“The Lord be with you in spirit. Grace be with you” (2Tim 4:22).
Signature Sign Off
Ever know somebody with signature sign off? You know, a little catch phrase they use to say “goodbye.”
Looney Tunes always end with “That’s all, folks! Bob Barker closed “The Price Is Right” for years with, “Have your pet spayed or neutered.” Legendary newscaster Walter Cronkite signed off by saying, “And that’s the way it is.” And you’ve gotta love Ron Burgundy’s “Stay classy, San Diego.”
Grace on the Green Mile
Did you know that Paul had signature sign off too? Sure did. Oh, he varies it just a bit from letter to letter. But he ends each note by pointing back to God’s amazing grace.
His very last letter is no different. As the apostle writes to Timothy from Death Row in Rome, he doesn’t disappoint when he signs off. “The Lord be with you in spirit. Grace be with you” (v22). Who expected to find grace on the Green Mile?
After writing 13 documents that we now include in the New Testament, these are the very last strokes of Paul’s pen before his execution. Think about that for just moment. Very. Last. Words. His famous last words are gracious last words.
Getting to the Good Stuff
I don’t know about you, but I’m tempted to blow right past the opening and closing verses in many books of the Bible. Get past the blah-blah-blah. I want to get to the good stuff! What if this IS the good stuff?!?
But here’s what I always have to remember. If God’s Spirit has inspired each and every writer of Scripture (2Tim 3:16), then He has every bit of it there for a reason. That includes these opening and closing lines. Is it possible that they hold the key to unlocking the entire message of God’s Word?
Passing the Torch
Before we dig into what Paul’s writing, let’s zoom out to see why Paul’s writing. The year is 67 AD. The place is Rome. Specifically the Mamertine Prison. Better known as Caesar’s SuperMax. It’s the cellblock reserved for condemned prisoners.
The apostle knows he’s going to die and die soon (2Tim 4:6-7). He writes to a young pastor named Timothy he considers his spiritual son (2Tim 1:2). Paul fires off one last letter with two purposes. First, he’s passing the torch of ministry (2Tim 2:1-4:5). Second, he begs for one final visit (2Tim 4:9, 21).
Paul’s Sign Off
Which brings us to his sign off. “The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you” (v22). Paul reminds his protege that Jesus is always with him in order to lead him. He reminds Tim of the God’s amazing gift that none of us deserve. In other words, we can trust in Christ’s leadership because of the overwhelming goodness of all He’s already done for us.
Check out Paul’s signature close in every one of his notes. Grace drips off the page in each one. Yup. That’s right. Every single epistle (Rom 16:20; 1Cor 16:23; 2Cor 13:14; Gal 6:18; Eph 6:24; Phil 4:23; Col 4:18; 1Th 5:28; 2Th 3:18; 1Tim 6:21; 2Tim 4:22; Titus 3:15; Phm 25).
Gracious last words.
The Grace Sandwich
It only makes sense, really. Paul kicks off every letter with greetings of grace (Rom 1:7; 1Cor 1:3; 2Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2; Phil 1:2; Col 1:2; 1Th 1:1; 2Th 2; 1Tim 1:2; 2Tim 1:2; Titus 1:4; Phm 3). Grace at the open. Grace at the close. Think of the apostle’s letters as a delicious Grace Sandwich.
I’m pretty sure we can all learn a little lesson from the apostle formerly known as Saul. No matter what we have to say to someone, let’s wrap it in grace. Start with grace. End with grace. Talk about speaking the truth in love! It’s impossible to beat someone over the head with a 20-pound study Bible while marveling at the mind-blowing generosity of our great giving God!
The Promise of Jesus’ Presence
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s back up to the first half of Paul’s two-part sign off. “The Lord be with you in your spirit” (22). The apostle reminds Tim of the powerful promise of Jesus’ presence.
Sixteen times in this little letter, the man from Tarsus refers to the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth as the Lord. We find five of those are right here in the final chapter. If you’re curious, this is the important Greek noun κυριος/kurios, which means master, boss, or leader.
Buying Fire Insurance
This title speaks directly to Jesus’ authority. He’s not just my Savior. He’s also my Lord. He’s come from the luxury of the heavenly palace to our rescue by diving into the dumpster of our sin.
Jesus lived the perfect life I failed to live. He died the death I should have died. He rose to the new life I don’t deserve. He trades His perfection for my rebellion (2Cor 5:21). He transforms me from an enemy of God with my picture on a heavenly wanted poster to a child of God with my name listed in the divine will (Rom 5:8-10; Col 1:21-22).
