Grace to you & Grace with you

At the beginning of all of Paul’s letters, the Apostle greets his readers by speaking grace to you.  But at the end of all his letters, he talks about grace being with you.  Grace to you, and grace with you. When Paul says “grace to you,” he is using that phrase as a prayer for divine power to be released to the reader. And when Paul says “grace be with you,” he is saying that his letters are channels of God’s grace. At the beginning of his letters, Paul says I pray that God’s grace will flow to you. And at the end of his letters, Paul says if you stay in this word, I know that God’s grace will flow to you.    

God’s word is a means of God’s grace. And Paul knew he was writing God’s word. So, at the beginning of his letters, he writes “grace to you,” because he was about to deliver God’s word, and impart God’s grace. But Paul also knew that people must continue with God’s word to continue receiving the benefits of God’s grace through it. So, at the end of his letters, he writes “grace be with you,” because abiding in God’s word causes us to abide in God’s grace. Grace to you, and grace with you. And as we abide in God’s word, God’s grace abides with us in our daily lives.

Here is the point: Get the word in you so the word will flow through you.  

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©