Grace Be Unto You
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:3, KJV)
“Grace be unto you” is a favorite salutation of Paul in his letters. But this is more than a casual greeting. Grace can indeed be given to someone, and this phrase reflects both a desire and a prayer.
What does Paul mean when he says, “Grace be unto you”? The phrase implies that grace can be extended to someone. As James 4:6 says, “God gives grace,” and in Ephesians 3:8, Paul mentions, “unto me…is this grace given.” These passages show that grace can be given to someone.
Knowing that grace can be bestowed raises another question: What does grace mean here? Many think of grace as God’s unmerited favor that saves us. While this is correct, grace has other facets. “Grace” does not always refer directly to unmerited saving favor. In verses like 1 Corinthians 1:3, it has a more specific meaning.
In a broader sense, grace represents the gift of salvation from God’s unmerited favor. By extension, it includes every gift or blessing in Christ that results from God’s favor. An example of this grace is found in our main verse: peace. When Paul says, “Grace and peace be unto you,” these are not separate entities. Peace is part of grace. So, when Paul says, “Grace to you,” he also means that God will abundantly grant you peace.
Similarly, in Ephesians 3:8, Paul calls the “grace given” to him not the saving favor of God but the ministry gift of being an Apostle. His apostolic calling was a form of grace.
Another example of grace that impacts our material lives is financial grace. In 2 Corinthians 9:8, we are told:
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.
This verse speaks of financial grace—the power, ability, or empowerment to increase financially. Just as grace includes peace and ministry gifts, it also includes financial grace. By extension, good health is also a grace.
Thus, grace can be bestowed upon you. “Grace to you” is a salutation and a profound revelation of God’s grace at work in our lives.
So I leave you with this: “Grace to you” in every aspect of your life today.
Meditate
Reflect on how grace operates in your life beyond salvation.
Apply the Word
Grace is a powerful spiritual empowerment. God has lavished grace upon us in Christ and still desires to give more. He wants to give grace upon grace. Let God’s grace increase as you grow in your knowledge of Christ and believe in His finished work.
Pray
Thank the Father for the extravagant grace bestowed upon us.
Recommended Read
- Three Spheres of Grace
- Definition of Grace- 6 Key concepts
- Grace is an Experience
- The Meaning of Grace Upon Grace
- All Deshen Daily Devotionals
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