Ewald Schmidt

“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 1:2

One of God’s greatest gifts to mankind is the ability to communicate through the use of words. Each word has a meaning. But some words just have so much more impact and value in our lives.

The Apostle Paul writes to a community of believers, bound together by their faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ. He uses two of the most precious words to greet them in the Name of Jesus. The first word used as a greeting is the word “Grace”. Grace has become such a rare commodity in our harsh world. In this world we experience so little grace. One gets what one deserves, both in the positive and negative sense of the word. We have to work hard for what we earn. When we do wrong, we are punished by law. My actions in life have consequences. I get what I deserve. But grace operates outside the boundaries of that which I deserve in life. To receive grace is to be dealt with in a way I have not deserved. The grace of God has offered me a new life in Christ, despite of my brokenness and sin. Grace offers me a new future, a life filled with hope. The author of this letter is a prime example of the grace of God in action. He was known as a man who hated Jesus, and his life was filled with a fanatical will to exterminate the church of Christ, but the Lord stepped into his life one day on the road to Damascus. Paul became aware that Jesus lives, that he has conquered death on a cross. And that meeting with Christ really changed his life dramatically. God’s grace changed hate into love in Paul’s life.

The second precious word that Paul uses as a word of greeting is the word “Peace”. The peace that our Lord Jesus has given to us, is visible in different dimensions of our lives. Jesus has brought us peace with God, peace with our neighbour, and peace within ourselves. Paul states in Philippians 4:7 “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding …”

May we know the Grace and the Peace available to us, through our faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer: Lord, your grace and your peace have really changed my life. Thank you for your Word, bringing me a new life! Amen