Grace, Mercy, and Peace

In our gospel doctrine lesson this Sunday our instructor suggested that we should not just gloss over the introductory remarks that Paul has in each of his epistles, for there are important messages contained in those verses.  One of these is repeated in all three of the pastoral epistles.  Paul wrote to Timothy saying, “Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Timothy 1:2).  He said again in his second epistle to Timothy: “To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:2).  To Titus he wrote a very similar message: “To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour” (Titus 1:4).  These highlight first of all the love that Paul had for Timothy and Titus as he called them his sons and wrote with earnest desire for their well-being.  All three also acknowledge the unique nature of God the Father and Jesus Christ, referring to them as two distinct Beings.  And they also focus on the same three supernal blessings that God desires to give us: Grace, mercy, and peace.  I don’t believe these were simply random filler words for Paul but represent some of the greatest gifts that God the Father and the Son have to give those who follow the gospel path. 

                These three divine gifts that Paul wished upon Timothy and Titus can perhaps be coupled with the three great Christian virtues that Paul wrote of to the Corinthians.  He told them, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three” (1 Corinthians 13:13).  We know that faith is a principle of power, for as Moroni put it, God “worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever.”  In the same chapter Moroni suggested that when “by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can nowise deny the power of God,” thus also connecting grace with the power of God (Moroni 10:7, 32).  So perhaps we might say that as we show forth faith in Christ, we receive of His power and grace.  Similarly, the blessing of mercy is connected with hope, for as Mormon queried, “What is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ” (Moroni 7:41).  We have hope because of the Savior’s atonement which offers us mercy and forgiveness of our sins.  Or as the Psalmist wrote in two different passages, we should “hope in his mercy” (Psalm 33:18, 147:11).  And I believe we can likewise connect the gift of peace with the virtue of charity that Paul suggested was the crowning spiritual gift.  It is as we truly develop charity, the pure love of Christ, that we have peace in our hearts because we have no ill will towards any man or women.  We have charity we are “filled with his love” which is “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Moroni 7:48, Philippians 4:7).  There is no greater peace than to feel His love and to be filled with that love for others.  So as Paul prayed for the divine gifts of grace, mercy, and peace for Timothy, Titus, and all of us, he was perhaps encouraging the parallel development of the cardinal Christian virtues of faith, hope, and charity.  As we work to develop in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity, we will inevitably receive the great blessings of grace, mercy, and peace from the Lord.