. These are gifts just waiting to be received.
Bottom Line
Grace and peace are ours in abundance. But we need to receive them by faith.