The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 4:23. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” In this typical closing of Paul’s epistles, we are reminded that he begins with the blessing of grace and now concludes with a blessing of grace. Even though there is a wide variety of people in the body of Christ and in local assemblies, we all share in eternal life, God's gift, and we have all received the “grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
When that grace is “with our spirits,” we will remember that we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ. In this epistle, we learn that understanding the mind of Christ and serving others as He did will bring us the joy and peace that lead to a full and meaningful life.
A plan was made before there were a sun, moon, and stars that would include us in God’s kingdom through His grace. The results of that plan have goals much greater than ours. There is a deeper significance in God's entire sovereign purpose than we could ever understand. God aimed to have a family of willing saints to live with Him forever and see His face as sons and daughters, sharing in His eternal life.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ moved Him to leave His throne on high. What emotion must have filled heaven when the time finally came for the Son of God to be found in the form of a man? “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ” meant that His riches were set aside when He came down here to die for our sins so that He might bring us to God. He defeated sin's awful claim by His death on the cross, paying in full for our sins.
His grace manifests itself in many different ways as He gives us daily what none of us deserve. We have received from Him grace to live each day so that we can be faithful stewards of the One we seek to serve. There are times when sickness brings grief and pain, affecting our bodies so much that we can hardly read or pray. His grace is enough during these times until we are well again. His grace has pulled from our memories what we need for that day.
In our labor, there are disappointments when things don’t go well. What we hoped for doesn’t come to pass, and we feel like we’ve failed our Lord. During times like that, in grace, He supplies what words can never fully express. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ turns every situation into a success. Having His grace to call upon whenever I approach His throne of grace assures me that some blessing can come when I ask for grace. In daily life’s needs, He doesn’t leave me on my own; by His grace alone, I can face each day with faith, confidence, and the firm hope that His will can be done when I have the mind of Christ.