A Life Fully Encompassed by Grace (Colossians 1:1-2)Sunday June 28, 2026
Intro:
Paul writes “grace to you and peace” in the salutation of every one of his letters. What is striking is that in 20 years of writing letters, it doesn’t change.
They are written like a prayer: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, meaning, he desires the church to further and deepen their grasp of both. We will oblige him today.
Background:
Paul the apostle by the will of God - His calling was to communicate and make clear both the grace of God and the peace of God.
He was not alone. Timothy was his dearest companion.
2Ti 2:2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
So the grace of God and peace of God exists among the body, and in special relationships of coworkers for the gospel. Paul’s desire for others is lived by himself.
Paul’s desire is that all of us live our lives more fully encompassed by the grace of God the Father. (not the grace of Paul or any person, but God)
Main:
Col 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
“God our Father” is not in the universal sense but from the viewpoint of those who have been regenerated, baptized by the Spirit, adopted sons and daughters, who like our Lord, call God the Father our Father.
Rom 8:14-15 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
Gal 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus
Joh 20:17 go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'"
“Grace to you …”
Grace: charis – Beneficent disposition toward someone, favor, grace, gracious care / help, goodwill.
Salvation welcomed us into a vast collection of undeserved priceless gifts!
New car, house, vacations, health, fame…?
Eph 2:4-7 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Justified -
Rom 3:23-25 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith
Tit 3:7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Salvation -
Rom 5:15-21 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Tit 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men
Election -
Rom 11:5-6 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.
2Ti 1:9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity
Predestination and adoption -
Eph 1:5-6 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
Sanctification -
2Th 1:11-12 To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Love from God, eternal comfort, good hope -
2Th 2:16-17 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, 17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.
Christ’s cross -
Heb 2:9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.
Prayer -
Heb 4:16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
A life of grace – a life without want, full, satisfied, thankful.
Now, let me ask you: What did you do to attain any one of those things mentioned?
A life of grace – a life blessed with heaven’s joys; unmerited.
Can a sinner justify himself before holy God? Can the enemy of God save himself and somehow enter God’s eternal kingdom? What would God say to someone who elected herself or himself? Can the lost force God to adopt them? Can the sinner walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. Can the son of disobedience put eternal comfort and good hope in his heart? Can any man add anything to the cross of Christ?
1Co 4:7 For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
“Grace to you from God our Father” is a life lived with clear awareness that everything good and bad is a gift from God.
It is the awareness that whatever your mental ability, financial ability, physical ability are sufficient.
Grace is the understanding that the works God has given each of us to do are important and should therefore be performed unto Him (Col 3:17).
Grace is a lack of fear, for God loves you by grace and He would not ever leave you alone.
It turns out that Paul not only pens his desire for grace understanding and grace living at the front of his letters, but also at the end (Rom 16:23; 1Co 16:23; 2Co 13:13; Gal 6:18; Eph 6:24; Phi 4:23; Col 4:18; 1Th 5:28; 2Th 3:18; 1Ti 6:21; 2Ti 4:22; Tit 3:15; Phm 25).
This shows us that grace is not only a beginning, but a middle and an end. It is grace all the way through and on into eternity. In fact, grace is the last line of all Scripture.
Rev 22:21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
Conclusion:
Never, ever leave the sphere of grace.
You leave the sphere of grace when you say, “This is mine … hands off.” Everything is His.
You travel outside the sphere of grace when you lose your peace because of what someone else did or said.
You travel outside the sphere of grace when you get bitter or angry about being interrupted when you are on a task or you fail to finish it.
What God has done through grace is created pure and true thanksgiving, the natural result of grace receiving. |