PHM 1:25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

>>It is not only through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ as He "…washed us from our sins in his own blood," REV 1:5, that we might have a title for heaven

>>It is also by His grace "with our spirit" that makes us fit in character for heaven.

REV 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

>>The Lord Jesus Christ shall be glorified both by, and in those who have His grace "with [their] spirit," both now and in glory when they shall proclaim His glory.

REV 19:6-8 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

>>This glorification does not begin after this life—it begins through the grace of Christ being "with your spirit" in this life.

ROM 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

>>Our title is from the finished work of Christ on the cross—but our being made meet is the work of the Spirit of Christ dwelling with our spirit and in our heart.

1CO 3:5-6 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

>>Our text says, PHM 1:25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

>>The key to our text is a right understanding of the words—and how they are used in our text— The phrase, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ," speaks of His Divine influence upon our hearts—drawing them unto Himself by love.

>>The expression "be with your spirit" speaks of the renewing of our mental disposition by the Spirit of Christ. The natural man’s mental disposition is well described in EPH 4:17-19 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

>>Such a mental disposition is described as being, "…in the vanity of their mind,"—but then the Apostle Paul addresses those who have the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ with their spirit.

EPH 4:20-24 But ye have not so learned Christ;

21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

>>Those who have the grace of Christ, i.e., His Divine influence upon our hearts—drawing them unto Himself by love—as the fountain of our "spirit," or mental disposition will find that the stream will be as the fountain.

- JAM 3:712 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:

8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

>>After revealing how confusing such carnal Christianity would be—the Apostle goes on to distinguish the carnal Christian—from those who have the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ with their spirit.

JAM 3:13-18 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

In ROM 1:7 The apostle used the same benediction as we find in our text ascribed to the Father and The SON—and also in 1CO 1:3-6 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

>>There is also that well known benediction which shows the perfect harmony of the Trinity in 2CO 13:13-14 All the saints salute you.

14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

>> "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be[ing] with your spirit," is given at His own sovereign pleasure.

ROM 9:13-16 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

>>Not only is the grace of God sovereign, but His revealed will leaves all the responsibility on our part because it is also free.

ISA 55:1-3 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

>>The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ which is given to be with you is eternal.

ROM 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

PHI 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

>>This grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is not only found in the Fountainhead, but it also reveals itself in the streams! "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit."

>>This grace or "His Divine influence upon our hearts—drawing us unto Himself by love, renewing of our mental disposition by the Spirit of Christ," is spoken of as a quickening.

EPH 2:1-2 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins which quickening is a changing of attitude];

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit [i.e., attitude or mental disposition] that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

>>This quickening grace is not only attributed unto the Holy Spirit and the Father—but unto Christ also as in JOH 5:21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

>>The first drop that flows from this cleansing fountain out of the fullness of Christ is the dew of the Spirit’s regenerating grace.

DEU 32:2-3 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:

3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.

>>As this grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, (i.e., the Spirit of Christ) becomes joined "with your spirit," the refreshing dew of the Spirit of Christ distils in the soul—

>>Then most often we are not able to explain where our change of attitude came from:

JOH 3:7-8 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

>>See the change of attitude revealed in the Gadarene maniac —when "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ" was with his spirit!

MAR 5:15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

>>This quickening Spirit enlivens the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ.

JOH 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

>>It is when the Lord Jesus Christ breaths regenerating life into His Word—that His Divine influence comes upon our hearts—drawing us unto Himself by love, and our attitudes are renewed by His Spirit.

>>This is the new creation, or the new man spoken of in EPH 4:23-24 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

>>See what a contrast in the attitude revealed in this new man —and that of the old man which we are admonished to abandon.

EPH 4:25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

The new man no longer acts like the old man, (i.e., Gadarene maniac)—destroying his own body.

MAR 5: 2, 5; And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

>>When we have the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, or the Spirit of Christ with our spirit we begin to understand the meaning of being members one of another.

1CO 12:25-27 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

>>Understanding the beauty there is in our text reveals a little of the meaning of what our Saviour told Nicodemus in JOH 3:6-7 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

>>Where our text says, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit," it speaks of the Spiritual union we have with Christ, i.e., the oneness of Spirit.

1CO 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

PHM 1:25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.