Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life[a] was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power[b] by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from[c] faith for his name’s sake. 6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ
- Romans 1:1-7
Good morning. Have you ever asked yourself, where would I be without grace? How much better would it be to live in a world at peace? Me too. In Romans 1, Paul greets his audience by saying, "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ." I don't know why, but I am intrigued by the arrangement of Paul's greeting.
Could it not just as easily read, "Peace and grace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Yet for some reason Paul chose to put grace before peace. Perhaps it was mere coincidence or the Spirit working in Paul's subconscious, but I find profound meaning in the manner which Paul composed his greeting. It says to all believers that we need grace before we can have peace. As for grace itself, Romans 1 makes it clear as to the where and how we received it in the first place.
At the start, Romans 1 says that grace first took form in the gospel of God. Whether it be as an apostle or a disciple, Romans 1 declares that the call of the gospel is a call to set ourselves apart for the business of servant-hood. More than a calling, Romans 1 indicates that the gospel is an ancient promise made long before grace manifested itself in Jesus Christ. And should anyone doubt the might of the gospel, Romans 1 asserts that Christ's resurrection from the dead proves the unmistakable and undeniable the power of the gospel.
Before peace, discipleship, or anything else for that matter; Romans 1 says that we first receive grace. While the world often distributes grace to a select few, Romans 1 says that the gospel heralds God's grace is available to all. Though the world prefers obedience through force, Romans 1 indicates that the gospel desires an obedience by faith.
Now answering the call of the gospel is not a decision to be taken lightly. Romans 1 says that to answer the call of the gospel is to let Christ take possession of us. Though marked by suffering and sacrifice, Romans 1 wants all believers to understand that the life of a saint under Christ's control is our true calling. Moreover, the longer one lives the life of a saint the more he or she realizes that to live any other life is to settle for so much less.
Often we wake each morning to discover new fears that threaten peace in our world and peace in our hearts. However, no fear can destroy our peace when we exchange chances to dominate for opportunities to serve. No worry can overcome our peace when we trade the might of force for the power of faith. No anxiety can conqueror our peace when we swap our control for Christ's will. Though at times such trades and swaps may require unbearable amounts of grace, we can take comfort in truth of Romans 1 that after grace comes peace.
CJE