Tuesday 3 April 2012

Grace and peace

Stephen Dancer helpfully reprinted a Warfield quote the other week...

In the context of the realisation of the truth of that quote, there's so much comfort in that familiar yet awesome opening to the apostle Paul's letters:
"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Commissioned with authority by the eternal triune God, Paul authoritatively sends greetings - but not mere platitudes. Though we are so wretched, yet the heavenly Father and his Son who bled and died for wretches want us to receive sincere affirmations of their favour towards us, and of the reality of their reconciliation with us. The one who is Lord over all sends us his heart-felt greetings; the one who created Heaven and Earth wants us to know that, our spiritual barrenness and poverty not-withstanding, he loves us and cares for now and forever. Even when we unpack the greetings of a letter, words must very soon fail.

No comments: