Charis and Shalom. Philippians 1:2. “Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” Grace and peace are two beautiful words that seem to belong together. They sound like two distinct tones from a heavenly bell, signaling that the barrier of separation between two cultures has been broken down and unified. Something new has emerged from the two: the church, the bride of Christ. These two meaningful words originate from the highest Source. They were designed by the three infinite and holy Persons of the Godhead. They come to us in perfect form from heaven's glory to showcase true divinity here on sinful earth – freely offering grace and peace without reservation. It is available for each of us to embrace and experience personally.
Father-like grace arrives—giving and compassionate, filling a need that no human source can satisfy and bringing the promise of unspeakable joy. Peace is a startling and rare word in a world of chaos. It soothes the soul of those who receive His grace and quietly reassures the anxious-hearted believer that all is well—now and forever.
Grace comes to me from the incarnate God, fulfilling every righteous demand and granting undeserved favor because of the divine perfection of my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Peace has been established through the blood of His cross. The sacrifice He made, the propitiation that satisfies God's justice, is eternal. I can live—and die—in complete peace.
It was through the work of the Spirit at Philippi that people were saved. Lydia, a successful businesswoman, was religious and experienced a quiet conversion. A demon-possessed slave girl who came from deep degradation and a jailor, a civil servant, who was saved after an earthquake, were all part of the church at Philippi. There will be opposition from a worldly society. Opposition arose immediately in Philippi because money was involved. Whenever souls are saved, opposition and suffering follow.
There is a special bond with the people we know in the area where we shared the Gospel, and the Lord saved those cherished saints. Through the word of the Gospel and the power of the Spirit, they were dedicated to God now and forever. "All the saints" includes the rich and the poor, the old and the young, the wise and the simple, the successful, and those who struggle— all are one in Christ Jesus. A congregation of believers like the one at Philippi all share in the same blessing. In Christ, we are neither "Jews nor Gentile, but the church of God."