"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all" (II Thess. 3:16).

Paul encouraged the Thessalonians in the midst of their sufferings (II Thess. 1:5).  Paul told them one day the Lord Jesus Christ and His mighty angels would be coming again and would righteously judge all those that were troubling them (II Thess. 1:5-9). Paul also prayed for the Thessalonians and comforted them with the truth that our Heavenly Father had chosen them as His sons and set them apart from all judgment through the sanctification of the Spirit, their belief in the gospel of truth, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ (I Thess. 1:11-12; 2:13-17).  Paul begins his address in this letter saying, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (II Thess. 1:2).  Paul declares this same statement of truth in 12 of his epistles, within the first 4 verses. Notice that grace is always mentioned before peace.  Why?  We cannot understand the peace of God, until we first understand the grace of God. 

Our Heavenly Father wanted sons in a love relationship and fellowship with Himself.  Our Father chose us to be in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4).  The Lord Jesus Christ came in flesh and with His shed blood and crucified body paid 100% for our sins and salvation to and with our Heavenly Father (Col. 1:20-22).  Our Father was 100% satisfied with Jesus' sacrificial offering and raised Him from the dead and set Him with all authority over all things in heaven and earth (Eph. 1:20-23).   This is the free justification by our Father's "grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24).  Through our Father's grace, we have been granted access through our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:18).  Christ and His 100% grace is the root source of genuine peace.  Christ is the connecting link and our union with our Heavenly Father.  Through our Spirit birthing and salvation through faith in Christ, we now have access in His grace and peace to and with the Father (Eph. 2:14-15).