By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.
—1 Peter 5:12 (NKJV)
The true Gospel of Grace, which gives us right standing with God, does not demand our performance to prove that we are worthy. If it did, the work of redemption would place the work of holiness upon us. The Gospel of Grace is a gift given to those who believe by faith in the finished work of Jesus. It is nothing we do. It is all He did. Right standing with God only comes through faith in what Jesus did for us. We are encouraged in 1 Peter 5:12 that it is the true Grace of God in which we stand.
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2).
Being justified with God—having right-standing with God—is peace. We can only stand in the true Grace of God—in His peace—when we believe in our hearts that Jesus gave us right-standing with God. We can only live His righteousness when we believe we have received His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). When we truly know we have peace with God, then we have peace. We choose to stand strong in that peace. We let God fight because we know He will. We put on His armor that by right-standing is ours. And having done all, we stand (Ephesians 6:13).
Right-standing with God—peace with God—only comes through faith in what Christ did for us. True Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and to live soberly and righteously (Titus 2:12). But true Grace also teaches us that it is only by His righteousness we live and have our being (Acts 17:28). When we know our righteous standing with God through the Grace of Christ and live out of that truth, we rest in God’s peace.
Faith in God comes out of our identity in Christ. We have peace with God and are His. That is who we are. We are blameless and holy because of Jesus (Ephesians 1:4). Faith comes out of knowing we have peace with God. And having peace with God is the only way we can walk in faith. Otherwise, we are going to try to do something—to prove something to God to get Him to do something for us. God does not do something for us because we do something for Him. There is nothing left to be done. Christ’s work is complete and finished. When we believe His work has already accomplished our right-standing with God—our eternal forgiveness and healing (1 Peter 2:24), there is nothing for us to do but receive God’s forgiveness and healing and rest in His Grace. And we rest in His Grace when we believe there is nothing we have to earn.
You access God's Grace which gives you the power to stand by faith. Know who you are in the finished work of Christ—believe what Christ has given you—and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:2). When you exercise faith, you trust God. When you trust God, you experience peace. The place you experience peace in your life is where you have faith.
Follow your faith and have His peace. Rejoice in your right-standing with God. Stand in faith and believe that God who promises is faithful to keep His promise (1 Corinthians 1:8-9, Hebrews 10:23).
© 2022 Lynn Lacher
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