If I’m willing to place my trust in His overwhelming goodness as my Savior, why would I not trust Him to be the Leader of the my life as my Lord? Let me try this another way. We can’t just buy His fire insurance without submitting to His authority. We can’t have one without the other. When we place our trust in Jesus, we place our trust in the total package.
24/7/365
Paul wants Tim to realize that our Lord’s leadership is available 24/7/365. He’s always right there. That’s how Jesus earned the Hebrew nickname of “Immanuel” which means God is always with us (Is 7:14; Mt 1:23). Just before He headed home to heaven, the Son of God wanted His followers to never forget, “I am with you always” (Mt 28:20).
For years I thought Christ was some cosmic killjoy looking to make sure I avoided fun at any cost. Following Jesus means wiping that smile off my face and kissing good times goodbye. I thought submitting to His commands was becoming a religious rule-follower that had all the excitement of eating my Brussels sprouts. (I apologize to anyone out there who really likes these disgusting little veggies.)
God’s Guardrails
What I’ve come to understand is that my Lord leads me out of His love. His commands don’t steal my joy but are the true source of my joy! Jesus tells folks to stop working so hard to earn God’s approval. Instead, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Mt 11:29-30).
Following His guidance is the key to unlocking God’s tsunami of blessing into our lives. It’s the whole reason Christ came. Satan is undoubtedly out to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus’ mission was to lead us into the overflowing and overwhelming life of God’s goodness (Jn 10:10).
Think of our Lord’s leadership as God’s guardrails which keep us safe. It’s His way of keeping us out of trouble. It’s His way of saving us from ourselves. I don’t know about you but I’ve made a hot mess out of my life too many times by ignoring His commands. I had to learn this lesson the hard way. I hope you don’t make the same mistake.
Paul Gets Personal
As he has done through a huge chunk of this letter, the apostle gets personal. When he writes, “The Lord be with you in spirit” (v22), Paul’s actually writing just to Timothy. The “you” here is actually singular. It’s a little something something we miss in our English Bibles.
His point? Jesus promises His personal presence to Tim and each one of us who place our trust in who He is and what He’s done. Actually, a slightly better translation of this sentence might be “the Lord IS with you in spirit” (v22). Paul is making a statement. He’s stating a fact.
This Time It’s Personal
The apostle reminds the young pastor of a truth we ALL need to hang onto. My Leader is right here by my side every stope of the way. Every follower of Jesus has has a PERSONAL relationship with the Son of God. Not just preachers. Not just professional Christians. You. Me. Us. Them.
Yeah, I know. Too many times it certainly feels like the Lord is nowhere near me. Not in the same zip code. Not even in the same area code. Just because I don’t feel His presence doesn’t mean He’s not there. Just ask a couple of His followers who hoofed it back to Emmaus after His crucifixion (Lk 24:13-35).
Jesus’ direct involvement in our eternal rescue is a game changer. I can be sure that God loves me. And this time it’s personal.
His Grace Is with Y’all
Which brings us to the second half of Paul’s two-part sign off. “Grace be with you” (v22). This time the apostle uses a “you” (Gr. υμων/umon) which is plural. While this may be a VERY personal note to Timothy, Paul wrote it with the expectation that everybody would hear it.
This letter may have Tim’s name on the envelope but the message was to be read to the entire church in Ephesus. While the “you” may be plural here, Paul is once again stating a very singular fact. A VERY important fact. Grace IS with you all. The Lord is with you. His grace is with y’all.
These are gracious last words.
Grace Breaks Free
Grace. THE most scandalous idea in the entire Bible. Let’s be honest we’ve done our best to tame this beast over the past couple of thousand years. We’ve attempted to domesticate grace by reducing it the name of our quick “thanks God for the food” prayers before we eat.
But we can’t stop grace. We can’t even hope to contain it. God’s grace will eventually snap the chains like King Kong in captivity. It must run free. No matter how hard we try, grace can’t be kept in captivity.
Our Great Giver
Jesus used Paul to release His grace on the Gentile world for 30-plus years. The apostle has loved telling everyone who listens all about it. Each time he does, the man from Tarsus uses a Greek word (Gr. χαρις/charis) which describes goodwill, favor, kindness, benefit, blessing, or simply an unearned or undeserved gift.
