“…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” 1 Peter 1:2 ESV
When you and I write a letter or email to someone, chances are within the first paragraph we are not underscoring a great theological fact or reinforcing a key truth about God’s character. But the apostle Peter managed to do that (and more!) right here in verse 2 of his epistle.
According to the foreknowledge of God the Father. The first thing Peter touches on is God’s authority.The Greek word translated as foreknowledge is only used twice in the in the New Testament, but in both cases speaks of God’s ability to both know the future and to prearrange events for His purpose. One of the foundations of our faith is that God is sovereign, which means that, ultimately, He is in charge of and has power over everything.
I personally don’t believe God approves of or orchestrates every single event on earth; freewill has its place in human actions and the bible is clear God does not tempt anyone nor approve of evil (see Rom. 1:18, James 1:13, etc.), but He is certainly aware of everything and through His omnipotence He works “all things together for good for those who are called according to his purpose,” (Rom. 8:28). Nothing escapes our mighty God’s sight, and this should bring us great comfort as we go about our day. Even that sixth red light in a row is being used for our benefit (teaching us patience?!).
The second point Peter incorporates is support for the triune Godhead and how each Person of the Trinity is actively working in our salvation. His opening emphasizes the authority of God the Father, the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, and the purifying blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit labor together in perfect unity to save us, and we should remember to give thanks and honor to each one of them when we pray.
Peter then offers a blessing to the churches who would read his letter: “May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” If you’ve read through the New Testament a few times you may recognize this blessing, as a form of it is in nearly every apostolic letter. And it’s intentional that it is always in the form of grace and peace – in that order.
Grace can be defined as an “unearned gift, a favor or blessings bestowed as a gift freely and never as merit for work performed.” But it can also be the thought of as the coming of Christ our Savior, as Paul states in Titus 2:11: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.”
Peace is defined by Strong’s dictionary as, “the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God.” Just like grace, peace is also personified in our Savior, as we see in Ephesians 2:14: “For he himself [Christ] is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.”
God’s grace was revealed through the sacrifice of His Son, and through that we have peace with Him. This is why grace always precedes peace, because without God’s grace, we can have no peace. Peace with God is immutably tied to God’s grace, which is only through Christ, our peace. Amazing!
When we consider these things, we can begin to see the depth, power, and intentionality of the apostles’ blessings found throughout the New Testament. These were not simple niceties in the opening of a letter, but instead expansive statements about the love, mercy, and character of God.
Peter’s blessing of grace and peace is ours, too. As children of God and disciples of Christ, we have received God’s unmerited grace through the sprinkling of His Son’s holy blood on the cross. This is the perfect and final sacrifice to bring us peace with God in this life and the next. To God be the glory!