Grace, God’s Favor

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” (I Thessalonians 5:28)

Paul closes this first letter to the Church of Thessalonica just as he had opened it, with an expression emphasizing the grace of God. All thirteen of Paul’s letters, whether to churches or to individuals, begin with a reference concerning the grace of God. The word, “grace,” means favor. He is expressing his desire for God’s favor to rest upon them.

Paul knew and understood the grace of God. He knew that he was saved only by the grace of God, and not by anything that he had merited. He knew he was kept by the grace of God. If ever anyone were saved by grace it would be Paul, originally Saul of Tarsus. He was guilty of persecuting the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. He despised Jesus and all His claims. He knew the sufficiency of God’s grace in trials and infirmities. So, his best closing was to share his feeling that he had for them that the grace of God would be with them. 

Then there came that final word of conclusion. “Amen.” Or, so be it. As Walter Cronkite would say at the end of his evening news casts, “And that’s the way it is.”