At the end of 1 Corinthians 16, Paul signs off by mentioning grace and love: ‘The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.’ (1 Cor 16:23-24) This letter contains probably his most famous passage on love (1 Cor 13), and it is significant that he talks about those who do not love the Lord being cursed (1 Cor 16:22), since for Paul, love is the ‘most excellent way’ and must guide, direct and motivate all we do. It’s not enough to do good if our motivation is not right, and love – God’s selfless agape love – has to be the source from which all actions flow.
It is also significant that Paul ends this letter, as he began it (1 Cor 1:3), by mentioning grace. Grace – that rich, undeserved favour God lavishes on us – defines our whole relationship with God. We are saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8). Alexander Whyte said, ‘Nothing can change, or alter, or turn away sovereign grace.’ We don’t have to earn God’s favour, but we simply receive it through the work of Jesus Christ our Lord. Every letter ascribed to Paul in the New Testament concludes with a mention of grace:
- The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. (Rom 16:20)
- May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Cor 13:14)
- The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen. (Gal 6:18)
- Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. (Eph 6:24)
- The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. (Phil 4:23)
- Grace be with you all. (Titus 3:15)
- The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. (Philemon 1:25)
- Grace be with you all. (1 Tim 6:21)
- The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all. (2 Tim 4:22)
- The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (1 Thess 5:28)
- The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. (2 Thess 3:18)
Grace and love are the defining characteristics of Christianity. They give hope to all and enable us to face the trials of this world with steadfastness and stability. We are not defined by our perception of ourselves, by other people’s judgments or by the accusations of the enemy, but by the grace of God which wraps itself around us, carries us, heals us and restores us. That totally spontaneous gift from God to mankind – generous, free, totally unexpected and undeserved – becomes our spur and motivation to live as God does, distributing love, mercy and grace to all we meet. No wonder we so often need adjectives to describe this grace! – amazing, outrageous, unbelievable, astounding, magnificent, unstoppable! May our eyes ever be open to the grace of God and our hearts ready to receive His love, but may we then ever be willing to pass on that grace and love to others as the true evidence of His reality in our lives.
