I’m no scholar, but if I were, I might tell you that it was customary in the ancient Near East to begin personal correspondence by stating the letter writer’s identity up front.  The format might begin with the author’s name, add a bit of distinctive information to differentiate the sender from others with similar names, and cap it off with a special greeting to the intended recipient(s).  A brief introduction, summarizing the subject of the missive was not uncommon.

The great apostle and globe-trotting missionary Paul of Tarsus, followed this basic framework.  Is this bit of trivia supposed to interest you?  No—at least, not yet.  But it may interest you to know that there was a startling consistency in the way that Paul saluted his pen pals.  The formula included “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  This same salutation appears in Paul’s letters to the churches at Rome (Romans 1:7), Corinth (I Corinthians 1:3, II Corinthians 1:2), Galatia (Galatians 1:3), Ephesus (Ephesians 1:2), Philippi (Philippians 1:2), Colossae (Colossians 1:2), and Thessaloniki (I Thessalonians 1:1, II Thessalonians 1:2).  Paul also used it in both his personal letters to Timothy (I Timothy 1:2, II Timothy 1:2), and in his letter to Titus (Titus 1:4), adding a new element, “mercy.”  Here we see a dozen apostolic letters, and a dozen times the greeting is grace and peace.

Paul was not alone in this.  The Apostle Peter’s letters to Jewish and Gentile Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor used very similar language: “…Grace unto you and peace be multiplied” (I Peter 1:2) and, “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you” (II Peter 1:2)—two more apostolic letters and two more greetings importing grace and peace.

The Apostle John saluted his audience with, “Grace be with you, mercy and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ” (II John 1:3)—a third apostle writes and once again, grace and peace are highlighted.

Lastly, we come to the epistle of Jude, which opens with, “Mercy unto you and peace, and love, be multiplied” (Jude v. 2).  Undeserved mercy is known as grace.  So, here again, we have grace and peace.

Grace and peace.  Why the perfect unanimity of message?  What, if anything, does it mean that these two words should find consistent expression across all four of these authors, writing in different locations, times and circumstances?  Why these two words, considering the huge lexicon of Biblical vocabulary available?  Why are these two words not only consistently used, but consistently used together?

A dozen hits for Paul, two out of two for Peter, one out of three from John, and one for one from Jude is amazing symmetry.  Sixteen instances in a small sample size—obviously no coincidence.  But what’s the significance and, why at this point, would ANYBODY care?  A fair question, which fortunately, is not difficult to answer.

Grace, as noted above, is undeserved favor.  Favor extended without regard to merit may rightly be called a gift.  A gift that is in any way earned is not a gift at all, but wages.  A gift financed or underwritten in any degree is not a gift either, but a return on investment.

If it’s a gift, who is it from? The source of the gift in all of these letters is the same and is unambiguous—the gift is “from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  What has each contributed?

The Apostle John spelled out the Father’s portion for us with these words from his gospel: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).  According to John, the Father gave His Son, and did so for three specific reasons: 1) God loved the whole world immeasurably, 2) to save those who put their faith in His Son from perishing, and 3) that God might grant them eternal life.

Paul tells us the Son’s portion: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures…” (I Corinthians 15:3-4).  Jesus Christ died for our sins [but He rose again and He’s returning soon, very much alive].

So, the Father gave His Son to die for us—an act of pure grace, prompted by boundless love.  And the Son, out of the same love, willingly gave His life to pay the penalty for our sin, purchasing for us a full pardon, with His own precious blood.  Our contribution was…well, it was…that is…exactly nothing: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).  God didn’t sacrifice His Son for sinners so that we could deny our hopeless condition apart from the cross of Christ, or to absurdly try to claim credit for our own rescue.

So much for the first part—grace.  But what about the second part of the pairing, peace?  Why are grace and peace always coupled together?  Again Paul gives us the answer:  

For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature… (Colossians 1:19-23).

Did you catch it?  Through the blood of His cross, Jesus made peace with God for us.  By His suffering and death in our place, Jesus reconciled us to a just and holy God.  He obtained for us the forgiveness of our sins.  His resurrection from the grave anchors and secures our hope of present and future blessing: “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Romans 5:10).

By grace we are saved through faith in Jesus Christ, if we repent of our sins, confess Him as Lord and receive the pardon Jesus died to give us.  Have you done so?  If not, consider this warning from scripture: “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries [of God]” (Hebrews 10:26-27).

How much better to be reconciled to God through His Son, our Savior!  No more hostility, no more curse, only grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!  What a wonderful greeting!  What a joyous reality!  What an indescribable gift!

HOW TO BE SAVED:

• Admit to God that you are a sinner (that you have not kept His moral law to perfection; in your thoughts, words and actions you have done what His law forbids and have failed to do what His love demands).  This is seeing yourself from God’s point of view and agreeing that He is right about you.  Be as specific as you can.
• Believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and that God raised Him from the dead.
• Sincerely repent (turn away) from your sins, asking God to forgive you and to use His power to help you resist temptation, no matter how strong the pull of sin may be, at first.
• Acknowledge Jesus as the Lord of your life.  Invite Him to move into your heart and take up residence there, so that He can change you from the inside out.
• Trust His promise to save you and give you a new spiritual birth and a new nature (thoughts, desires, priorities, hopes, dreams and character).

SOME KEY TRUTHS:

• “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  (Romans 3:23)
• “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.”  (Romans 3:10)
• “For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23)
• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)
• “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:8)
• “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”  (I Corinthians 15:3,4)
• “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12)
• “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him…”  (Revelation 3:20)
• “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  (Romans 10:13)
• “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”  (Romans 10:9)
• “Verily, verily, I say unto you; He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life; and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”  (John 5:24)
• “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, ye might have life through his name.”  (John 20:31) 
• “These things I have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”  (I John 5:13)