Paul closes his letter to the Thessalonians as he usually does, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you" (2 Thess. 3:18). "All" means just that. Paul leaves no one out. Even those he rebuked in this letter are included. He prays that all who know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord be blessed with the grace of God.
Grace refers to God's undeserved goodwill toward us. It refers to the bestowing of His lovingkindness upon us, even though we do not deserve it in any way. Saving grace is a gift we received from God through our Lord Jesus Christ. In addition to salvation, grace is essential for many things, such as endurance, service, growth, and giving. By grace God enables us to live the Christian life. We experience His sanctifying grace by trusting Him, obeying His Word, enduring His chastening, doing good by His power, walking in the Spirit, and praying.
Paul desires all of this for you. That is why he includes grace in the blessings he asks God to bestow upon you. Paul wants the fullness of the Christian life to be experienced by each one of you. He knows you can only experience that by God's power and enabling. It is God who does it in and through you. No matter how much Scripture you understand, no matter how obedient you are, no matter how committed you are to living for Christ, and no matter how much effort you put into living the Christian life, it is all futile apart from the peace, strength, truth, and grace that only God can give.
Let God change you by His peace, strength, truth, and grace. Then follow Him in all you are and all you do. Amen.
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