I Corinthians 1:3
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
This is Paul’s customary greeting. I would normally ignore it to get to the point of the letter. However, the longer I walk with Christ the more I appreciate those words.
Grace is the first word because it’s grace that’s needed for all that God does for us. None of His actions are owed us. Quite the opposite, we deserved death. John 3:16 explains it, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”
What is grace? Several definitions come to mind. Unmerited favor is one. God has favor on us because He loves us. We didn’t earn it. I look back at those in which I had favor. My mother was the first and best. I can see and feel the warmth of her smile. I can rest in that. She always believed in me. She always prayed for me. I’m not familiar with her worries. I certainly gave her plenty to worry about. There were others that liked me and were for me. All pale in comparison with how God feels about me.
Psalm 139:17,18 says, “How precious also are Your thoughts for me, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.” This is amazing. Thank You, God for Your favor.
The second part of Paul’s greeting is peace. This is more than the absence of conflict. Philippians 4:6,7 is a great passage on His peace, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” His peace is a blanket He puts over us as we are right with Him.
Step one is to accept Christ as our lord and savior. He would give it then. We also must walk in obedience to Him. He will remove that peace if we are ignoring Him. The normal state of the believer is to be walking in and abiding in that peace. It’s wonderful. It’s better than any emotion or high we may experience.
God’s peace is what we experience by being reconciled with God. Like walking into a room and getting close to the heater. We feel that comforting warmth. So, getting right with God provides that peace.
I like the words in the above passage. His peace will guard your hearts and minds. That should be our natural state. The passage begins with sensing anxiety. We aren’t to give in to it, but to pray. We are giving the burden to Him, as He asks. He will take it. He gives us His peace as an answer to prayer.
His peace is so wonderful. It’s an ever present reminder of His presence. Much like an angry person breeds anxiety in those he encounters, so God gives peace to His children.
These are wonderful words to be greeted with. The knowing believer accepts these and is comforted by them.