Ephesians 1:2 (ESV) “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
As the oldest child, I followed all the rules while growing up going to church. I abandoned God for many years when I could not live up to my perfectionism and self-imposed expectations. Have you ever tried to earn grace instead of accepting the gifts of grace and peace from God?
All thirteen of Paul’s letters in the New Testament begin with his favorite greeting of grace and peace. In his letters to Timothy, he adds mercy. (1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2) Other apostles, such as John and Peter, use similar greetings. (2 John 1:3; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:2)
Paul understood the importance of greetings, so don’t overlook them. His greeting of grace and peace provides a sneak preview of themes he expands later in the body of his letter to the Ephesians.
First, salvation begins with grace. We all are sinners and deserve death, the entire wrath of God. (Romans 3:23) But God, because He loved us so much, “made us alive together with Christ” and saved us by grace. (Ephesians 2:4-5)
The Greek word for grace, “charis,” means a gift or a blessing. We receive the gift of God’s grace by faith, not through anything we do on our own, but by what Jesus did on the cross. (Romans 3:24)
Christianity differs from many other religions because we cannot earn salvation by our good deeds. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 11:6) Without faith, no one can be saved from the wrath of God. But the effects of our salvation are good works, prepared beforehand by God. (Ephesians 2:10)
Peace, the second part of Paul’s greeting, is the promise of salvation. The Greek word he used here, “eiréné”, means oneness, peace, quietness, rest, and God’s gift of wholeness.
Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection reconciled us to God and killed the division and hostility between the Jews and Gentiles. (Ephesians 2:16, 3:6) So believers unify as one race, the human race. As Ephesians 2:19 states, “you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”
God’s gift of peace is the unity of humanity in the body of Christ, the church, and the family of God. (Ephesians 2:19-22; Galatians 3:26-28; John 17:21)
Jesus taught His disciples using stories of everyday life to illustrate His messages. One of my favorite stories about grace is the parable of the workers in the vineyard. (Matthew 20:1-16)
A landowner sought laborers to work in his vineyard. Those hired early in the morning received the same wages as the ones hired later. Those hired early believed the landowner should pay them more than those hired later in the day. But the landowner did precisely as he promised. Each received what they agreed upon, not dependent on the work performed.
God’s grace and peace have nothing to do with our effort or performance. If we only seek wages, all we deserve is death. Because of grace, by faith, we receive the undeserved gift of salvation. As Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Even though I abandoned God, He never abandoned me. Eventually, I realized it doesn’t matter what we do or don’t do. God freely gives us gifts of grace and peace out of His unfailing and unconditional love for us.
Prayer
Father, thank You for Your gifts of grace and peace. I do not deserve these gifts and will never do enough to earn them. I rest in your peace because I know I am Your child and You watch over me and protect me. Thank You for sending Your Son to pay the price for my sins and the sins of the world. Help me share the wonderful news of Your greatest gifts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
