“John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ…”
Revelation 1:4-5
Verse seven from this chapter tells us “Behold, He is coming.” In his first epistle, John was already writing in “the last hour”. Now, once again, the message to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord” is being proclaimed, for He is coming again.
In these times, grace and peace are increasing needs for His body. We know the word Jesus has left us regarding the events of the last days. Love grows cold. Men’s hearts fail. Deception abounds. Many fall away. BUT he who endures to the end shall be saved!
Working while it is light, we are not without enduring help and strength. He makes all grace abound to us that we having all sufficiency (for His grace is sufficient) are able to abound to every good work. We must work while it is light, and work by the grace that He supplies.
Grace is the enabling power of God in our lives. In our set place (Acts 17:26; 1 Corinthians 12:18) where we are positioned for His purposes, we find great grace and peace necessary for the greater works extending His Kingdom. Grace must personally be received as it is accessed by faith to stand. As it abounds, it is sufficient for the ‘now’ moments we live in and enables us to abound towards every good work. We must faithfully respond both to the invitation and the way He has set for us to receive grace. We must come to Him at His throne of Grace and receive.
The greek definition for peace; eirḗnē; includes “one, peace, quietness, rest;(from eirō, "to join, tie together into a whole") – properly, wholeness, i.e. when all essential parts are joined together; peace.
Grace enables us to do His purpose and peace is the fruit of our separation and obedience unto Him. Peace is absent where there is no alignment to Him. We were set at one with Him in our salvation but now our wrestling occurs over His Lordship - His right to direct our steps and order our paths. Where we are at odds with Him, we lack the perfect peace of one whose mind is stayed on Him. We lose out on its guarding power over our minds, Phil 4:8.
These two forces; grace and peace, come into our lives, firstly through the one who is, who was and who is to come, Almighty God: The Creator of all things. Grace and peace come to us from the seven spirits before His throne. Noting Isaiah 11:2-3, you find the seven spirits identified as wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Wisdom is grace abounding. Understanding is grace abounding. Counsel is grace abounding. Might is grace abounding. Knowledge is grace abounding. The fear of the Lord is grace abounding. As the Holy Spirit reveals the heart and mind of the Father; as He brings to mind the words Jesus has spoken, grace abounds and divine alignment produces peace. The spiritual deposit impacts our natural realities.
Blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, we are assured of overcoming as we continue to depend on grace. Grace and truth come through Jesus, the faithful witness, and of his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
As the last season of the church unfolds, with Kingdoms clashing, it will be by His grace and peace, with all they provide, that enable us to be the light that shines in the darkness without the darkness overpowering us.