Text: Col.1:1-2
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father”
* Introduction:
1) Today, we are going to come into the world of grace and peace in Christ. At August 12 2013, I had finished my pastoral ministry for 31 years of the United States of America. At that day I felt little freedom in my heart. I asked the reasons to myself. Why do I feel peaceful freedom in my heart? The first reason is to take away my responsibility for my church and the second reason is to see the world of Cambodia mission field. I thank God for the permit me the recovery of my health. So I have a spiritual dream in my future because the burden makes me to be free and to feel the abundant peace. In other words, I see the world of the grace, the world of the peace in my heart. As the Apostle blessed to the Colossian church with the grace and the peace of the Lord, we have to enter into the world of the grace and the peace. Why? Because the world is the kingdom of God that only the born again Christians can see the world. How does the Apostle explain it to us? Colossian chapter 1:1-2 mentioned to us obviously.
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sistersa in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father”.
First, what is the true blessing in the Christian life?
1) In one words, it is grace and peace. The grace and the peace is the summary of all blessing in Christ. The blessing that God created the entire world and gave them was to be prosperous, to be fruitful to please God. (Gen1:22) “God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the see, and let the birds increase on the earth.” After that, the first blessing action also was revealed in the grace of nature to Noah. (Gen9:1) “Then God blessed Noah and his son, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.” And the next blessing was expressed in the more spiritual mode obviously to Abraham. Gen12:2-2 says “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all people on earth will be blessed through you.” In this verse, we know what true blessing is? It was more wonderful blessing than the physical, material blessing. It was the spiritual blessing that was the salvation of Jesus Christ that shall be accomplished by the seed of Abraham. So at the later day, in the day of the New Testament, Paul stressed that every Christian received all spiritual blessing in Christ. (Eph.1:13) “Praise is to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed in the heavely realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” So, we believe that all Christians know the original blessing, see the world and enjoy it deeply in the world.
2) Look at the verse 3. The Apostle summarizes the blessing we can enjoy after we were saved shall be the grace and peace in Christ. The grace is the present without paying any price and the peace is the fruit that the grace products in our lives. Concretely, according to the new testaments grace. The first present is remission (redemption) and the next present is Holy Spirit and His grace.
(Eph1:7) “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. And (Luke 11:13) “If you then though you are evil, knowhow to give gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” So the apostle can assure that the kingdom of God is the righteousness and peace and delight in Holy Spirit. (Rom14:17) This is the important promise of our Lord, Jesus Christ in the world that makes us to meet much tribulation.
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And the peace is the fruit that comes automatically to us after we receive the grace. The kingdom of God has the order, the abundance, the stability and the brightness. Actually it is Immanuel that is the blessing of blessings. When God be with us, we shall have the grace and the peace. And also we can see the world of the peace.
We can read these things in the Scripture as followings;
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As the Israelite occupied the promised earth, Canaan by their faithful obedience, they should enjoy the rest that is the peace in their lives. Joshua 21:44 says “The Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their forefathers.” Who provide the peace to them? Only God gave it as wonderful gift to them.
– When we serve the Lord from tomorrow to the end of August 2013. For the woman leadership seminar and pastoral educational seminar, make sure the grace and the peace in our heart. To enjoy the peace in our heart is more important in our ministry. Let’ us enjoy the peace of the service towards God, although we have many troubles in our actual life.
Second, where do the grace and the peace come?
1) It comes out of only Trinity God that is, the father God, the Son God and the Holy Spirit God. The Father God planed the salvation, the son God accomplished it and the Holy Spirit God applies it to every person. So we received the wonderful salvation. We try to abide in the Lord every day, every moment, because we see the world of grace and peace and because we enjoy the righteousness, the peace and the delight in the Spirit. Although we fall down in the suffering state and also meet the struggling problems in our lives, we live in the blessing world, in the gracious world and in the world of peace that God outpoured on us in Christ Jesus.
2) Recently as I read II Chronicle in the Old Testament, I found how important to know the source of grace, peace and power.
II Chronicle 26:5 says “He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.”
Although a king had much good condition in that day, if he ignored the source of all blessing, he was corrupted in the sin. Finally God paid what he obeys to the Lord in detailed. Now the principles are same in the contemporary day…
My beloved saints, remember the source of the grace and peace in our lives, whatever you stay any situation do not worry about that. And approach to the source as the well. Surely God shall provide grace and peace to you. II Chronicle 16:9 says “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those who see hearts are fully committed to him.” Now we devote ourselves to the source, our God and his Words. We shall know the only God is true source. How does He treat to us? How shall He pour out the wonderful grace and peace to us? Jeremiah 33:3 says “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Do you believe in it?
Third, to whom did God promise the grace and the peace?
1) As the fifth commandment promised, the grace and the peace are not all people but to the chosen people, the church, every Christian. Verse 2 says “to the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossi.” And also the text points that they are the limited persons, the saints and faithful brothers in Christ. Whenever we obey the Word of God to some small thing humbly in faith by admitting the Lordship of Christ, surly we can meet the world of the wonderful grace and peace.
2) According to a record, Cambodia is the one of beautiful nations that has natural environment. As we know Angora Watt is the famous work. I had watched the great scene in the internet. Although many people visit to it, if he does not believe in Jesus as his savior, he cannot know the world of true peace. If we are one of chosen people in the world, we have the world of grace and peace.
My beloved saints. Do not ignore to this wonderful privilege. God is waiting for you and your prayer. God prepared everything for you. The owner of the great banquet invites you to come into the world of grace and peace that any enemy cannot deprive out of our heart. (Rev3:20)
When we meet many people we have to keep the peace and share it to our neighbor.
Conclusion:
As we know, Mary chose to listen to the Word of God. Jesus pleased the attitude very much. Why? Because she know to enjoy the real blessing, grace and peace in Christ. Sometime we cannot feel the grace and the peace. But we should admit that the source is not able to be moved obviously. We believe in that. May the grace and peace be with you forever?
Although you have much struggle in the school life. Remember that you see the world of grace and peace in Christ. Therefore we have to pursue the source of the grace and peace, God and His Words. At the hot day if we stay in the Word of God, we can taste the wonderful peace. God bless you. (8.8.2013)