Grace and Peace

Grace is the title for God’s plan. Grace is the work of God on behalf of man. Grace is all that God is free to do for man on the basis of the atoning work of Jesus Christ in the Cross. Peace is gained from man’s response to God's grace. God the Father judging His Son on the Cross was the maximum expression of His grace. The definition of grace is unmerited favor. God does the work. Man does not earn it, deserve it, or work for it. God gets the glory. Phil. 1:2; Isaiah 30:18-19.

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:2, NASB)

“Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him. O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you.” (Isaiah 30:18-19, NASB)

Grace and Peace at Salvation

God's grace provided a Savior, Jesus Christ who went to the Cross and became our substitute. All sins were poured out upon Christ and were judged by God the Father. Because all sins were judged in Jesus Christ, sin is no longer the issue. The issue is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Rom. 4:4.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9, NASB)

“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,” (Titus 3:5, NASB)

“Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.” (Romans 4:4, NASB)

In Acts 16:31, “Believe” is grace because there is no merit involved on our part. The merit belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. He did the work. He took our place. He was our substitute.

“They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."” (Acts 16:31, NASB)

Peace at salvation is peace with God. Jesus Christ removed the barrier. Peace is a technical word for man’s response to grace. Peace can never come to you apart from grace. When an unbeliever responds by faith to grace, the result is peace with God at salvation. Eph. 2:14-18. See category on Reconciliation.

“For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.” (Ephesians 2:14-18, NASB)

God's grace and peace is given in the following verses. It is technical in order. Grace always comes before peace. Gal. 1:3; 2 Thess. 1:2; 1 Peter 1:2; Eph. 1:2; 1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Peter 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2; 2 John 1:3; Col. 1:2; Titus 1:4; 1 Thess. 1:2; Philemon 1:3.

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” (Galatians 1:3, NASB)

“Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 1:2, NASB)

“To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” (2 Timothy 1:2, NASB)

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philemon 1:3, NASB)

In Philippians 1:2, “to you” is the dative of advantage. It is to the advantage of a person to come under the grace of God. “And peace” is inner stability that always results from grace. This comes from utilization and appropriation of grace. “From” is ἀπό (apo) in the Greek and means to equal from the ultimate source or origin of grace and peace.

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:2, NASB)

“God our Father” is the first source. He is the author of the Divine plan – The Planner. “And the Lord Jesus Christ” is the second source. He executed the Father’s plan and went to the Cross which made provision for entrance into the plan of God. The Fathers absolute righteousness and justice were satisfied at the Cross.

The Holy Spirit is not mentioned in a salutation because, while the Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son, the ministry of the Holy Spirit is a behind the scenes ministry. In salvation, the Holy Spirit performs the mechanics of Positional Truth by placing each believer into union with Jesus Christ. In the spiritual life, the enabling power of the Holy Spirit in the spiritual life of the believer glorifies Jesus Christ. John 16:14.

“"He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.” (John 16:14, NASB)

The Holy Spirit is never mentioned in a salutation of 2 Corinthians, but is mentioned in the benediction in 2 Corinthians 13:14.

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14, NASB)

Every believer has tasted God’s grace at least once - at the Cross. The Cross is the maximum expression of God's grace. God did the doing and man does the receiving. 1 Peter 2:3.

“if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.” (1 Peter 2:3, NASB)

The Christian way of life was predesigned as part of God’s plan. In Romans 8:29, believers are to be “conformed to the image of His Son.” “Predestined” is προορίζω (proorizō) in the Greek which means to predesign. This is accomplished at salvation, in the spiritual life, and in eternity.

“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;” (Romans 8:29, NASB)

Grace and Peace in the Spiritual Life

Grace in the spiritual life involves prayer, undeserved suffering, the power of the Holy Spirit, spiritual growth that results in stability, divine good production and Christian service. Heb. 4:16; 2 Cor. 12:9-10; 2 Tim. 2:1; 2 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 5:12; 1 Cor. 15:10; Heb. 12:28.

“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16, NASB)

“And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, NASB)

“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:1, NASB)

“but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18, NASB)

“Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!” (1 Peter 5:12, NASB)

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:10, NASB)

“Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;” (Hebrews 12:28, NASB)

Service in the spiritual life is through grace and is a command. How? By being cleansed we are acceptable for service. Being filled with the Spirit results in the production of the fruit of the Spirit, which glorifies Jesus Christ. Eph. 5:18; 1 John 1:9.

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,” (Ephesians 5:18, NASB)

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, NASB)

The fruit of the Spirit that is the result of 1 John 1:9 is found in “joy” in 1 John 1:4, “that your joy (your personal possession) may be made complete.” Your joy is only full when there is no sin in your life.

“These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.” (1 John 1:4, NASB)

Peace in the spiritual life is also fruit of the Spirit and comes from no sin in the life and consistent use of 1 John 1:9. Gal. 5:22-23.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23, NASB)

Grace in the spiritual life is also 1 John 1:9. We don’t merit this grace. Naming our sins to God the Father is without merit of any kind. We don’t work for it. God does the cleansing. Therefore, it is grace. There is no work on our part involved.

Human pride rejects grace. Pride in the believer rejects eternal security where they think their sin is greater than God’s plan. Pride in the believer means they succumb to the pressure of adversity because they think their sufferings are greater than God’s plan. Pride in the believer results in pseudo spirituality because they think their human good is greater than God’s plan. Pride in the believer results in emotional revolt of the soul resulting in their thinking their feelings are more real than Bible doctrine.

The believer’s greatest danger is not using the grace of God by consistent confession of sin to ensure they are in fellowship, therefore within God's plan. In Hebrews 12:15, the believer “comes short of the grace of God” by not consistently using 1 John 1:9. The believer needs to keep short accounts with God.

“See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;” (Hebrews 12:15, NASB)

God’s plan for the believer is to be “conformed to the image of His Son.” In the spiritual life, this is consistent use of 1 John 1:9 which gives control of your soul to the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can produce the fruit of the Spirit through the believer advancing in the spiritual life, who is reflecting the character of the incarnate Christ when He walked on earth.

Grace and Peace in Eternity

Grace in eternity is being “at home with the Lord.” Peace in eternity is absolute inner happiness. 2 Cor. 5:8; Rev. 21:4.

“we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8, NASB)

“and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."” (Revelation 21:4, NASB)

In eternity, we are conformed to the image of His Son with a resurrection body like the Lord Jesus Christ - perfectly cleansed. Phil. 3:21.

“who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” (Philippians 3:21, NASB)