Grace to You and Peace

At Calvary Chapel Sydney yesterday, we began the study of Philippians.  Paul began by introducing himself and Timothy as bondservants of Christ and continued in verse 2:  "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."  The order of grace and peace is significant, for true peace is a product of God's grace.  There is no peace apart from the grace of God.  "Shalom" is the Hebrew word translated peace in the Old Testament and conveys peace, prosperity, and well-being.  Because the New Testament is translated from Greek, the transliteration is "eirene" which means "to join, by implication prosperity, to set at one again."  A man alone without God cannot be at peace, because he has been cut off from God because of his sin.  By the grace of God we can experience union with God through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

On the heels of the sermon, I happened to read the back of a "Tea Tonic" chamomile packet.  It vividly described the effect of drinking the tea:  "A charming simplicity created from delicate flowers, that helps calm, soothe, and gives inner peace."  All I can say is, the "inner peace" chamomile tea potentially brings is far from what is available to all in Christ.  The union of tea with my stomach does not provide any lasting peace.  There is no shortage of activities or things the world claims is a substitute for peace from God, but every single one of them is a sham.  The world is big on promoting feelings gained from various activities, but nothing the world gives lasts.  Not one thing originating in this fallen world can bring peace to the soul of a human being.  The very things we can be duped into thinking bring peace do the opposite!  More money in the bank cannot give this peace.  No job, amount of fame, sex, or recognition provides peace.  Everything we see will someday pass away and be remembered no more.

But God, who is rich and mercy, has provided peace that passes understanding and is available to all who will receive Him.  Paul reminded the church in Ephesus to hearken back to their life prior to believing the Gospel in Ephesians 2:12-19 and to consider their changed circumstances after being born again by faith in Christ:  "...that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. ¹⁷ And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹ Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God..."

No one can be truly be at peace alone, for how can we be joined to ourselves?  Our sin has separated us from God, and Christ through the Gospel is the one who makes us a new creation:  He "sets at one again."  It is foolish to imagine we can be at peace in this life surrounded by troubled people and circumstances all around us by any external means.  The only way to divine peace is through Jesus Christ and union with Him through faith.  God has given us grace, and peace is provided for all who abide in Christ.  No matter the trials and challenges God allows us to face in the future, the peace God gives is a reality we experience as we look to Him.  It is by God's grace Paul can write the exhortation found in Philippians 4:6-7:  "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."