These two words have been on my mind all day.

Here at the X3
Intern house (where I am currently living) we are fixing to start a Bible study
over the book of Romans. This morning before church I was reading the intro to
Romans in my Concordia Study Bible. It is one of those Bibles with EVERYTHING
IN IT. Like what Paul might have been thinking when he wrote it, what he had
for breakfast… okay maybe not that much info but it just gives the historical
info of the book.

All throughout the intro I kept seeing the words GRACE and
PEACE. Then eventually I began reading the actual writings of Paul to the
Romans. In the first chapter in the second half of verse 7 he says his
signature phrase, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord
Jesus Christ.”

GRACE and PEACE.

These two words are used in each of Paul’s writings. He used
these two words often. He didn’t just say them, these two words are adjectives
of how Paul lived his life. He lived in the Grace and Peace of the Lord.

You might be wondering what the heck I am talking about. You
might be saying to yourself….Grace and Peace… I get it. What is the point?

Here is the point. Grace. Peace. They are merely words. But
the difference between these words and all other words is that these words can
be lived out. You can live in the grace and peace of our Lord. But there is a
condition, you must accept them.

Every day I get e mails from people in despair. People who
have lost hope. People who have lost sight of the grace Christ has for each of
us. People who have given up on peace in their lives.

I am here to tell you the grace of Christ is real. He is
waiting for you to accept it.

Paul says this of Christ’s grace in Romans: “Thus God’s
grace means that ‘righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to
all who believe.” (Romans 3:22), “for all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that
came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:23-24)

It says it so clearly in this text, we have ALL sinned and
fallen SHORT. None of us deserve this grace, but it is freely given to us.

Something I struggled with for the longest time was the fact
that Christ’s grace was for me.

It clearly says Christ’s grace is for all of mankind. Christ
died for us all right?

I just couldn’t wrap this around my brain. I for some reason
thought I was beyond Christ’s grace. Nothing is further from the truth. You,
me, everyone on earth was given the gift of Christ’s grace the day He died on
the cross for us. It is a gift that we are called to accept.

No matter what you have done. No matter how undeserving you
think you are. No matter what you see when you look in the mirror. You are the
one whom Christ died for, you are the one who is called to receive this grace.

This brings us to peace. The peace of the Lord is something
that cannot be obtained until we accept the grace Christ has called us to
accept. These two go hand in hand. I now see why Paul always used them
together.

You sit in your chair reading this blog thinking to
yourself, “Jordy, you don’t get it. You don’t know what I have done.”

I say to you, GRACE and PEACE.

You say, “No man, you really don’t get it! I am beyond
repair!”

I say to you, GRACE and PEACE.

No matter where you are.

No matter what you have done.

No matter what thoughts you have thought.

No matter what.

Christ died for you.

Today is a new day.

You can overcome.

You can accept Christ’s grace.

You can live in peace.

You think you are beyond repair? Read the Bible. There are
murderers, adulterers, liars, and everything in between. These people are
considered men after God’s own heart.

The truth is we are all jacked up. We all have our issues.
One thing remains true throughout the ages, GRACE and PEACE.

Read Romans. It will change you.

Be blessed.

Jordy.