“Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ” (1Corinthians 1:3)

“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2)

The saints are greeted many times in the New Testament with these very words, grace and peace! The important thing to note is where this grace and peace come from and they come to us through God, not man! 

You might wonder why that knowledge would be so important and it is simply because we can rightly know that man cannot take true grace and peace away. God has peace with us through His Son Jesus Christ and that is why we have peace with God. The believer knows the way of peace and knows that it is only to be had in the Lord Jesus Christ, His righteousness imputed to us, true Grace!

We are to do as much as lies within us to live peaceably with all men, if it be possible. (Romans 12:18). I am to do every step that lies within me to maintain peace and if peace isn’t possible the blame shouldn’t lie with me, having done all to maintain it. Many will differ certainly on what my role would be in maintaining peace; some will say that I must believe the way they do or I destroy the peace but shouldn’t our unity be in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and cannot we then still maintain peace? The greatest step to maintaining peace, for me, is to forgive men their sins against me as God has forgiven mine; I pray that be your step as well.  

May the Lord strengthen you this day amidst the circumstances and trials of your life, may He give you a strong sense of His peace that passes all understanding and may this peace keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7) Jesus said He would be with us alway, even unto the end of the world. 

“Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen” (Romans 15:33)