Grace and Peace to You -Study 1/19/12
Grace and Peace to You
I did some yard work today raking leaves. When I had finished, I was reminded of the grace of God since I had been meditating and chewing on it as part of our 2 Corinthians study. I really did a good job raking the leaves. When I looked around even with the wonderful job I did, I noticed that there was no way that I can or would have removed every single leaf that had fallen from the trees. The raking of the leaves is likened to the self righteous acts we do which will never be enough to satisfy the requirements of a Holy God who has said, “Be holy and perfect as I am”. God has given me a pass just because Jesus has raked the leaves of my life for me. I could not do it and neither can you. This is grace to you and me. We began by grace and we must live daily by the grace of God trusting Him for all things and times.
2 Corinthians 1
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. Paul is once again clarifying and in a way defending himself. Some have questioned his apostleship. He is making clear that it is by the will (decision, desire, and choice) of God. It was not even Paul’s choice or decision to be an apostle. He was drafted and gifted into apostleship. Recall how he became an apostle as he was knocked down from his high horse of trying to be perfect by obeying the law. Paul more that anyone knew what the law is about and trying to be perfect by the law. He gave the law his best by trying to be the best Pharisee. He knew quite well that neither he nor anyone else can ever fulfill the requirements of the law. To Paul grace meant so much because he has received much grace. His first language is grace (which appears in all his Epistles), and so to the Corinthians (and to us), he wishes and impacts grace to them.
2. Notice that grace comes with peace because they are inseparable. You cannot have peace without the grace of God. The running theme of 2 Corinthians is the grace of God which is sufficient for us. That being the case, we need to at the onset of this study define what grace is. Some have defined grace as the unmerited favor of God. Great definition but I believe it is more than that. God’s grace is the food and fuel for living both spiritually and physically. Vines defined grace as “Good will, loving-kindness, favor of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues”. The whole 2nd Letter could have ended right here after this important message “Grace to you” because the whole Letter is about God’s grace. God’s grace is not liberty to live a lifestyle of sin. Paul would remind and warn us. 1 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1).
3. Grace is only from God the father and through his son Jesus Christ. This grace is available to those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and savior and to anyone yet to believe who will call on God for help. Grace is a gift from God. Paul wrote in his first Letter to the Corinthians, “4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful”
4. Apostle Paul was convinced of God’s will and calling for his life as an apostle. We cannot all be apostles or teaches and pastors. What have you determined to be God’s will for you. Are you comfortable in what he has called you regardless of what it is? Udo, an accountant by the will of God serving God where I am now. We must be comfortable and settled in whatever God has called us so that we can fulfill the call and stop making excuses. People will question and we can be distracted by our accusers and those who do not understand us. We do not have to explain to everyone God’s calling on our lives. We only need to be convinced like Paul what it is and risk everything to serve in the capacity.
5. Notice that the letter is addressed to the saints in Corinth and the region of Achaia which is Southern Greece. Paul’s concept of church is beyond what happens in a building. Church to Paul is the living body of Christ regardless of where they are. We must embrace the same concept of the church as Paul. Paul has moved on. The days of bickering and quarreling about who is the best teacher (Paul or Apollos); doctrinal arguments such as speaking and not speaking in tongues are over and have been dealt with in the first Letter. It is all now about God’s grace that has appeared to us. We must live and breathe God’s grace and extend it to others.
6. Paul ends chapter 1 by saying 24 “Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm” (2 Corinthians 1:24). Again, Paul brings the Corinthians back to the grace which they received because through faith we have access to the grace of God. And how does faith come? Faith comes by hearing the word of God. Do we see what is at stake? The number one plan of the enemy is to stop the spreading and preaching of the word of God. It is currently happening all over the world through the intimidation of Islamic extremists. The so called “global war on terror” is nothing more than the plan of Satan to use extreme Muslims to advance Satan’s plan to stop the preaching of the liberating gospel of Jesus.
7. Grace frees us. The law whether Islamic or Christian enslaves us. Paul with the eye of the spirit was fighting this war even then. Listen to him in the closing of the first letter to the Corinthians. “8 But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me” (1 Corinthians 16:8). You can see that the opposition to the gospel did not start today. We must stand and pray for the gospel in our western world and every other part of the world because the “war” (opposition as Paul called it) is raging all over the world. Let’s pray for the hot spots (Middle East countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Sudan etc) and the not-so-hot spots (at least not obvious from the physical eyes) such as America, Britain France and etc. The world will not know peace until they experience the grace of God. This is why Paul says, Grace and peace to you and to me.
What is really at stake is not so much grace to sustain self-made comforts here on earth but the soul and eternity of humanity. As we study this second Letter of Corinthians, we will see that Paul risked all for the spread of the gospel. That is why Paul says, “grace to you” because the same grace has apprehended him and has been sufficient for him. Our neighbors (house, work, school etc) need God’s grace otherwise they can never make it here and in eternity. Let’s pray for them.
A call to action: Let us seek and embrace the grace of our Lord and preach grace and extend grace to all regardless of their belief. Let us pray without ceasing for God’s will to be done through His grace poured out. God gives grace to the humble. The best place of humility is praying and crying out to God for His mercy and grace on us and for all whom God have placed in our path. Jesus is the grace of God poured for us.
Do you need God’s grace and peace today? Ask for it. Can you afford not to? What is it that you can do on your own without God’s enablement? “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” 2 Corinthians 9:8). Father, cause your grace to abound in my life and forgive me for times I have taken your grace for granted. Amen.
