Thursday, June 7, 2007
2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
A SHARED CHARACTERISTIC
Clearly, the three persons of God have differing characteristics, but they also have shared characteristics. Things that are common between them all. Paul brings two of these characteristics out as he closes his second letter to the Corinthians.
Though different in some ways, the three persons of God are all filled with love for sinners.
The "grace" of our Lord Jesus Christ speaks of an "undeserved love" which the Son has given to us. The Greek word for "grace" is "charis". Look it up in a Greek dictionary and you'll find a description like this: "the action of one who volunteers to do something to which He is not bound."
God the Son did not have to die in our place, but He did. And through His self-sacrificing love, our sins are completely forgiven.
The second part of Paul's blessing speaks of the Father's love. Paul uses the highest word for love that the Greek language has to offer. This isn't some emotional love. It is a love of choice. A love that is not earned by the person who is loved, but is given freely anyway. Through the Father's love for sinners, the Son became human. Through the Father's love we have been saved.
The third part of Paul's blessing speaks of the "fellowship" of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for "fellowship" is made from the word for "common", or "shared". The common thing which bonds all believers is actually a common Person, the Holy Spirit. He inhabits the hearts of believers and binds them to the Father through faith in the Son.
Grace. Love. Fellowship. These three words speak of God's loving character. By Christ's act of undeserved and self-sacrificing love our sins are forgiven. Through the Father's love we have been born into His family. Through the Spirit's fellowship we are drawn close to the God of peace and love, and drawn close to our fellow believers.
