For the month of November, we are going through a sermon series on 2 Thessalonians. It’s a small book that packs a punch. At first read, it might seem a bit up in the air. It might not be immediately obvious what it has to say to the church today, but as we heard on Sunday, there is much that it has to say to us!
For our devotional thought each week, this month, we will consider one verse from this week’s sermon.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thess. 1:2)
It’s easy to forget the significance of certain words. When they’re used a lot, and Christians talk about grace and peace a lot, we can lose sight of just what those words mean.
Grace, for example, is God’s unmerited favour given to sinful, rebellious people. God causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). This is common grace, but there is also special or saving grace. God saves his people by grace (Eph. 2:5 is one example among many). In both cases, God placing his favour upon us is entirely unmerited. He doesn’t have to do it, but he does so because he loves (John 3:16).
Peace is something that we all long for. We long for it in times of war. We long for peace in our relationships. Most of all, we long for inner peace. We long for shalom, that is, to experience God’s loyal love. It’s the opposite of harm. You can read this described beautifully in Isaiah 32. There, the difference between peace and unrest is laid bare.
2 Thessalonians features grace and peace at the start, middle, and end. It is Paul’s desire for this church which is in unrest. Grace and peace are in his prayers because he knows that only God can give them. Only God can save. Only God can make peace, for he reconciles by the cross of Christ.
Grace and peace to you,
Pastor Dan
Notices
Be sure to join us for Tuesday Night Prayer at 7:30pm. We’ll be sending out a Zoom link via the WhatsApp community. If you’re not on WhatsApp but would like to join the prayer call, please send an email to myself (pastor@greenock.church) or Alistair (alistair@greenock.church).
The Journey is back on this Thursday at 7pm. If you’re in your 20s or 30s and are looking for community, we’d love to see you there. We’ll be meeting in the Side Hall.
Finally, though it seems too early, Christmas is coming soon and that includes our annual Blue Christmas service. This is a special gathering for those who are experiencing bereavement, grief, financial struggles, or are just having a hard time in life. It’s a safe place where we can come to Jesus with our tears and our hurting hearts, for he is kind to the brokenhearted.
