Do you know grace? Do you know peace? Do you know that both grace and peace go hand in hand? Grace will always accompany peace. Would you agree with this statement? Do you know that both grace and peace are essentials in your daily Christian walk with God? Whenever you see grace, you will see peace. We all need both grace and peace in our daily walk with God. In the New Testament greetings, you will encounter these two qualities going along each other. Whenever the apostles Paul and Peter sent their greetings to the people of God, they would always include both grace and peace.

In 1 Corinthians 1:3, the apostle Paul mentioned, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” In this Bible verse, it is interesting to note that the greetings which were given to the Corinthian Church are: “grace” and “peace”. We all know that grace means undeserved favour. Grace is “Giving to us what we do not deserve.” It is unmerited kindness or favour. This is what we, as the people of God, should be extending to each other. We really need to extend grace to one another. We owe everything to God for His unmerited favour shown towards us. Likewise, we need to extend the same grace to each other. As God is gracious to us, we, therefore, ought to be gracious to one another. Even in our service to God, we serve by and with the grace of God. We need to learn much about the grace of God. We have a wonderful example through our Lord Jesus Christ shown in this Bible verse: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9). We saw Christ’s sacrificial love shown to us graciously through His death on the cross for each one of us. He died so that you and I may live. Through Him, we are made righteous before a holy God. Christ Jesus is our righteousness. (1 Corinthians 1:30). Similarly, in 2 Corinthians 5:21, we learnt that “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” All these done for and to us is really by the grace of God and of Christ. Let us abound in the grace of God. Let us not withhold any goodness or kindness from the people of God but instead, let us demonstrate these qualities willingly and freely for one another as we relate with each other in this community of faith. By doing so, we are extending the grace of God to each other. We all recognise that whatever has been given to us are really by the abundant grace of God. I have always marvelled at this Bible verse and still learning to apply it to my own life: “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV1984).

Through the grace of God, we receive the peace of God and of Christ. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1). Christ Jesus is our peace. (Ephesians 2:14). He said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Having peace in our heart and life is so essential. We cannot have real peace in this fallen world. We can only have peace when we have Christ Jesus in our heart. When we have had a relationship with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, we will have peace. Indeed, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ when we place our faith completely in Christ. Without Christ, we will not have real peace. Our hearts will not be troubled, and we will not be afraid when we accept willingly the peace which Christ Jesus has offered to us. When we make known our earnest requests to God as our supplications to Him, we will have the peace of God which surpasses all understanding. (Philippians 4:6-7). In Colossians 3:15, we were instructed to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. This means that we should extend the peace of Christ to one another. In all that we think, we say, and we do, let us be mindful of the peace of Christ. We want to live peaceably with one another in this community of faith and we should do so in order to extend and experience the peace of Christ among us. Let us be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3).

I would like to conclude with this verse in Isaiah 26:3, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” When your mind is remained on God, He will keep you in perfect peace. So, let us remember the grace of God and the peace of God as we see each other in church, extending such wonderful greetings to one another. Hence, my earnest greetings to all in True Way: “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” (2 Peter 1:2). Amen.