Two Wonderful Words In One Sentence! (Colossians 1:2)

“May God our Father give you grace and peace” (Colossians 1:2b, NLT)

God’s grace and God’s peace. Two wonderful words in one sentence! What is God’s grace? It is God’s love for the undeserving. By grace, He has called guilty sinners and made them into saints (see Colossians 1:2a). Such grace as this can only be appreciated when we take a good look into the mirror of God’s holiness and realize how absolutely undeserving any human being - you and I, especially - is to be chosen of God. Also, God’s grace is free. But it is free only because our Lord Jesus Christ has borne the cost of our sins and guilt on the cross.

Last year, I read a wonderful book by Philip Yancey entitled What’s So Amazing About Grace? I underlined a few sentences on page 70. This is what Yancey wrote, “Grace makes its appearance in so many forms that I have trouble defining it. I am ready, though, to attempt something like a definition of grace in relation to God. Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God loves us more - no amount of spiritual calisthenics and renunciations, no amount of knowledge gained from seminaries and divinity schools, no amount of crusading on behalf of righteous causes. And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less - no amount of racism or pride or pornography or adultery or even murder. Grace means that God already loves us as much as an infinite God can possibly love.” Now, let me warn us: don’t misuse God’s grace. Only after you look into the mirror of God’s holiness and Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, then, you can fully appreciate what Yancey is describing here.

With grace comes God’s peace. Peace with God is salvation but the peace of God is experienced. Both are the result of God’s grace. Paul writes in Romans 5:1-2, “[Therefore] since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into the place of undeserved privilege where we are now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” Once we have peace with God, then we experience the peace of God. That means we can rest and trust in Him in and with all things. I said to my friend one morning, “I don’t want to die early. I’m curious how I will die, Lord, have mercy! But I’m not afraid to die.” Call it supernatural faith… call it the peace of God!

Thank you Father for Your grace and peace that you gave to the saints “in Christ” (Colossians 1:2a). Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.