²¹ . . . Grace be with you.

No more theologically rich verse can be found than Paul’s desire for his readers to know and grow in God’s grace. Truth and practice merge inseparably. Grace is more than the term we give to praying before a meal. We know it is central to the gospel, for “by grace you have been saved . . .” (Eph. 2:8). Acronyms, limited as they may be, are often used to help new believers to begin to grasp the truth, “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.” But these only scratch the surface. Grace must infuse every aspect of our lives, not only our salvation but also our everyday Christian living. We know this because Paul wrote primarily to believers, and he begins every letter with the phrase (in one form or another), “Grace to you.” And he concludes every letter with similar phrasing, “Grace be with you.” These are like bookends upholding his teachings that cover all aspects of Christian doctrine and living.

Paul is not merely submitting to polite cultural norms for letter writing, the way we often conclude our letters today, “Yours sincerely.” He was not one to waste words, even in his greetings and salutations. We note that he uses the word 101 times in his thirteen New Testament letters. Repetition is a form of emphasis. True, such statements, after much use, may take on a certain perfunctory flavor, as to be expected but not to be given much thought. But that is not the case with inspired Scripture, nor does it fit with what we know of Paul as a great and effective communicator.

Absolutely everything we have is from God: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it” (Ps. 24:1). He has “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ . . .” (Eph. 1:3). Paul further wrote to the Ephesians (where Timothy resided when Paul wrote this letter) that in Christ, we are chosen, predestined, adopted, redeemed, forgiven. We are found holy and blameless in Him; He has made known to us mysteries that were previously unknown and promised us a spiritual inheritance.

On top of all this, he wrote, “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith . . .” (Col. 2:6). We are to increasingly grow in our understanding, appreciation, and appropriation of God’s grace in our lives. As he proclaimed to the Athenian philosophers, “[I]n Him we live and move and exist . . .” (Acts 17:28). How much more for us who have been saved by His grace! We serve Him, not out of a desire to earn more of God’s favor, but out of gratitude for all He has done for us and is doing through us.

Lord, all I am is because of You; all I have is Yours; all I do is for Your glory.