The Path To Peace

1Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers[a] and deacons:
2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
--Philippians 1:1-2

Grace and peace are the substance of love. Peace is the way things are supposed to be. Grace is how you get there. Everybody wants peace. Everybody knows peace is what's supposed to happen. But do we really understand that grace is the necessary prerequisite for peace? Grace is given by those who have been wronged to those who have wronged. The lion's share of global tension is rooted in deep-seated hatred and bitterness over past wrongs. The parable of the unmerciful servant teaches us that our inability to forgive others is rooted in our lack of understanding of how much we need to be forgiven ourselves. What does it mean to sin against God? Why does it matter to Him what I do down here? Why does He get bothered by stuff I do? Until we really get what it means to have fallen short of the glory of God we'll never get the grace of God. And until we get the grace of God we'll never be able to really offer it to others. And until we can offer it to others we'll never find peace. So when we are discouraged--when we feel unsettled--we must ask God to show us the reality of the depths of our sin.