SCRIPTURE:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Galatians 1:3-5
OBSERVATION:
Today, we begin the book of Galatians, also known as Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. As an apostle, Paul wrote letters to teach, encourage, correct, and guide the Early Church in how to live out the Gospel of Jesus in the decades following His death and resurrection. And as Paul does in all 13 of his New Testament letters, he begins his letter to the Galatians with “grace and peace to you.” Why does Paul do this? Is it merely a nice catch phrase, or is there something deeper beneath it?
Paul begins his letters with “Grace and Peace” because it is the perfect summary of the Christian faith.
1. The Blending of Greek and Hebrew Cultures
Grace, or “charis,” was a common greeting in Greek culture. Likewise, peace, or “shalom,” was a common greeting in Hebrew culture. Thus, by putting them together, Paul is uniting both Greek and Hebrew and welcoming both Jews and Gentiles into the conversation. This is Paul’s way of saying “all are welcome.” Because remember––prior to Christ’s death, God’s covenant focused only on the Jewish people. However, after His death, His personal covenant relationship was made available to all people. By combining Greek and Hebrew greetings, Paul addresses both Jewish and Gentile believers, signaling that they were all equal members in the new family of God.
2. The Intentional Order
Grace and peace is the trajectory of the Gospel. Grace is God’s undeserved love, forgiveness, and unmerited favor. It is something we could never earn or deserve, yet God still freely extends to us through Jesus Christ. Peace is inner wholeness, freedom, and a restored relationship with God. It is what we experience when we receive God’s grace through faith. Grace is what God gives. Peace is what grace produces. Grace, then peace, is God’s desire for humanity––for grace leads to peace.
3. The Theological Lens for the Letter
“Grace and peace” is the lens through which God’s New Covenant makes sense. Paul was preaching the implications of God’s New Covenant to people living in a world deeply shaped by the Old Covenant and the Law. Under the Old Covenant, Israel’s covenant life was governed by the Law of Moses. Obedience brought covenant blessings, disobedience brought covenant consequences, and sacrifices were the pathway for forgiveness and restoration. But the New Covenant introduced something groundbreaking: Christ fulfilled the Law. Our standing with God was no longer achieved through works or performance; righteousness became received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The Law showed us what righteousness requires; Grace gives us the righteousness we could never achieve. Simply put, you cannot understand the New Covenant without understanding grace and peace. “Grace and peace” are the glasses that bring clarity to a message that would have been easy to misunderstand. “Grace and peace” is the new guidance for how to live. As many of Paul's letters contained hard truths, corrections, or rebukes to the church, “grace and peace” reminded his readers that regardless of their faults or failures, their lives were already secure in Christ. Their failures did not change what Christ had accomplished. Their correction wasn't an invitation to earn their way back to God; it was an invitation to live in light of what Jesus had already done. “Grace and peace” was the starting point from which everything that followed should be understood––for there was grace for their mistakes and peace as they continued to pursue Him.
APPLICATION:
Grace and peace to you.
Today, God reminds you that there is grace for you. He doesn’t expect you to be perfect. He doesn’t hold you to a standard that you can never achieve. There is grace. So die to the Law. Stop striving and trying to meet all of its requirements. Instead of avoiding failure, focus on living for God. As Paul writes in Galatians 2:16-20 NLT, “a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law…when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
Oftentimes, we extend grace to others, forgetting that it’s also ours to receive too. Grace isn’t just available for other people; it’s available to you too. So receive it. Yes, you can't earn it. Yes, you can’t afford it. Yes, you don’t deserve it––but it wouldn’t be grace if you could.
Receive His grace. Then live in His peace. Because through the Cross, Jesus has reconciled us to God and given us access to His presence. We don't have to strive our way into His presence or earn our way back when we fail. In Christ, sin, death, and not even the devil can separate us from His love. So pursue Jesus. Rest in His presence. Let grace and peace be the reality of your life and the lens through which you see others.
For “grace and peace” isn't just a greeting––it is the Gospel in three words.
PRAYER:
God,
Thank You for Your grace, thank You for Your peace, and thank You for Your blood that purchased the right to both for me. Today, I receive Your grace, especially where I need it most. I receive Your peace, especially in the areas that cause me stress and anxiety. And I let grace and peace be the reality of my life. I love You, Lord. Thank You for loving me.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
