The Christian life is not meant to be a life of chaos and confusion, giddy highs and unbearable lows. All those will come from time-to-time. We live in a fallen, sinful world where evil is real. But they are not supposed to be the norm. Overall, our lives should be lives of grace and peace. Lives of benevolent kindness and acceptance of others. Lives of deep calm, both internal and external.
We do not begin living this life of grace and peace the instant of our conversion. They do not magically permeate our lives the moment of our baptism or confirmation. Rather, we grow into them. We develop them. The more we get to know Jesus through fellowship and service, the more we grow into lives of grace and peace.
This is an important point, especially at Christmas and Easter. Too many people think all they need to know about Jesus are his birth and resurrection. While those are undeniably critical, there is also his life of teaching, healing, and ministry. The more we know the fullness of Jesus’ life, the more we will be able to grow and develop in grace and peace.
But because we live in a fallen, sinful world where evil is real, there are always forces at work trying to pull us down. There are evil forces trying to pull us back to ‘the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.’
To resist those evil forces trying to pull us down, it is important to make a point of growing in Christian virtues. Christian virtues such as goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection and love. We grow in these virtues by following the examples of others, by being spiritually strengthened through regular worship and prayer, and by studying Jesus’ life and teaching.
The more we grow in these and other Christian virtues, the more fully we will know Jesus and so grow in grace and peace. The more intentionally we know Jesus the more we, the more our lives, will be marked by grace and peace.
May God’s grace and peace be with us all,
Pastor Ken.