In the second verse of Colossians, Paul extends a wonderful blessing to his readers. He says, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father.” Paul often wished these two things on his readers. These two brief words contain everything we need to survive life’s trials, temptations, and troubles. He uses the same greeting for the Romans, the Corinthians, the Galatians, the Ephesians, the Philippians, the Thessalonians, and, of course, the Colossians. His greetings to Timothy and Titus vary slightly but contain the same concepts. Grace and Peace! Who could ask for more? You can never have enough of either of them. That’s why Peter opens his second Epistle, 2 Peter 1:2, by saying, “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”
Grace is most clearly seen in Christ’s work on the cross for sinners. What is deserved, judgment is taken for us on the Cross. What we don’t deserve, forgiveness, happiness, and eternal life is procured for us on the cross. This is Grace. Paul wishes it for us all! Courson talks about the Psalmist, David, and the understanding of grace. David refers to himself as “faultless.” How can an adulterer and murderer consider himself faultless? “There are glaring inconsistencies in David’s life, so how could he have the audacity to say he was faultless? I suggest the solution is quite simple. That is, although David had problems and failures, he was nonetheless a man after God’s own heart. He loved God passionately. He pursued God’s heart, not so much to get something from His hand, but to look into His face. And because David sought the face of the Lord, like Noah, he found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8). What is grace? Unmerited, undeserved, unearned favor. I believe David had a firm grasp on where he stood positionally because he understood grace. Therefore, he made his arguments not upon a denial of his present sins but upon a realization of his positional standing. It’s the apprehension of Grace that settles God’s peace deep within our being. Paul’s prayer is that each of us will comprehend the marvelous depth of God’s grace and that it will settle so deeply within us that no external circumstance could ever unsettle it.”[1]
I think it’s the comprehension and appreciation of God’s grace in our lives that result in peace. Maybe the verse could be translated as “Grace to you, which brings with it Peace from God the Father.” The grace of God is bestowed upon us through Jesus Christ’s work on our behalf on the cross of Calvary. When God’s grace is received through Jesus, peace follows. Paul even prays this idea when he writes to the Philippians. He says in Philippians 4:7, “May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’” Then, to the Thessalonians, in 2 Thessalonians 3:16, he prays, “The Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means.”
[1] Courson, Jon. 2006. Jon Courson’s Application Commentary: Volume Two: Psalms-Malachi. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.