Philippians 1:2. “Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”
CHARIS AND SHALOM. Grace and peace are two beautiful words They sound like they belong together Ringing like two tones from a heavenly bell The middle wall has come down And two cultures become one Something new has been created out of two.
These come from the highest Source Designed by infinite and holy Persons They come in absolute perfection from glory To display here on a sinful earth True divinity – that gives without reservation And is there to grasp and experience personally.
Father-like grace comes – giving and compassionate Filling a need impossible to get from any human source Peace that is startling in a world of turmoil Calms the soul of those who receive His grace And quietly assures the anxious heart That all is well – now and forever.
From the incarnate God comes grace to me Meeting every righteous demand Because of His divine perfection And peace is made through His blood The sacrifice is made – propitiation is permanent And I can live – and die – in perfect peace.
“O how kind and gracious Thou art, O God. How glad I am to be able to experience in this life, as well as the next, the grace and peace freely given to me. I thank Thee, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”
It was by the operation of the Spirit in the work at Philippi people were saved. Lydia, a successful business woman, was religious and had a quiet conversion. A demon possessed slave girl who came from the depths of degradation; a jailor who was a civil servant and was saved as the result of an earthquake; were all part of the assembly at Philippi. There will be the opposition of society. Opposition came right away because money was involved. Whenever souls are saved opposition and suffering takes place.
There is a unique connection with people we know in an area where we presented the Gospel and the Lord saved those dear saints. By the word of the Gospel and the power of the Spirit, they were set apart for God not only now but forever. "All the saints" indicates the rich and poor, old and young, wise and simple, the successful and those who struggle are all one in Christ Jesus. An assembly of believers like the one at Philippi are all participants in the same blessing. In Christ we are neither "Jews nor Gentile, but the church of God."