Sermon Tone Analysis

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever.

Amen.”

[1]

 

Imagine a world without Christmas.

The holiday regimen would be radically different from what we know today.

In our contemporary secular world, we would still have holidays; however, they would be celebrations of work (Labour Day), government (Canada Day) and perhaps holidays simply to have holidays (Family Day).

However, we would probably have no celebrations of the more noble qualities of mankind.

There would be no celebration of God’s compassion for man, such as we witness with Christmas, or rejoicing in the hope offered for all mankind, such as Easter.

At the heart of the Christmas celebration is the knowledge of God’s compassion.

Mankind is fallen.

The evidence for this is that death reigns over the race.

As I have often stated, the statistics on death are pretty startling: one out of one die.

The reason for this is that our first parents sinned and plunged the creation into ruin.

From the standpoint of biochemistry, there is no reason for the body to wear out.

The repair mechanisms at the cellular level are such that death should not occur.

And yet, death comes to each individual.

The Bible states the case succinctly, “Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.

Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come” [*Romans 5:12-14*].

However, that is only the dark backdrop that permits God’s grace to shine forth.

The Apostle to the Gentiles continues by exulting, “But the free gift is not like the trespass.

For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin.

For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.

If, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ” [*Romans 5:15-17*].

Throughout the pages of the New Testament is found abundant evidence of God’s grace toward fallen mankind.

We were not left in our dying state without hope, but God provided His own Son as a Saviour for mankind.

It is this provision of Jesus, the Son of God, that we celebrate at Christmas.

As he opens the Letter to the churches of Galatia, Paul points his readers to God’s grace and goodness revealed in His Son.

In a similar fashion, I point my listeners this day to the grace of God demonstrated in the coming of Jesus the Son of God as we explore those opening words of Paul’s Letter to the Galatians.

*God, the Giver of Grace and Peace* — Grace and peace are offered to all mankind.

I suggest that all mankind consciously or unconsciously longs to have grace and peace.

However, the prayer of the Apostle is that the readers of this beautiful letter written to wayward Christians so many years ago will enjoy grace and peace.

Before actually exploring who is offering the grace and peace for which Paul prays and to whom this great gift is offered, let’s review what it means to possess grace and peace.

The terms are used so frequently and so casually in contemporary Christianity that Christians tend to pay scant attention to what is offered, or worse still, hear the words and fail to understand the significance of what is offered.

The definition of grace that is often tossed out in sermons is “unmerited favour.”

Though we hear the words, they do not resonate with our soul—the words are sterile and cold.

Grace refers to God’s kindness toward His fallen creature.

Moreover, it is kindness that is utterly undeserved.

By birth, we are rebels to grace.

The Bible states categorically that each of us are by birth enemies of God [see *Romans **5:10*].

To the Colossian Christians, Paul wrote that mankind is “alienated, hostile in mind, doing evil deeds” [*Colossians **1:21*].

By birth and by nature we are sinners.

As sinners, we are at enmity with God, and Holy God cannot allow sinful man into His presence or He could not be holy.

Therefore, whatever kindness we experience from God is undeserved.

Therefore, whether we are speaking of providing material possessions or the capacity to enjoy what we have, or whether we are speaking of the forgiveness of sin, we will know that God’s kindness toward us is displayed.

We are not treated as we deserve, but instead, we are recipients of grace.

In a very real sense, we cannot separate God’s goodness in providing material goods from His goodness in forgiving our sin.

God is good, and mankind cannot expect that He should show that kindness because we are undeserving of such benevolence.

Again, when Paul speaks of peace, he is not speaking of a condition in which there is an absence of war, though such may indeed reflect the kindness of God, but he speaks of the confidence we can enjoy because we are not in control of our worlds.

What I mean is this.

God rules over the world despite the supposition that warlike men control what happens.

This does not exempt man from responsibility for governing wisely, but it comforts the heart of the child of God to know that appearances do not tell the full story.

Consequently, the child of God can say, with the Psalmist:

 

“I trust in you, O Lord;

I say, ‘You are my God.’

My times are in your hand;

rescue me from the hand of my enemies and

from my persecutors!”

[*Psalm 31:14, 15*]

 

Many years ago, I heard of a painting that the artist had entitled “Peace.”

If you were to view a painting that had been entitled “Peace,” what would you expect the artist to have depicted?

The painter of this particular picture had painted a frightful scene in which a storm raged during the darkness of the night.

No moon showed and the stars were hidden from view, and the lightning flashed out of angry dark clouds rolling.

In the midst of this dark scene a great waterfall spilled over a mountain cliff.

A tree grew out of the cliff and hung over the great cataract.

On a barren limb of that tree was a nest, and nestled in the nest was a mother bird sitting on her chicks.

Where was the peace the artist intended to portray?

Looking intently at the scene, the viewer would note that the mother bird had raised her head to the heavens and was singing.

That is peace.

In the midst of the storm, to raise one’s head to the heavens and sing is peace.

We have come to a day when we imagine that peace is being left undisturbed.

We imagine that if we are left alone, free to pass through life with never a problem that we are at peace.

However, the peace that God offers is the peace of confidence that comes from knowing that God is in control and that He cares for us.

I know that Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you” [*John 14:**27a*].

However, I must never forget that He also cautioned, “In the world you will have trouble and suffering” [*John 16:**33a net Bible*].

He continued with rich encouragement when He said, “Take heart, I have overcome the world” [*John 16:33**b*].

Because we enjoy the promise of His peace, we also have the encouragement to “Do not let your hearts be distressed nor lacking in courage” [*John 14:**27b*].

Grace, then, is the goodness of God showered on those whom He loves.

Peace is the confident walk of one who knows God and who fully rests in Him.

What is important to realise is that grace and peace are the heritage of the people of God.

God Himself is the source both of grace and of peace.

The grace of God appeared in the Person of Jesus Christ our Saviour.

His coming has provided salvation for all who receive this free gift [see *Titus **2:11*].

This is truly grace for all mankind.

Likewise, having “been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” [*Romans 5:1*].

It is important for Christians to understand that grace lies within the purview of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

With increasing frequency, evangelical believers give the impression that grace is the prerogative of government.

Churches are careful to curry favour with government leaders, avoiding doing anything to upset the power mongers who sit in the seats of authority.

However, we need to remember that government, though instituted by God, was intended to be a servant of the people whom it serves.

Though indeed we should be conscientious in obeying those laws which do not violate biblical moral and ethical standards, government can give nothing to those whom it serves!

Government can only operate within boundaries established by God.

Government cannot establish freedom; it can only recognise freedoms conferred by God.

Government cannot give to the citizenry anything other than what it has appropriated or what has been previously given with the consent of the governed.

Therefore, grace cannot proceed from government.

Likewise, though an individual may be gracious and generous, no individual can confer grace upon another member of the race.

Individuals are the recipients of divine grace, and therefore, individuals are constrained to give no more than they have received.

If an individual has never been received the forgiveness of sin, why would we expect that person to forgive?

Likewise, if they know nothing of the grace of God in Christ Jesus the Lord, why would anyone anticipate that they would be capable of showing grace.

Those who are embittered and whose lives are in turmoil reveal that they know nothing either of the grace of God or of the peace of Christ Jesus.

As John has testified, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” [*1 John **4:20*].

So, the Apostle’s prayer for grace and peace is answered in the Person of Jesus the Lord and God the Father.