God’s Plan for All: Unity, Grace, and Peace in Christ
Romans 1:6–7 (NLT)
6 And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people.
May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
Message
The gospel message Paul preaches is not based on mere human reasoning, but he received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11-12 NLT). God chose him even before he was born (Galatians 1:15a, Jeremiah 1:5). God called him by his marvellous grace and was pleased to reveal His Son to him so that he would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles (Galatians 1:15b NLT, Galatians 1:16 NLT, Ephesians 3:8). God chose Paul to explain the mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning (Ephesians 3:9). What is this plan? See Ephesians 3:6 NLT.
6 And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.
Both Gentiles and Jews share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children, are part of the same body, and enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:6 NLT). Paul writes to the Gentile believers in Rome (6a). They belong to Jesus Christ (6b) and are God’s beloved children and His own holy people (7a). It is according to God’s mysterious plan (Ephesians 3:3, 9, 19 NLT).
Paul often used this expression ‘grace’ and ‘peace’ in his blessing (7b).
By the word ‘grace’, Paul reminds believers that everything begins with God’s grace—not our effort, but His mercy. It is the starting point of our relationship with God.
‘peace’ is the fruit of grace. After receiving grace, we can now live in peace—with God, with ourselves, and with others.
