May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen (Galatians 6:18 KJV)

What is God's grace? Image showing a man asking a question.

In his letters, one of Paul’s signatures is his classic greeting or benediction that calls for God’s grace and peace to be upon his audience. In Galatians 6:18 above, he was closed his letter from the Galatians with the words “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit”. How can God’s grace be with someone?

Grace is used in the New Testament to refer to related but slightly distinct concepts. Grace, as used in the verse above, is not merely referring to divine favor as a good disposition of God towards us. It is referring to the tangible blessings or goodness of God that accompanies someone’s life. For example, peace from God is an expression of God’s grace with us, so Paul often would say “grace and peace be to you…”.

When we live daily with the tangible manifestations of God’s blessings, virtues, power, wisdom, goodness, etc, His grace is with and upon us. A classic example is the description of Jesus growing up as a little boy. Luke 2:40 days

“And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him”.

Jesus grew and increased in wisdom. That wisdom was grace or God’s extravagant goodness in unlimited expression in Jesus. Think about living in a place where there is an abundance of God’s wisdom, power, love, joy, peace, etc in your life. That is the place of grace. It is not a spiritual fantasy. It is the place of grace upon which you stand in Christ. May His grace be with you every moment, every place, and at all times!

MEDITATE

Can you think of the different ways in which God’s grace is manifesting itself in your life practically?

APPLY THE WORD

There is a platform in the spirit where we stand and it is called grace. It is a place where there are no limits to God’s goodness. Christ put you there. Remain there, and do not fall from that grace. Receive it through knowledge of Christ and faith in Him and put it to work in your daily life.