I Peter II
…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you. ( Peter 1:2 ESV)
Goodbye
We say goodbye without thinking about what it really means. More than just an empty word uttered at departure, it literally is a mashing together of the phrase, “God be with ye.” And even that was not originally meant in the hopeful-wishful statement it sounds like. It was a statement of fact, that modern English would render: God IS with you.
In the same way, Peter is not closing the greeting part of his letter with an empty meaningless phrase. Grace and Peace are not just nice concepts.
Grace is the foundation of every Christian’s relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Peace is the result of every Christian’s relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Peter wants us to have MORE Grace. More unconditional love from God. More forgiveness. More mercy. More confidence in prayer. More change because of Christ’s work.
Peter wants us to have MORE Peace. More freedom from worry. More trust in His hands. More understanding of His plans. More security for tomorrow and for eternity.
That kind of thing should grabs our attention.