2 Thessalonians 3:16-18

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.  I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Paul’s benediction in his final inspired writings to this church emphasize important aspects of God’s provisions in the lives of believers.  Paul desires the best for this church and for every believer.  The gifts of God are too numerous to be able to list, but grace and peace are certainly two of the greatest gifts believers receive from the Lord. 

PEACE FROM GOD: The God of peace makes that peace available to those who place their faith in Christ.  Rarely do people think of God as being the God of peace.  Too often people only think of God as being of judgment or wrath.  While it is true that God does judge and that His wrath is kindled over sin; that judgment and wrath was poured out on Jesus in our place.  God made peace with man through the sacrifice of Christ.  He initiated the plan for peace between man and Himself.  We are responsible to meet His condition for peace which is faith in Christ to rescue us from sin.  God wants peace, paid the price for peace, and offers peace to mankind through Jesus; that is why His is the God of peace.  This peace with God opens the door for us to experience the peace of God.  He is always at perfect peace.  God never worries or becomes anxious.  Paul’s prayer is for the follower of Christ who are at peace with God to be able to experience the peace of God at all times.  No matter what circumstances we might face, the peace of God is available to us all believers.  We can rest in His sovereign control over our lives and any trials we face.  We can be at peace because we have an eternal hope that is secure in Christ.

PERSONAL GREETING: It is highly likely that Paul used a scribe to write the majority of his letters.  There is speculation that Paul’s eyesight was not very good so his handwriting was likely very large and hard to read.  So, in order to save the precious commodity of paper and make sure the message was clear; Paul used a scribe.  However, this final greeting Paul wanted to make sure was in his own handwriting.  This provided a personal touch and gave clear authenticity to the content of the letter.  It seems that other were writing false teachings in the name of Paul, so he needed to have this distinguishing characteristic.

PRESENCE OF GRACE: Paul’s benediction ends with a desire for the grace of the Lord Jesus to be with them.  The only reason that we have peace with God and can experience the peace of God is the Grace of the Lord Jesus.  We do not earn or deserve any of the blessings we have in Christ.  They come to us because of God’s great love and mercy and are extended to us by His grace.  No matter how difficult our lives may be or how deeply into sin we have fallen; the grace of our Lord is sufficient to forgive us and set us free from all sin. We must never be proud of ourselves or think that we are in the family of God because of our own value, worth, or merit.  It is only by grace that any of us are saved.  This truth must be our constant companion.

APPLICATION: Trust in Christ alone as the only means by which we can have peace with God.  Experience the peace of God because of the hope of our salvation and our trust in His sovereign control over us.  Be assured of the authenticity of Paul’s writings recorded in Scripture.  Understand that all we receive in Christ is only ever ours because of His grace.  Don’t try to deserve it or be proud because we have received it. 

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