Grace and Peace

In the writings of the New Testament, particularly, the writings of the Paul, Peter, and John, we see the need of God's grace before any spiritual blessings or actions of believers. Before we can have the peace of God, we need to experience the grace of God. Before we can have salvation, we first need grace. Before we can do any work for God, we first need the grace to perform that task. That's why the Apostle Paul starts out with this grace and peace salutation in all of his epistles. John uses the same salutation in the Book of Revelation (Rev 1:4). Peter, likewise, starts with God's "abundant mercy" and then proceeds with praise (I Peter 1:3-6). Most notably is Paul's method of teaching doctrine in his epistles like Romans and Ephesians. The first part of the epistles start with Christ and what He has done for us, while the last part of the writings deal with what we should do as a result. If we are struggling with our service and devotion to Christ, then perhaps we need to take a fresh look at who He is and what He has done for us. God's grace must proceed any work that we do. It is the most distinct part of the Christian religion.