Grace, Peace, and Deliverance?

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www.vecteezy.com
"Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."[1]

 

The world is getting crazier and crazier, and peace is a rare commodity. News outlets air lies made to sound like sensible truth, spewed by educated, stylishly dressed individuals, leaving us to wonder what to believe. Two factions. Two contradicting accounts of the same event, yet only one can be true. Tension rises, and anger festers between the two, and we're caught in the middle. Uncertainty chases peace out the door, and before it can slam shut, their evil schemes, cloaked in piety, sneak in to deceive.

 

Would we recognize the evil and reject it?[2] Could we be deceived, trapped by the enemy, and end up much worse off? With all the trickery of men and media, how are we supposed to discern truth?

 

Ah, God's words to the Galatians come to mind. By them, the Most High wraps us in a warm blanket, and as His loving arms envelope, anxiety melts. His still small voice whispers, "Shh, shh, My child. I've got you." And with that, we're able to breathe.

 

True believers in Jesus Christ trust the LORD with all their heart. We do not lean on our own understanding. Instead, we acknowledge Him with everything we are, and just like that, He calms us and directs our path.[3]

 

Look again at the Galatian greeting. Notice the first word Paul penned was grace. Why is that significant? We've talked many times about God's grace and its meaning, but just for kicks, let's pretend we didn't.

 

Grace, as Dr. David Jeremiah said, is God giving true believers in Jesus Christ something we never deserved. Before we knew Jesus, we thought we deserved whatever we wanted and would strive to possess it. And without hesitation, we would have bought into the lying politicians and not cared about truth at all.

 

But what didn't we deserve, and why couldn't we achieve it on our own? If it were something physical, I know we'd figure out a way to acquire it. So, it must be something beyond us, something ethereal and supernatural.

 

Galatia heard, "…our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins…" Do we care about sin? Much of the world doesn't, and that's why there's chaos. Sin separated us from God. Reconnecting with Him was something we couldn't do for ourselves, since sin has hidden God's face and closed His ears.[4]  What's a sinner to do?

 

Enter Jesus, God the Son.

 

The Father loved us so much He sent the Son into the world that through Him the world might be saved.[5] We who believed this received something we did not deserve. And because of His gift, we'd have peace with God. Grace and peace were almost always tied together in Scripture. You could not have one without the other.

 

And as priceless as grace and peace were for our salvation, the Galatians' greeting gave us one more incredible fact. Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and arose the third day "…that He might deliver us from this present evil age…"

 

I so need delivered from this evil age. I'm ready to be out of here. "Come quickly, Lord Jesus."[6] But there's one more astonishing thing: Jesus provided deliverance "… according to the will of our God and Father…"

 

Aren't we always trying to discover God's will? We are! But here, and other places in Scripture, His will was clearly stated. Jesus said it was the will of God that those who believed and received Him would be born again, or born of God.[7] Later, He stated, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." And what was God's will? "…that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing…that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life..."[8]  

 

In these chaotic times, we feel as though we're riding a roller coaster with very few smooth places. But God's will provided humans with an opportunity to receive grace, enjoy peace, and be delivered from this present evil age.

 

Church, are you ready?

 

Love in Christ,

Anita


[1] Galatians 1:3-5

[2] Romans 12:9

[3] Proverbs 3:5-6

[4] Isaiah 59:2

[5] John 3:17; John 12:47; I John 4:14

[6] Revelation 22:20

[7] John 1:12-13; John 3:7

[8] John 6:38-40

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