What was it that the Fathers, the prophets and the saints had found? They saw that they were not alone. God’s goodness and mercy would follow them all the days of their lives. Psalm 23:6 They discovered that unique quality of their existence - God was mindful of them, and He visited them. They had been made lower than the angels, and yet had been crowned with glory and honor. The Apostles knew that God who had always existed, and who is now and forever would be present with each believer as they walked in the Spirit. We have been assured, by the Word of God, that qualities of His nature would always be available to us - grace and peace.
Paul prayed and declared (for his prayer was his declaration as his declaration was also his prayer) “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved”. Ephesians 1:2-6
At the beginning of any endeavor or prayer or action we can be confident that we may draw upon the peace of God and receive the benefits of His grace. Jesus had told the disciples, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives it, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you.” (John 14:27-28) Jesus had just shared that He would send them the Holy Spirit to dwell with them. They would receive His anointing. “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We have been made acceptable in the Beloved. God’s view is unified and His Spirit works within us to reveal the unity of His plan, purpose and process. He has given us access to His peace and awaits our call for that peace in our own voice. A meaning of the word peace is prosperity. God expects us to rest in His prosperity for God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. The words grace, anointing and acceptance all share the same root in Greek, which is charis. It reveals God’s view that he has chosen us and accepted us and has favored us and will continue to impart to us His nature. His grace causes us to enter into oneness with Him.
Jesus has given us His peace. Peace (eirene) means to make or set a person at one again. After granting His peace Jesus prayed, “That they all may be one; as You, Father, are in me, and I in You, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that You hast sent me. And the glory that You gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and You in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and have loved them, as You have loved me.” John 17:21-23 Jesus declared and prayed for the work of peace and grace, prosperity and acceptance to manifest. His declaration was His prayer – His prayer His declaration.
To the Galatians Paul wrote: “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Gal. 1:3-5 Paul was intending to see Christ formed within them again. He addressed them as recipients of the gift of Christ, as those that had prospered in the truth, who had known the oneness of the Spirit. They had received the anointing attendant upon His death and resurrection. He expected the Galatians to exercise themselves in grace and peace, the elements of salvation and identity.
1 Corinthians1:3-9: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus (we have received the gifts of His abundance), that you were enriched in everything (truly prosperous) by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you came short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, (showing that you are blameless) in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” They can be at peace being set at one again with God.
Peter assures us that as “Grace and peace are multiplied unto us through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, because His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue. We have been given exceeding great and precious promises: that by them we might be partakers of His divine nature. 2 Peter 1:2-4
Acceptance, prosperity, anointing and giftedness work together in those that are called according to His purpose. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of His own will. As the body of Christ we labor together according to the gift of Christ and the anointing, set at one again in peace and prosperity. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
*For more information on this topic simply E-mail Michael Brod at: michaelbrod@hotmail.com
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YOU ARE NOT ALONE: BY MICHAEL BROD