1 Timothy 1:2
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
2 To Timothy, my true son in the faith: Grace (spiritual blessing and favor), mercy, and [heart] peace [be yours] from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
This letter is written to Timothy. Timothy is known as a true son in the faith. Timothy was not Paul’s physical son but was his spiritual son. Timothy is introduced in Acts 16:1. We find out that Timothy’s mother was Jewish, and his father was a gentile. This would have made for a very unique situation for Timothy especially when traveling with the apostle Paul and ministering to fellow Jews.
Paul invested his life in Timothy. As believers in Christ, we are called to discipleship. We are not only called to be disciples of Jesus ourselves, but we are called to disciple others. Discipleship requires investing our lives in others. Often this is best done in a small intimate setting where hearts are shared, and life lessons can be taught. One of the greatest ways to disciple anyone is to have them simply travel with you. Timothy learned by simply watching Paul and allowing Paul to pour the wisdom of the Lord into his life. The truth is that those who lead will not be around forever and we must be aware of who God is raising up in the next generation.
Grace, mercy, and peace are all found through Jesus Christ. Grace is God’s unmerited favor. We don’t earn it and we don’t deserve it. But because of faith alone in what Jesus has done the grace of God is bestowed upon our lives. God’s grace makes all things possible; it is the hand of God literally upon our lives empowering us and going before us.
The word mercy is either translated mercy or compassion. God’s kindness is bestowed upon us because of Christ has done. When we think about where we have come from and what we have done, we are not deserving of the kindness nor the compassion of God. But we see all through the gospels that Christ was moved with compassion. God loves us with an everlasting love. Even when we are messing up everything and hurting others in the process, God loves us. But His desire is for us to turn from our sin. It is His kindness that leads to repentance.
We have peace with Almighty God because of the precious blood of Jesus. The peace of God is beyond human understanding (Phil 4:7). Because of the blood of Jesus our sin is washed away. Because of sin we desire to hide and run from God. We see this in the garden when Adam sinned and the intimacy he had with Christ was broken. But when we come to faith in Christ our sin that separates us from Christ is removed and is replaced by the righteousness of who Jesus is. We can draw near because of what Christ has done.
Paul concludes verse two by saying God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. The Father and the Son are one. There are some today who will attack the deity of Jesus Christ. But the only way we can truly be saved is if we believe Jesus is Lord and if He is Lord of our lives. What does it mean that Jesus is Lord? It means that all of our lives are surrendered to Him. It means every desire and every dream is surrendered to His will and His plans. When we are born into this world we are born into sin and live in rebellion against God. We live for our own selfish desires. But it is Jesus who chases us down. It is Jesus who opens our eyes through the work of Holy Spirit. It is Jesus who chose the cross and took the wrath and punishment that we deserve. Because of Him we have been brought into right relationship with our Father in Heaven.