Closing words

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

Paul closes this first letter to Corinth with a few simple words. 

The first one reminds us of the importance of the gospel. 'If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus, let him be accursed.' That remains me of the job we have to do. 

O Lord, come. 

What a wonderful plea that is. It seems that we can get so caught up in the semantics and the minor aspects of. His coming that we forget the one thing that is most important. Jesus is coming again. I like the fact that Paul wrote about it in his day, John wrote about in his day, and we are still looking for it today. It ties us together with the Christians of the first century. 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 

Grace is the operative word here. Paul's prayer was what while he was away the Corinthans would live and thrive in the grace of God. Nothing would ever be possible in the church without the grace of God. 

My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. 

And then Paul closes by sending his love. 

My mom would have loved Paul. She had a tradition of never saying goodbye in person or by phone without saying 'I love youyounger idea was that if anything happened the last words said would be 'I love you.' Paul closed this letter full of correction and instruction and communication with the words 'I love you.'