All Brothers & Sisters
For this post, I'm sticking with Galatians, and focusing on the very first words of the book.
All the brothers and sisters here join me in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Jesus gave His life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. All glory to God forever and ever. Amen
Galatians Chapter 1, Verses 2 - 5 (New Living Translation)
I love the amazing truths that are displayed in this letter opener - Paul is basically just saying hello, but what a greeting it is! He asks the Father and Jesus to pour out their grace and peace to the congregation in Galatia, which is something we all should be asking for more of in our own churches, and praying over our brothers and sisters in Christ, and the people around and about us.
No one can give us grace and peace except our God, and it's all possible because of Jesus' sacrifice for sins. It's an act of supreme kindness and mercy that we didn't and don't deserve, yet He offered himself freely, and He offers Himself freely right now, to anyone who comes to Him, just as they are, and accepts Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
For God planned it all, before the foundation of the earth, to rescue us from the fallen world in which we live in, and which we are a part of, but for His goodness and His forgiveness.
I also love the phrase 'brothers and sisters'. He uses it again from verse 11:
Dear brothers and sisters, I want You to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning.
This displays the fact that we are in fact related to each other under the loving blanket of God's grace, the body of Christ, which signifies that, when we put our faith in Jesus, a true transformation does occur, which changes us on many different levels, one of which is our relationship to other believers.
Dear Lord,
Thank You for the truth found even in the opening verses of Paul's letter to Galatia. Thank You that as believers, we can ask that You would pour out Your grace and peace on our fellow believers in the confidence that You have conquered the sin and evil of this world, and that You are with us in the world as we walk through it.
And so I do ask You, Lord Jesus, to pour out Your grace and peace to all of Your followers in the world today, and reveal to them the extent of Your blessing and mercy, which passes all worldly understanding.
We cry out for Your wisdom, and for a more intimate knowledge and understanding of Your word, and Your plan for our lives.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
All the brothers and sisters here join me in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Jesus gave His life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. All glory to God forever and ever. Amen
Galatians Chapter 1, Verses 2 - 5 (New Living Translation)
I love the amazing truths that are displayed in this letter opener - Paul is basically just saying hello, but what a greeting it is! He asks the Father and Jesus to pour out their grace and peace to the congregation in Galatia, which is something we all should be asking for more of in our own churches, and praying over our brothers and sisters in Christ, and the people around and about us.
No one can give us grace and peace except our God, and it's all possible because of Jesus' sacrifice for sins. It's an act of supreme kindness and mercy that we didn't and don't deserve, yet He offered himself freely, and He offers Himself freely right now, to anyone who comes to Him, just as they are, and accepts Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
For God planned it all, before the foundation of the earth, to rescue us from the fallen world in which we live in, and which we are a part of, but for His goodness and His forgiveness.
I also love the phrase 'brothers and sisters'. He uses it again from verse 11:
Dear brothers and sisters, I want You to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning.
This displays the fact that we are in fact related to each other under the loving blanket of God's grace, the body of Christ, which signifies that, when we put our faith in Jesus, a true transformation does occur, which changes us on many different levels, one of which is our relationship to other believers.
Dear Lord,
Thank You for the truth found even in the opening verses of Paul's letter to Galatia. Thank You that as believers, we can ask that You would pour out Your grace and peace on our fellow believers in the confidence that You have conquered the sin and evil of this world, and that You are with us in the world as we walk through it.
And so I do ask You, Lord Jesus, to pour out Your grace and peace to all of Your followers in the world today, and reveal to them the extent of Your blessing and mercy, which passes all worldly understanding.
We cry out for Your wisdom, and for a more intimate knowledge and understanding of Your word, and Your plan for our lives.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
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