Grace is a quality that adds delight and pleasure wherever it goes. As marvelous as it is, grace places the focus on the overwhelming goodness of the giver. And in this case, The Giver is God!
Paul’s Big Point
There’s probably no better description of God’s overwhelming goodness toward you and me than what Paul has to say in his letter to his Ephesian friends. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not the result of works, so that that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8:-9).
The apostle’s big point is that God’s grace is absolutely essential. Why? I can’t rescue myself. Self-salvation is totally impossible. You and I are incapable of following the rules in order to earn God’s favor. Hey, if Paul couldn’t pull it off, what shot do we have?
One-Way Love
Remember what I said about how grace focuses on the goodness of our Great Giving God? Paul Zahl says it this way. “Grace is a love that has nothing to do with you, the beloved. It has everything and only to do with the Lover.”
In his book Grace in Practice, he goes on to say, “Grace is love that seeks you out when you have nothing to give in return. Grace is love coming at you that has nothing to do with you. Grace is being loved when you are unlovable…Grace is one-way love.”
Starting to see what makes grace so amazing?
The Unobligated Giver
Tullian Tchividjian puts it this way. “Grace doesn’t make demands. It just gives. And from our vantage point, it always gives to the wrong person…Grace is a divine vulgarity that stands caution on its head. It refuses to play it safe and lay it up. Grace is recklessly generous, uncomfortably promiscuous…Grace is unconditional acceptance given to an undeserving person by an unobligated giver.”
Just in case we miss his big point, let’s remind ourselves of who he’s talking about. You and I are those undeserving persons. God is the Unobligated Giver. We’re recipients of His descending one-way love. He has refused to play it safe. He has throne caution to the wind.
Transforming Grace
That’s the big idea behind Paul’s signature sign off. Grace. Love toward us that’s recklessly generous and uncomfortably promiscuous. It’s turned the apostle’s life upside down (or better yet, rightside up!). Grace transformed him from a murderer of Jesus’ followers to a missionary with a message.
Here’s how Paul describes it. “For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain” (1Cor 15:9-10).
Paul Signs Off
That’s the reason he signs off every single time by mentioning the grace of God. And there’s no better time to than as his pen strokes the page here for the very last time.
Gracious last words.
©2017 Jay Jennings
Signature Sign Off
Ever know somebody with signature sign off? You know, a little catch phrase they use to say “goodbye.”
Looney Tunes always end with “That’s all, folks! Bob Barker closed “The Price Is Right” for years with, “Have your pet spayed or neutered.” Legendary newscaster Walter Cronkite signed off by saying, “And that’s the way it is.” And you’ve gotta love Ron Burgundy’s “Stay classy, San Diego.”
Grace on the Green Mile
Did you know that Paul had signature sign off too? Sure did. Oh, he varies it just a bit from letter to letter. But he ends each note by pointing back to God’s amazing grace.
His very last letter is no different. As the apostle writes to Timothy from Death Row in Rome, he doesn’t disappoint when he signs off. “The Lord be with you in spirit. Grace be with you” (v22). Who expected to find grace on the Green Mile?
After writing 13 documents that we now include in the New Testament, these are the very last strokes of Paul’s pen before his execution. Think about that for just moment. Very. Last. Words. His famous last words are gracious last words.
Getting to the Good Stuff
I don’t know about you, but I’m tempted to blow right past the opening and closing verses in many books of the Bible. Get past the blah-blah-blah. I want to get to the good stuff! What if this IS the good stuff?!?
But here’s what I always have to remember. If God’s Spirit has inspired each and every writer of Scripture (2Tim 3:16), then He has every bit of it there for a reason. That includes these opening and closing lines. Is it possible that they hold the key to unlocking the entire message of God’s Word?
Passing the Torch
Before we dig into what Paul’s writing, let’s zoom out to see why Paul’s writing. The year is 67 AD. The place is Rome. Specifically the Mamertine Prison. Better known as Caesar’s SuperMax. It’s the cellblock reserved for condemned prisoners.
The apostle knows he’s going to die and die soon (2Tim 4:6-7). He writes to a young pastor named Timothy he considers his spiritual son (2Tim 1:2). Paul fires off one last letter with two purposes. First, he’s passing the torch of ministry (2Tim 2:1-4:5). Second, he begs for one final visit (2Tim 4:9, 21).
