Hope with Grace – Part Four
Immediately following His resurrection, Jesus meets up with friends and disciples and His word to them is, “Peace”. This is His confirmation that He has freed them from sin’s pollution, penalty and power. It is a proclamation that grace and peace leading to hope have been established in Christ.
In this one-word greeting He is saying, “I have cancelled your sin, I have redeemed you; I have paid the penalty for all the sin you’ve ever done or will do.” This is the grace that brings us peace and gives us certain hope.
Jesus promised this peace:
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”[1]
Every time we think we have to “do” something for God’s favour, we become slaves again. we are saying, “Christ died for nothing!” When we ignore God’s grace, we lose peace and we lose hope.
This peace and hope through grace is the genuine well-being that comes from God, the wholeness that flows from a relationship with Him.
So, Paul begins all of his letters in the same way, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
Peter confirms this understanding. He says plainly:
“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. [2]
This means that we need to pray for one another, for our students, that they will know and grow in grace and therefore peace, which secures our hope. Importantly, we need to share the Scriptures with them because that is the way that this embracing of grace, peace and hope will grow.
Praise God for his grace, shalom peace and hope that we can have because of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Father you are the source of all grace, mercy and peace. Thank you that you have secured our relationship with you through your Son and witnessed to us by the Holy Spirit. We pray for our young people that they would know the assurance of hope and security to be found in your grace and peace. Amen”
Blessings, Brian
[1] John 16:33
[2] 2 Peter 1:2