I did some yard work today raking leaves. When I had finished, I was reminded of the grace of God since I had been meditating and chewing on it as part of our 2 Corinthians study. I really did a good job raking the leaves. When I looked around even with the wonderful job I did, I noticed that there was no way that I can or would have removed every single leaf that had fallen from the trees. The raking of the leaves is likened to the self righteous acts we do which will never be enough to satisfy the requirements of a Holy God who has said, “Be holy and perfect as I am”. God has given me a pass just because Jesus has raked the leaves of my life for me. I could not do it and neither can you. This is grace to you and me. We began by grace and we must live daily by the grace of God trusting Him for all things and times.
2 Corinthians 1
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. Paul is once again clarifying and in a way defending himself. Some have questioned his apostleship. He is making clear that it is by the will (decision, desire, and choice) of God. It was not even Paul’s choice or decision to be an apostle. He was drafted and gifted into apostleship. Recall how he became an apostle as he was knocked down from his high horse of trying to be perfect by obeying the law. Paul more that anyone knew what the law is about and trying to be perfect by the law. He gave the law his best by trying to be the best Pharisee. He knew quite well that neither he nor anyone else can ever fulfill the requirements of the law. To Paul grace meant so much because he has received much grace. His first language is grace (which appears in all his Epistles), and so to the Corinthians (and to us), he wishes and impacts grace to them.
2. Notice that grace comes with peace because they are inseparable. You cannot have peace without the grace of God. The running theme of 2 Corinthians is the grace of God which is sufficient for us. That being the case, we need to at the onset of this study define what grace is. Some have defined grace as the unmerited favor of God. Great definition but I believe it is more than that. God’s grace is the food and fuel for living both spiritually and physically. Vines defined grace as “Good will, loving-kindness, favor of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues”. The whole 2nd Letter could have ended right here after this important message “Grace to you” because the whole Letter is about God’s grace. God’s grace is not liberty to live a lifestyle of sin. Paul would remind and warn us. 1 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1).
3. Grace is only from God the father and through his son Jesus Christ. This grace is available to those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and savior and to anyone yet to believe who will call on God for help. Grace is a gift from God. Paul wrote in his first Letter to the Corinthians, “4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful”
4. Apostle Paul was convinced of God’s will and calling for his life as an apostle. We cannot all be apostles or teaches and pastors. What have you determined to be God’s will for you. Are you comfortable in what he has called you regardless of what it is? Udo, an accountant by the will of God serving God where I am now. We must be comfortable and settled in whatever God has called us so that we can fulfill the call and stop making excuses. People will question and we can be distracted by our accusers and those who do not understand us. We do not have to explain to everyone God’s calling on our lives. We only need to be convinced like Paul what it is and risk everything to serve in the capacity.
5. Notice that the letter is addressed to the saints in Corinth and the region of Achaia which is Southern Greece. Paul’s concept of church is beyond what happens in a building. Church to Paul is the living body of Christ regardless of where they are. We must embrace the same concept of the church as Paul. Paul has moved on. The days of bickering and quarreling about who is the best teacher (Paul or Apollos); doctrinal arguments such as speaking and not speaking in tongues are over and have been dealt with in the first Letter. It is all now about God’s grace that has appeared to us. We must live and breathe God’s grace and extend it to others.
6. Paul ends chapter 1 by saying 24 “Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm” (2 Corinthians 1:24). Again, Paul brings the Corinthians back to the grace which they received because through faith we have access to the grace of God. And how does faith come? Faith comes by hearing the word of God. Do we see what is at stake? The number one plan of the enemy is to stop the spreading and preaching of the word of God. It is currently happening all over the world through the intimidation of Islamic extremists. The so called “global war on terror” is nothing more than the plan of Satan to use extreme Muslims to advance Satan’s plan to stop the preaching of the liberating gospel of Jesus.
7. Grace frees us. The law whether Islamic or Christian enslaves us. Paul with the eye of the spirit was fighting this war even then. Listen to him in the closing of the first letter to the Corinthians. “8 But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me” (1 Corinthians 16:8). You can see that the opposition to the gospel did not start today. We must stand and pray for the gospel in our western world and every other part of the world because the “war” (opposition as Paul called it) is raging all over the world. Let’s pray for the hot spots (Middle East countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Sudan etc) and the not-so-hot spots (at least not obvious from the physical eyes) such as America, Britain France and etc. The world will not know peace until they experience the grace of God. This is why Paul says, Grace and peace to you and to me.
What is really at stake is not so much grace to sustain self-made comforts here on earth but the soul and eternity of humanity. As we study this second Letter of Corinthians, we will see that Paul risked all for the spread of the gospel. That is why Paul says, “grace to you” because the same grace has apprehended him and has been sufficient for him. Our neighbors (house, work, school etc) need God’s grace otherwise they can never make it here and in eternity. Let’s pray for them.
A call to action: Let us seek and embrace the grace of our Lord and preach grace and extend grace to all regardless of their belief. Let us pray without ceasing for God’s will to be done through His grace poured out. God gives grace to the humble. The best place of humility is praying and crying out to God for His mercy and grace on us and for all whom God have placed in our path. Jesus is the grace of God poured for us.
Do you need God’s grace and peace today? Ask for it. Can you afford not to? What is it that you can do on your own without God’s enablement? “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” 2 Corinthians 9:8). Father, cause your grace to abound in my life and forgive me for times I have taken your grace for granted. Amen.
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