Paul’s Sign Off
Which brings us to his sign off. “The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you” (v22). Paul reminds his protege that Jesus is always with him in order to lead him. He reminds Tim of the God’s amazing gift that none of us deserve. In other words, we can trust in Christ’s leadership because of the overwhelming goodness of all He’s already done for us.
Check out Paul’s signature close in every one of his notes. Grace drips off the page in each one. Yup. That’s right. Every single epistle (Rom 16:20; 1Cor 16:23; 2Cor 13:14; Gal 6:18; Eph 6:24; Phil 4:23; Col 4:18; 1Th 5:28; 2Th 3:18; 1Tim 6:21; 2Tim 4:22; Titus 3:15; Phm 25).
Gracious last words.
The Grace Sandwich
It only makes sense, really. Paul kicks off every letter with greetings of grace (Rom 1:7; 1Cor 1:3; 2Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2; Phil 1:2; Col 1:2; 1Th 1:1; 2Th 2; 1Tim 1:2; 2Tim 1:2; Titus 1:4; Phm 3). Grace at the open. Grace at the close. Think of the apostle’s letters as a delicious Grace Sandwich.
I’m pretty sure we can all learn a little lesson from the apostle formerly known as Saul. No matter what we have to say to someone, let’s wrap it in grace. Start with grace. End with grace. Talk about speaking the truth in love! It’s impossible to beat someone over the head with a 20-pound study Bible while marveling at the mind-blowing generosity of our great giving God!
The Promise of Jesus’ Presence
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s back up to the first half of Paul’s two-part sign off. “The Lord be with you in your spirit” (22). The apostle reminds Tim of the powerful promise of Jesus’ presence.
Sixteen times in this little letter, the man from Tarsus refers to the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth as the Lord. We find five of those are right here in the final chapter. If you’re curious, this is the important Greek noun κυριος/kurios, which means master, boss, or leader.
Buying Fire Insurance
This title speaks directly to Jesus’ authority. He’s not just my Savior. He’s also my Lord. He’s come from the luxury of the heavenly palace to our rescue by diving into the dumpster of our sin.
Jesus lived the perfect life I failed to live. He died the death I should have died. He rose to the new life I don’t deserve. He trades His perfection for my rebellion (2Cor 5:21). He transforms me from an enemy of God with my picture on a heavenly wanted poster to a child of God with my name listed in the divine will (Rom 5:8-10; Col 1:21-22).
If I’m willing to place my trust in His overwhelming goodness as my Savior, why would I not trust Him to be the Leader of the my life as my Lord? Let me try this another way. We can’t just buy His fire insurance without submitting to His authority. We can’t have one without the other. When we place our trust in Jesus, we place our trust in the total package.
24/7/365
Paul wants Tim to realize that our Lord’s leadership is available 24/7/365. He’s always right there. That’s how Jesus earned the Hebrew nickname of “Immanuel” which means God is always with us (Is 7:14; Mt 1:23). Just before He headed home to heaven, the Son of God wanted His followers to never forget, “I am with you always” (Mt 28:20).
For years I thought Christ was some cosmic killjoy looking to make sure I avoided fun at any cost. Following Jesus means wiping that smile off my face and kissing good times goodbye. I thought submitting to His commands was becoming a religious rule-follower that had all the excitement of eating my Brussels sprouts. (I apologize to anyone out there who really likes these disgusting little veggies.)
God’s Guardrails
What I’ve come to understand is that my Lord leads me out of His love. His commands don’t steal my joy but are the true source of my joy! Jesus tells folks to stop working so hard to earn God’s approval. Instead, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Mt 11:29-30).
Following His guidance is the key to unlocking God’s tsunami of blessing into our lives. It’s the whole reason Christ came. Satan is undoubtedly out to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus’ mission was to lead us into the overflowing and overwhelming life of God’s goodness (Jn 10:10).
Think of our Lord’s leadership as God’s guardrails which keep us safe. It’s His way of keeping us out of trouble. It’s His way of saving us from ourselves. I don’t know about you but I’ve made a hot mess out of my life too many times by ignoring His commands. I had to learn this lesson the hard way. I hope you don’t make the same mistake.
Paul Gets Personal
As he has done through a huge chunk of this letter, the apostle gets personal. When he writes, “The Lord be with you in spirit” (v22), Paul’s actually writing just to Timothy. The “you” here is actually singular. It’s a little something something we miss in our English Bibles.
