Paul's
Greeting:
Summary
Taken together, this short phrase says a lot about how Christians are to be. We are to be those who have experienced God’s grace. That is axiomatic. A Christian, by definition, is one who has standing in God’s grace. He or she has received Christ as Savior, by Grace through Faith, and has been admitted to the Kingdom of God and to his family. There is no such thing as a Christian who is not had this experience. Later in our discussion of Ephesians we will speak of these matters in depth and so will leave any further comment until that time.
A Christian is also one who increasingly enjoys the peace of God in his daily life. The terrors and trials that would otherwise befuddle and beset no longer do so, at least not to the degree that they once did. As the believer grows older and more mature, truly "the peace of God" does "rule their heart".
A Christian is also one who is concerned and actively occupied with seeing that the grace of God is active in the lives of others; whether they be redeemed or not. There is a real drive in the lives of genuine Christians to see the unsaved come to Christ, and to see the redeemed move on in maturity and service. A Christian, if they are obedient and submitted God, is concerned about the spiritual state of those around him or her. This concern shows itself both in the evangelization of the lost, as well as the exhortation and even the rebuke of the redeemed. It is important understand that this demonstration is as endemic to the Christian’s nature as any other aspect of Christianity. If such a desire is not present, at the very least, it is a cause for real concern.
Just as a note concerning the last part of verse 2, note that this grace and peace come from both our heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. That the Lord Jesus Christ is cited as the author of these blessings which ultimately come from God indicates that he is to be considered equal with a heavenly Father. The little conjunction "And", when used in this context, joins two phrases which can be considered equal. Thus Paul, at the very beginning of this great book, has given us a very brief summary statement of what the rest of the book will develop at large. We are truly blessed because of Christ Jesus. We stand in, and experience the rich grace of God. We are at peace with God, having been reconciled to him. And we can walk in peace because we know him and understand what kind of a God he is.