June 30, 2 Corinthians 13
Most people who go to church have heard the last words of 2 Corinthians at the end of a service: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” Often called “The Benediction,” these rich words should influence our lives after the “amen.” Today’s portion not only contains the benediction; it also illustrates the effect of the blessing on the blessed.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of every redeemed person’s hope. We rejoice in the forgiveness of our sins by his grace. But living with that grace does not mean we are soft, weak and tolerant about sin. Paul had been patient, but time was up for the impenitent among the Corinthians. They had been warned, and if they still refused to repent, he would be strong against them when he arrived. That strength would not come from his own flesh or power. Instead he would discipline the impenitent ones with the power of the risen
Christ.
The love of God should color every thought, word and deed of our lives. Do we behave in love? Do we examine ourselves before and maybe instead of critically evaluating others? When our love mirrors God’s great love for us, we want the best for the ones he loves. There is no greater love or greater authority than God’s. When we use authority, do we use it in love as God intended? Do those under our authority
understand that we use it to build them up, not tear them down?
We are not called to be soloists in God’s great choir. The fellowship of the Holy Spirit is much, much broader than your relationship with him. We have individual responsibility toward God, and mutual responsibility toward one another. Shared joy is deeper and sweeter than solitary joy. We’re called both to experience God’s
comfort and show it to others. Fellowship means you don’t always get your way. We know more than we do about living in peace, because it takes mature restraint to show genuine consideration for others. All our talk about fellowship is meaningless without pure, holy expressions of it.
It would be bad if we missed the meaning of these ancient words because we’re distracted by gathering up our stuff, getting jackets on the kids or plotting our escape route from the church’s parking lot. Maybe our familiarity with the frequently repeated blessing dilutes its significance to us. As bad as that would be, it’s even worse when our lives don’t reflect the fact that grace, love and fellowship are supposed to be gifts from God shared in relationship with one another. These blessings are not just given to us, but through us as well. The words of the benediction are more than a sanctified “The End;” they’re a blessing. But the blessing is realized only when the blessed live out the words in their daily lives.
From The Abiding Companion: A Friendly Guide for Your Journey Through the New Testament,
Copyright © 2010 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—June 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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