His point? Jesus promises His personal presence to Tim and each one of us who place our trust in who He is and what He’s done. Actually, a slightly better translation of this sentence might be “the Lord IS with you in spirit” (v22). Paul is making a statement. He’s stating a fact.
This Time It’s Personal
The apostle reminds the young pastor of a truth we ALL need to hang onto. My Leader is right here by my side every stope of the way. Every follower of Jesus has has a PERSONAL relationship with the Son of God. Not just preachers. Not just professional Christians. You. Me. Us. Them.
Yeah, I know. Too many times it certainly feels like the Lord is nowhere near me. Not in the same zip code. Not even in the same area code. Just because I don’t feel His presence doesn’t mean He’s not there. Just ask a couple of His followers who hoofed it back to Emmaus after His crucifixion (Lk 24:13-35).
Jesus’ direct involvement in our eternal rescue is a game changer. I can be sure that God loves me. And this time it’s personal.
His Grace Is with Y’all
Which brings us to the second half of Paul’s two-part sign off. “Grace be with you” (v22). This time the apostle uses a “you” (Gr. υμων/umon) which is plural. While this may be a VERY personal note to Timothy, Paul wrote it with the expectation that everybody would hear it.
This letter may have Tim’s name on the envelope but the message was to be read to the entire church in Ephesus. While the “you” may be plural here, Paul is once again stating a very singular fact. A VERY important fact. Grace IS with you all. The Lord is with you. His grace is with y’all.
These are gracious last words.
Grace Breaks Free
Grace. THE most scandalous idea in the entire Bible. Let’s be honest we’ve done our best to tame this beast over the past couple of thousand years. We’ve attempted to domesticate grace by reducing it the name of our quick “thanks God for the food” prayers before we eat.
But we can’t stop grace. We can’t even hope to contain it. God’s grace will eventually snap the chains like King Kong in captivity. It must run free. No matter how hard we try, grace can’t be kept in captivity.
Our Great Giver
Jesus used Paul to release His grace on the Gentile world for 30-plus years. The apostle has loved telling everyone who listens all about it. Each time he does, the man from Tarsus uses a Greek word (Gr. χαρις/charis) which describes goodwill, favor, kindness, benefit, blessing, or simply an unearned or undeserved gift.
Grace is a quality that adds delight and pleasure wherever it goes. As marvelous as it is, grace places the focus on the overwhelming goodness of the giver. And in this case, The Giver is God!
Paul’s Big Point
There’s probably no better description of God’s overwhelming goodness toward you and me than what Paul has to say in his letter to his Ephesian friends. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not the result of works, so that that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8:-9).
The apostle’s big point is that God’s grace is absolutely essential. Why? I can’t rescue myself. Self-salvation is totally impossible. You and I are incapable of following the rules in order to earn God’s favor. Hey, if Paul couldn’t pull it off, what shot do we have?
One-Way Love
Remember what I said about how grace focuses on the goodness of our Great Giving God? Paul Zahl says it this way. “Grace is a love that has nothing to do with you, the beloved. It has everything and only to do with the Lover.”
In his book Grace in Practice, he goes on to say, “Grace is love that seeks you out when you have nothing to give in return. Grace is love coming at you that has nothing to do with you. Grace is being loved when you are unlovable…Grace is one-way love.”
Starting to see what makes grace so amazing?
The Unobligated Giver
Tullian Tchividjian puts it this way. “Grace doesn’t make demands. It just gives. And from our vantage point, it always gives to the wrong person…Grace is a divine vulgarity that stands caution on its head. It refuses to play it safe and lay it up. Grace is recklessly generous, uncomfortably promiscuous…Grace is unconditional acceptance given to an undeserving person by an unobligated giver.”
Just in case we miss his big point, let’s remind ourselves of who he’s talking about. You and I are those undeserving persons. God is the Unobligated Giver. We’re recipients of His descending one-way love. He has refused to play it safe. He has throne caution to the wind.
Transforming Grace
That’s the big idea behind Paul’s signature sign off. Grace. Love toward us that’s recklessly generous and uncomfortably promiscuous. It’s turned the apostle’s life upside down (or better yet, rightside up!). Grace transformed him from a murderer of Jesus’ followers to a missionary with a message.
Here’s how Paul describes it. “For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain” (1Cor 15:9-10).
Paul Signs Off
That’s the reason he signs off every single time by mentioning the grace of God. And there’s no better time to than as his pen strokes the page here for the very last time.
Gracious last words.
©2017 Jay Jennings
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