“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:7).

Grace and peace.

This is typical of the Apostle Paul’s greetings, and they always come in that order: grace and peace. You would think peace should sometimes lead the way. Why does it always have to be grace and peace? Why can’t it be peace and grace?

The reason for this is because peace is impossible without God’s grace. Let me explain.

The peace – becoming whole, becoming one, being put back together, well-being – these things are all the result of grace. No grace, no peace. Peace is the by-product of grace.

You want peace in the world? Give them Jesus!!!

Only when we have been graced by the love of God through Jesus can we have peace. Only by having our sin problem dealt with can there be peace.

Grace and peace.

Always in that order.

 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

This week, we will be looking at the third characteristic listed in reference to the fruit of the Spirit – peace.

The Greek word for peace is eiréné (pronounced i-ray’-nay). The direct meaning of the word is: one, peace, quietness, rest, wholeness.

The Greek word for peace is derived from the root Greek word eirō. This verb literally means to tie together into a whole that which is scattered. It means to join to make whole.

The peace that the New Testament speaks of is not the absence of difficulties, trials, or tribulations. The peace that the New Testament speaks of is the ability to tie together all the broken and scattered pieces together to bring it to wholeness, oneness, so that there is rest, quietness…peace.

I love that! The world you and I live in is broken and scattered. God’s peace is not an escape from this broken and scattered world. The peace that God offers us in Jesus Christ is the ability to bring broken and the scattered things of this world to make it whole again, to give it rest, to make it one.

God’s peace is not an escape from this world. God’s peace is the antidote and the vaccine for all that is broken and scattered in our world. God’s peace is the only way broken and scattered things can be whole again.

That’s what God offers you and me in his peace. That’s the peace we get to offer to our broken and scattered world.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer” (Romans 12:12).

I have a confession to make.

I am really tired of this Covid-19 pandemic. I am frustrated and tired. I don’t want to be socially distant anymore. I don’t want to worry about getting sick anymore. I don’t want to worry about our members getting sick anymore. I am tired and frustrated.

Ok. Glad to get that off my chest.

Here’s the thing: it doesn’t matter what I think or how I feel about the Covid-19 pandemic. Whether I like it or not, it’s still here. This is still our reality and there’s not a darn thing I can do to change the pandemic and its social consequences.

However, there is something I can change. I can change my attitude.

It’s precisely in such situations the Apostle Paul writes to the Romans, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer” (Romans 12:12). The letter to the Romans is one of Paul’s final letters. Paul is most likely writing this letter in prison. Death is a certain possibility for Paul. That’s when he writes this charge.

• Rejoice in hope
  • This isn’t an empty rejoicing. This is rejoicing in the absolute certainty of the hope of Christ.
  • That Christ wins, that the Kingdom wins, that the darkness is defeated, that satan loses, these are all certainties.
  • That is the source of our hope.
• Be patient in suffering
  • Don’t you hate it when someone tells you to be patient?
  • Suffering always sucks. It’s never pleasant. It’s never fun. It’s always miserable.
  • But that’s why we need to be patient. Suffering has an end. It is not enduring. There will be better days.
• Persevere in prayer
  • This is kind of like “be patient.”
  • When things are tough, don’t give up. Most importantly, don’t give up praying. Praying itself is the posture and the expectation that the current suffering is not right. Praying is the posture of one who knows that there are better days.
  • So, stay at it. Keep praying. Don’t ever give up. Keep on praying.

Rejoice. Be Patient. Persevere.

This too shall end. There will be better days.