Our apostle, the apostle Paul, wasn’t just “whistling Dixie,”
nor was the Holy Spirit being “Minnesota Nice” when “Grace and Peace” was
declared in each of the 13 epistles written TO and FOR the church, the body of
Christ, in this dispensation of the grace of God. He is
telling us that God is ‘speaking’ to us in Grace and Peace, now—as opposed to
how He will be speaking to mankind after the ‘catching away’ of those of us who
believe and trust in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ as payment for our
sins. [1 Corinthians 15:1-4]
Romans 1:7 To all
that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to
you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3 Grace
be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and
from the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:2 Grace be
to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:3 Grace be
to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord
Jesus Christ,
Ephesians 1:2 Grace be
to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:2 Grace be
unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:2 To the
saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be
unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul,
and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in
God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto
you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:2 Grace unto
you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
1 Timothy 1:2 Unto
Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from
God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
2 Timothy 1:2 To
Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from
God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Titus 1:4 To
Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from
God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Philemon 3 Grace to
you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
After that, God will not be speaking so kindly. Rather,
He will be declaring war and vengeance and will go forth in wrath upon the
earth.
Revelation 6:16-17
And said to the mountains
and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the
throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his
wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Revelation 11:18
And the nations were
angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that
they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto
thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name,
small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
Don’t let another day go by without recognizing you need a
Saviour—the Lord Jesus Christ and believing the gospel of your salvation,
receiving the grace of God.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace are
ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it
is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
2 Corinthians 6:1-2
We then, as workers
together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in
vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of
salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.)
This post also serves as a great reminder of how God, in our present dispensation, is not dealing with us using chastisement, punitive judgments, or similar wrathful interventions.
ReplyDeleteHurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, diseases, etc, are the results of a sin-cursed world, not of God's punishing hand. God's wrath, as you pointed out, will come. But for now, God is extending Grace and Peace.
When personal or national tragedy strikes, so many people turn on God in anger. "God, why did you do this?!" "How could you do this to me - I am a good Christian?!"
If only these folks understood God's Plan and separate Method of Operation in dealing with His Time Past, But Now, and Ages to Come,,,,,they could remain in Grace and Peace through these difficult times.