24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
This is Paul’s benediction at the end of his epistle to the Ephesians. Paul had also, at the beginning of his epistle, prayed for the favour of God’s grace to be with all His people: “Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:2).
What a great blessing it is to be vessels of His grace! To always have grace with us is a glorious prospect. To Christians, the word “grace” encompasses all the blessings which the Gospel of Jesus Christ affords. All our salvific blessings (justification, reconciliation with God, inheritance of all spiritual blessings, His Holy Spirit, etc.) are the gifts of His grace. It is God’s grace that initiates, sustains and consummates our Christian life and service. Without the grace of God, we possess nothing (both physically and spiritually speaking). Without His grace, we can achieve nothing. Hence we are prone to say, like Paul, “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
If we are convinced of the importance of God’s grace in our Christian life, let us pray, like Paul, that His grace will be abundant upon our brethren. Let us pray for His grace, for we believe that God is “able to make all grace abound” towards His people, and that they, “always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (cf. 2 Corinthians 9:8).
Let us also take note that Paul does not pronounce the blessing of God’s grace on everyone, but only upon those who love Jesus Christ “in sincerity”. The object of our love must be the Lord Jesus Christ. Our love for Him must be genuine, not pretentious. When our hearts are free from all hypocrisy, it will be free from all corruption. Genuine love for Christ prepares us to be clean vessels for God to bestow more of His grace. It is they that love Christ who will have free access to the throne of grace and the promise that they shall be heard and accepted there.
Our love for Christ must be real, not pretentious. Our love for Him must be abiding and supreme. All our decisions and conduct must be guided and fashioned by our sincere love for Christ. May we not have a cold and indolent attitude towards Him; but rather, let our lives be characterised by a passionate affection for Christ!