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2 Corinthians 13:11-14
Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
Greet one another with a holy kiss. All God’s people here send their greetings.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
New International Version (NIV)
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If you could say one last thing to your loved ones, what would you say? Late last week a good friend asked us to pray for his dad. Not long afterward, he told us his dad had gone home to be with the Lord. With great gratitude for the nurses and doctors who were with his dad, my friend would have loved to be in the room with his dad. But one who was there accepted his call for his dad and he said his dad’s last words to him were, “I love you, son.” This brought him comfort.
Paul has one last chance to encourage the believers in Corinth. After at least two letters and twenty-nine chapters, Paul wrote, “Finally . . . “ First, he addressed their relationships with each other. They were brothers and sisters. He urged them to seek full restoration with each other. They were to encourage each other and seek unity. Paul wanted them to live in God’s shalom with each other. At the end of our lives, we will want to be right with our loved ones. Since we never know when the end will come, we must keep short accounts with each other.
One needs only to read the news or scan social media to see that we are not doing well with this. We have divided into us and them. Those who are not for are against us. Every argument feels ultimate with a zero sum equation. Others must lose for us to win. Really? Even for believers in Christ? Surely not. When we seek to live in peace we discover that the God of love and peace will be with us. If we want to fight with others, we grieve the very Spirit of God who seals us until the day of redemption. With an unknown radio preacher from my youth, I say, “I don’t want to grieve the Lord. He has been too good to me.”
In a beautiful benediction Paul prays grace, love and fellowship for them. Grace comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul also wanted them to know that their Father loved them. Then he blessed them with the koinonia of the Holy Spirit. At the end of our lives, we will not likely be counting our wealth. But we will want to be right with our loved ones and with God. The God of love and peace is with us. Let us live life consciously with him. His love really is enough for us. It will be always. God’s peace covers us like a blanket. Don’t throw off the covers!
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Pray with me:
Father, we want to keep short accounts with you and with each other. Forgive our failures we pray. Help us to forgive each other as well. Let your unfailing love and your perfect peace restore our souls today. Having learned to love from you, let us love each other fully and freely today. Help us not to waste another minute quarreling with each other. Deliver us from the need to be first, right, regarded and praised. It is enough for us to be loved by you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Join us in memorizing the Word. Scripture for this week:
Matthew 5:38-39
You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
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| Our 2020 Every Day with Jesus readings will follow the Foundations New Testament reading plan. Copies of the reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download your copy at REPLICATE.ORG
We would love for you to join us as we read the New Testament through this year, five chapters a week. In addition I will continue my long-standing practice of reading one Psalm a day through the year. Use Robby Gallaty’s H. E. A. R. plan to study each chapter (also found at REPLICATE.ORG). Highlight verses which speak to you, explain what they mean in your own words in a journal, apply them to your own life, then respond by doing what God tells you to do.
Joyfully,
Duane
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