Grace Changes Everything
Greetings from the one who loves you and prays God’s blessings upon you!
We come today to the end. The closing words of Paul remind us of our relationship with one another and the relationship God has created with us by His grace.
When Paul says, Greet every saint in Christ Jesus it is a reminder that Christ has joined us together with every other believer across the globe. We are not an island unto ourselves. God created us for relationship, and He desires to be in relationship with and for this to spill over to a loving and accepting relationship with every other believer in Christ. Sadly, far too often, we look for the differences to keep us apart, rather than what unites us which is faith in Jesus as our Savior.
Paul then extends greetings for those who are with him and who are present to give him personal support and encouragement. The brothers who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household. These two phrases tell us a lot about Paul’s life! He is not alone! There are other Christians who are present supporting him as he faces the hard days he is experiencing.
If you have ever been through challenging times, then you know how important it is to not face those days alone. It is not that anyone can relieve the pain you are experiencing, but to know you have someone with you can make the journey you are on a little easier.
Paul also mentions those of Caesar’s household. This means that even in the darkest of times Paul is letting the light of Christ shine through his life. There are those directly connected to the emperor’s palace in Rome who have come to know Jesus as Savior and who are also being a source of encouragement to Paul. It is amazing where the Gospel will work if we simply speak it and trust God to accomplish His great work of salvation. To think that those who serve Caesar and who are every day surrounded by idols and idol worship have come to know the truth of Jesus through a man who is in chains. This simply proves to us the overwhelming power of God for the salvation of the world.
Paul concludes this epistle with a benediction. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. It is the grace of God in Christ Jesus which has won for us salvation and it is the very same grace which has touched our lives and brought forth faith in Him as our own Savior.
It is Paul’s desire that God would continue to pour grace upon grace in the lives of his readers. We lived continually in the grace of God! If God were to remove His grace and the working of the Spirit in us, we would quickly fall and find ourselves abandoned and alone! What a terrible and fearful thought!
Instead, Paul knows God is at work in our lives and he believes God will continue to be faithful to His children, even as He has proven faithful to Paul. Elsewhere Paul calls the Holy Spirit our “deposit” or “guarantee” which gives us a greater understanding.
When conversion happens, the spirit of a person, the human spirit, is reborn and in that instant the Holy Spirit becomes present in the new believer and He is ever present, God with us, to be our constant companion. The Spirit is working to work in us to accomplish all God desire for us to become and accomplish in our lives as we live for Him.
At the same time, He is our Comforter! He brings us the peace of God to our hearts when the world around is in in turmoil. We have the assurance of knowing we are never alone, and that God is standing on the other side of the valley in which we are making our journey!
We all will face challenging times in our lives. Everything from the loss of a loved one to living through the choices our kids and grandkids make. We will endure broken relationships and even the loss of friends. The hard and challenging events can leave us feeling alone and abandoned. But this is not the case. The devil will use such times to attempt to convince us that we are no longer loved or wanted. This is a powerful lie he uses when our hearts are hurting. But it is a lie!
God is with us, and He is present with grace in abundance. His desire is for us to find peace and comfort in knowing we are never alone. May you be blessed as you live your life in this fallen broken world! Know that God is with you and so are all your brothers and sisters in Christ.
To God be the glory in our lives and in our world,
Pastor Russ
We come today to the end. The closing words of Paul remind us of our relationship with one another and the relationship God has created with us by His grace.
When Paul says, Greet every saint in Christ Jesus it is a reminder that Christ has joined us together with every other believer across the globe. We are not an island unto ourselves. God created us for relationship, and He desires to be in relationship with and for this to spill over to a loving and accepting relationship with every other believer in Christ. Sadly, far too often, we look for the differences to keep us apart, rather than what unites us which is faith in Jesus as our Savior.
Paul then extends greetings for those who are with him and who are present to give him personal support and encouragement. The brothers who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household. These two phrases tell us a lot about Paul’s life! He is not alone! There are other Christians who are present supporting him as he faces the hard days he is experiencing.
If you have ever been through challenging times, then you know how important it is to not face those days alone. It is not that anyone can relieve the pain you are experiencing, but to know you have someone with you can make the journey you are on a little easier.
Paul also mentions those of Caesar’s household. This means that even in the darkest of times Paul is letting the light of Christ shine through his life. There are those directly connected to the emperor’s palace in Rome who have come to know Jesus as Savior and who are also being a source of encouragement to Paul. It is amazing where the Gospel will work if we simply speak it and trust God to accomplish His great work of salvation. To think that those who serve Caesar and who are every day surrounded by idols and idol worship have come to know the truth of Jesus through a man who is in chains. This simply proves to us the overwhelming power of God for the salvation of the world.
Paul concludes this epistle with a benediction. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. It is the grace of God in Christ Jesus which has won for us salvation and it is the very same grace which has touched our lives and brought forth faith in Him as our own Savior.
It is Paul’s desire that God would continue to pour grace upon grace in the lives of his readers. We lived continually in the grace of God! If God were to remove His grace and the working of the Spirit in us, we would quickly fall and find ourselves abandoned and alone! What a terrible and fearful thought!
Instead, Paul knows God is at work in our lives and he believes God will continue to be faithful to His children, even as He has proven faithful to Paul. Elsewhere Paul calls the Holy Spirit our “deposit” or “guarantee” which gives us a greater understanding.
When conversion happens, the spirit of a person, the human spirit, is reborn and in that instant the Holy Spirit becomes present in the new believer and He is ever present, God with us, to be our constant companion. The Spirit is working to work in us to accomplish all God desire for us to become and accomplish in our lives as we live for Him.
At the same time, He is our Comforter! He brings us the peace of God to our hearts when the world around is in in turmoil. We have the assurance of knowing we are never alone, and that God is standing on the other side of the valley in which we are making our journey!
We all will face challenging times in our lives. Everything from the loss of a loved one to living through the choices our kids and grandkids make. We will endure broken relationships and even the loss of friends. The hard and challenging events can leave us feeling alone and abandoned. But this is not the case. The devil will use such times to attempt to convince us that we are no longer loved or wanted. This is a powerful lie he uses when our hearts are hurting. But it is a lie!
God is with us, and He is present with grace in abundance. His desire is for us to find peace and comfort in knowing we are never alone. May you be blessed as you live your life in this fallen broken world! Know that God is with you and so are all your brothers and sisters in Christ.
To God be the glory in our lives and in our world,
Pastor Russ
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