Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church · Sermon study sheet

Grace & Peace

Bryan Schneider · April 10, 2021

1 Thessalonians 1:1

sharonrpc.org/sermons/grace-peace

Summary

Paul's greeting places the Thessalonian church in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and announces grace and peace.
Humanity's fall created real enmity with God that cannot be repaired through moral improvement or religious effort.
Peace with God comes through Christ's finished work and is received by grace alone through faith alone.
The father in Jesus' parable of the lost son illustrates mercy that initiates welcome, restoration, and sonship.
The older brother illustrates legalism: service treated as merit and grace resented when it is shown to another sinner.
Grace does not license continued sin; those freely loved by the Father serve him as sons and daughters out of grateful love.

When I sin, do I run from the Father in fear, dismiss his law, or return trusting his grace?
Am I trying to repair peace with God by religious activity or resting in Christ's completed work?
Do I resent mercy shown to another person because I regard my service as deserving greater favor?
Does assurance rest on my fluctuating performance or on Christ's obedience and satisfaction?
How should a child already loved by the Father respond to the temptation to return to sin?

Grace: God's undeserved favor toward sinners, freely given in Jesus Christ rather than earned by their works.
Peace with God: The end of condemning enmity through Christ's reconciliation, not merely an inward feeling of calm.
Justification: God's act of pardoning sinners and accepting them as righteous for Christ's righteousness received by faith alone.
Legalism: Treating obedience as the ground of acceptance with God and measuring grace by personal merit.