Daily Devotions
1 Corinthians
"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you."
Text: 1 Corinthians 16:23
FINAL WORDS
Paul wrote a very long letter to the Corinthian Church. Deep doctrines may be found in 1 Corinthians. Much of what he wrote involved corrective elements. There were many problems that needed to be resolved. It was time to end this long letter to the Church.
“If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ,
let him be accursed. O Lord, come!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.”
1 Corinthians 16:22-24
1. “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ”
a) Paul had written much about the Lord Jesus Christ.
b) Appropriate response should include the following:
i) Repentance
ii) Returning to the Lord
iii) Restoration
iv) Finally, love for a wonderful Saviour and Lord!
c) But if the heart remains stubborn and hard:
i) Then there is no blessing.
ii) Instead the curse of the Lord may be upon the unrepentant person.
2. “O Lord, come”
a) This was a cry from the heart of the Apostle Paul.
b) This was also felt and expressed by the Apostle John (Revelation 22:20).
c) It should be the natural longing of every believer for the Return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you”
a) This is essentially a benediction.
b) Benedictions
i) They may be long and formal.
ii) They may be as short as this one is.
c) Significance of a benediction- It is essentially a prayer of blessing.
4. “My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.”
Paul concluded the writing of 1 Corinthians with assurance that he loved the Corinthian Church. There may have been problems that created a strain in their relationship, but he still loved them. An expression of his love is well evidenced in the time and trouble he had taken to write such a long and profound letter!