Daily #Devotion Series: #Philippians #Peace is only available through the #grace of God. Philippians 1:2 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This greeting, which appeared in some form using “grace” and “peace” in all thirteen of Paul’s letters, was a combination of traditional salutations in the Jewish and Greek societies. Paul begins this letter to the church in Philippi with the clear intention of not only introducing himself and providing the appropriate greeting, but with uniting them as Christians who have available to them grace and peace that only comes from God through Christ. Grace is that gift one receives due to unmerited favor. If you think you’ve done something to earn favor or reward, then you do not receive grace. Grace is given to us by God due to His own character and of His own will. We deserve His wrath. He chooses to give us His grace. If for some reason you think that you can gain God’s favor by being good enough or living cleanly enough, then you do not yet know God’s grace. Only by seeing how undeserving we are of eternity can we be the recipients of this gift. Peace, on the other hand, is the result of receiving God’s grace. True peace comes when a person knows that God’s grace has been bestowed upon him, and he thereby can live in contentment now with God, with himself, and with others. Grace and peace begin vertically, but will always extend horizontally. Those of us who know God’s grace and have peace with Him because of it will naturally seek to both show grace to others and live peaceably with them. Study/Meditation: Read Romans 4:1-8. (esvbible.org/Romans+4/). How does Paul connect faith and grace? *Father, thank You for giving me Your grace so that I can experience peace with You and with others. Help me to extend grace to others as I have had it shown to me. Amen.
Posted on: Sun, 11 May 2014 14:07:20 +0000
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