“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
We are saved by grace. Ephesians 2:8 clearly shows us that grace is at work in our salvation. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Grace is more, though, than simply a testimony to our conversion. It is a continuing resource as we live our Christian lives.
By grace, God gives us “eternal encouragement and good hope.” Each of us needs an eternal, inexhaustible supply of encouragement and a good hope that will sustain through all our tomorrows. They both come as a benefit of God’s amazing grace.
Doing good requires a constant supply of strength. God provides that for us as well. Most of us have looked at the Christian life from before we believed and wondered whether or not we can measure up to what God asks of us. The good news is that the grace that saved us will sustain us as we serve Him. A divine supply of encouragement, hope and strength will accompany us all the way to our destination. That is just another reason to be thankful for God’s grace.
