Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3

This verse is what we call the “Apostolic Greeting.” It was used often by the Apostles when they wrote letters to churches or individuals. Let’s take a look at it.

Grace means the unmerited favor of God; the kindness of God; the beauty of God shown in His desire to forgive us and restore us to Himself.

Peace is the result of the reconciliation that we find when we receive His grace. I’m at peace with Him now instead of being in rebellion against Him, because I’ve been forgiven for Jesus’ sake, and I have peace in my heart because of that reconciliation with Him. Now, I can rest.

God our Father is a concept unique to the Judeo-Christian faith. It’s mentioned in the Old Testament but made crystal clear in the New, where Jesus Himself presents God as our loving Father in heaven who created us and wants us to relate to Him with the reverent fear, love, and trust that beloved children have for their dear father.

The title the Lord, often used in Hebrew as the name of God (as in the daily prayer, Adonay Eloheynu, “Oh Lord our God”) is applied to Jesus. It means the Sovereign One who rules over all, and particularly over us, now that we are reconciled to Him by His grace.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you today, dear brother, dear sister, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord, let this blessing rest on all who read this today. Amen.

Pastor Dan Giles