“Finally brothers, REJOICE.”

Is that how you would have expected Paul to conclude this unusually-raw, emotionally-charged, and defensively-packed letter? What might you have been anticipating Paul would say? “Finally brothers, ____________!”

“Watch out? Repent? Wake up? Grow up? Pull your heads out of the sand?”

No. “Rejoice!” JOY is the endgame, and UNITY is the pathway to get there. Restoration. Comfort. Agreement. Peace. Love. With some holy kisses even sprinkled in! (Or whatever our cultural equivalent might be.) This makes sense when we remember that Christ “suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18).”

So, what should we expect will happen when we are reconciled to the Triune God and brought back into fellowship with him? That his eternal joy would not just fill each of us, but that it would spread and be enjoyed between all those who are reconciled.

This Sunday Rob Lister will be preaching 2 Corinthians 13:5-14 and Walt Harrah will be leading our sung worship. Would you pray for each as they prepare? And Paul’s closing prayer of benediction makes the perfect prompt for us to pray for our Grace family as we conclude this book together on Sunday and prepare for the following week’s reflection service.

“[May] the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

See you Sunday, Grace. Come hungry!

 

Song Link of the Week

He Will Hold Me Fast recorded live by Abundant Life Worship

Those He saves are His delight
Christ will hold me fast
Precious in His holy sight
He will hold me fast

He’ll not let my soul be lost
His promises shall last
Bought by Him at such a cost
He will hold me fast