Grace and Peace to You

When you run into someone whom you haven’t seen in a while, how do you greet them? Or when you send them a letter (perhaps these days, more likely an email or message) how do you kick it off?

The New Testament is in large part a collection of letters written by people like Paul and Peter to Christians, some of whom were suffering, others were going off the rails – but all facing different challenges under different circumstances.

Yep, they had this one thing in common – the ancient world was a brutal place, occupied as it was by the Romans, ruled by a despotic and delusional Caesar who thought himself divine. They had none of the mod-cons that we take for granted today: medical and dental care, anaesthesia, soft beds, electricity, refrigerators, hot showers, air conditioning … not to mention the terrible persecution of Christians.

Yep, ‘twas a brutal place and a brutal time. And into that, one of the most common greetings in those New Testament letters goes something like this one from the Apostle Paul:

1 Corinthians 1:3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the circumstances under which these people lived, that wasn’t just some throwaway line. It was a heartfelt and very timely blessing. And where does that grace and that peace come to them (to us!) from? From God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

That’s the blessing that God has for you. That’s what He wants for you, right in the midst of your circumstances, your trials.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

That’s His Word. Fresh … for you … today.