Grace, Mercy, and Peace

To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 2 Timothy 1:2

In Paul’s greeting to the young preacher Timothy, he requests God to give him three things: Grace, mercy, and peace. These are three blessings from God that you and I need everyday.

Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve. We are saved by grace. We don’t deserve to go to heaven. God gives us freely all things to enjoy, but God gives them because of who He is, not because of anything we have done. That is one reason when we pray and thank God before eating a meal we call it “saying grace.” We recognize our food is a provision of God’s grace. Aren’t you thankful for God’s grace.

Mercy is what God withholds that we do deserve. We deserve judgment for our sins, but God gives us mercy instead. In Lamentations 3:22, we read, “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.”

Peace is that inner tranquillity that God provides to us when everything around us is in turmoil. Paul wrote, “The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). Even in the worst of times, we have peace in our hearts knowing God is in control.

You will notice grace, mercy, and peace are all made possible through Christ. These are blessings only available to those who know Him as their Lord and Savior. Christians can be encouraged that throughout our lives the Lord will give us the grace, mercy, and peace we need to live for Him.

As we sing in the hymn by Annie Flint…
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

God’s grace is immeasurable… His mercy is inexhaustible… His peace is inexpressible.