GRACE, PEACE, AND PRAISE

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God in Corinth, together with all His holy people throughout Achaia:

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

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

2 Corinthians 1:1-3a

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

What would be some of the things that you would wish for a person or people to have in their lives?

As we look at the world we live in and all the negativity and difficulties existing, I think we would always want to trend toward positive experiences for others.

The Apostle Paul was one who liked to trend positive as he wrote his letters to the Christian churches. Yes, there were times when his language was corrective as he only wanted the best for each and every body of believers but for the most part, Paul was an encourager by trade. He wanted the churches to remain in a healthy spiritual mind as they went about doing the Gospel work Christ called them to do.

As we look at the opening verses to Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian Christians, we find him starting out with a greeting full of well wishes for his brothers and sisters in the “church of God in Corinth” as well as all God’s “holy people throughout Achaia”, the Roman province where Corinth was located. This area would be known as southern Greece today.

So what does Paul hope for the Christians in Corinth and Achaia?

We find three specific things, three things we should all hope for one another.

First, we find him wishing grace to them through God the Father and Jesus, His Son.

I think sometimes we can lose sight of the matter of grace as we get entrenched in this thing called life. Circumstances can take our hearts and minds away from the fundamental truth that God so loved us that He didn’t want us to perish in our sins but rather to have the chance to be pardoned, saved in such a way where we could be blameless and abide with Him forever. And so He gave up His only Son Jesus as an atoning sacrifice to pay the price and penalty we deserved. He did so willingly, not out of compulsion, and then placed only one condition on gaining salvation: belief. Anyone who would believe in Jesus as Savior would be saved.

Note that this gift of everlasting life was granted to us even though we didn’t deserve it. Through the redeeming work of Jesus, not anything that we have done, we are given grace and it truly is, as the old hymn attests, amazing.

When we take full account of the matter of grace, we find the second thing that Paul hoped for the Corinthian believers: peace.

Understanding the unearned, unmerited, undeserved gift of grace and the eternal hope that comes with it through Christ Jesus, sets a person free from fear of dying or anything else for that matter. For whatever life might try to bring in the present, a Christian’s future is already set. The last chapter of their life is already written and it’s the best ending ever. This should bring us to a place of peace and I know that’s a mindset I have chosen to be intentional about now right up to that day when I draw my last breath and my heart stops beating here on earth. Through Christ, this worldly life is not the end but rather a precursor to a life that will be exceedingly greater and that assurance brings me peace, the kind of peace Paul wished for the Corinthians.

Grace and peace. Two wonderful gifts we receive through our Christian belief and these should lead us to the third and final thing Paul wanted the Corinthian church to do and that was to be in a spirit of praise toward God and Jesus.

When we fully grasp the depth of what God and Jesus have done for us, how could we not express our gratitude in overflowing fashion?

Just think of what the alternative would have been if God had not offered up His Son Jesus to save us and I think you will find yourself get to the right state of thanksgiving.

Both God and Jesus gave up so much for us, sinners that weren’t worthy of anything. They offered us grace that brings us peace and through these unjustified gifts bring us to a place where we need to be eternally grateful and appreciative.

This is the atmosphere Paul wanted to create as he opened his second letter to Corinth. I hope you’ll continue to join me daily as we see what else he has to say to them and to us.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com