SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 2:4-5 CSB - But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

OBSERVATION:
In Ephesians 2, Paul outlines three foundational truths of the Christian faith:

Mercy, Grace, and Peace—each anchored not in us but in God alone.

• Mercy – We have received it solely because of God’s character, not our merit.
• Grace – It came to us through Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.
• Peace – Christ Himself broke down the dividing wall of sin, thereby making peace between God and us.

Paul uses past-tense phrases to describe our former condition:

• “You were dead” (v.1)
• “We all previously lived” (v.3)
• “You are no longer” (v.19)

These statements point to a transformation—a dramatic shift in status, identity, and relationships. The turning point of that transformation is captured in two powerful words:
 
“But God...”
The word “but” contrasts what was with what is now. It highlights what was impossible without God’s intervention.

But God…
“…who is rich in mercy, because of His great love…” (v.4)
“…made us alive with Christ…” (v.5)
“You are saved by grace!” (v.5, 8 – repeated for emphasis)

And not only that: “…now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace…” (v.13-14)

Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, mercy, grace, and peace are not only available—they are ours. They are not temporary. They are both past and present—we have received them and continue to walk in them today.

APPLICATION:
Whatever you are facing today, remember this:
 
“But God…”

Bring Him into the equation.

When we can’t—He can.

Walk in the truth of who He is and the power of what He’s done. Walk in the promises of God – He is faithful, and He will see you through. When we can’t, He can!

Ephesians 2:4-5 CSB - But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

PRAYER:
Father God, thank You that Christ died for me while I was still a sinner.

Thank You for Your mercy—that I don’t receive what I deserve.
Thank You for Your grace—that I receive what I could never earn.
Thank You for Your peace—that I am no longer an enemy, but a beloved child.

Let me live today with “But God” confidence—knowing that in every circumstance, You are able and willing to intervene with power, love, and faithfulness.

SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 1:18-19 CSB - I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.

OBSERVATION:
In the opening of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul offers a powerful prayer—the first of two in this epistle. It is a prayer for spiritual enlightenment.

Paul uses a beautiful metaphor:
 
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened..." (Ephesians 1:18)

Paul is asking for a spiritual understanding that must take place for us to comprehend what God has done truly.

Paul is praying that we would have the eyes of our hearts enlightened – or opened – so that we can grasp what God has done and continues to do.

APPLICATION:
Two areas that Paul wants us to see clearly.

Know the hope of our calling: Paul wants not only the Ephesians to know this but you and me as well. That we would know – know that you know – that our calling is based on His inheritance in us, not our inheritance in Him. Paul wants us to understand that we are precious to God and that He considers us His own inheritance.

Know the immeasurable greatness of His power: Paul wants us to know that God has shown – and continues to show us – His living power by demonstrating His strength on behalf of His people.

Let us, like the church in Ephesus, walk in the hope of our calling and in the immeasurable greatness of His power. Don’t just know it – be enlightened – and walk in it.

PRAYER:
Jesus, just as Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus, I pray today: May the eyes of our heart be enlightened so that we may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.

Today, may we have the eyes of our hearts opened – opened to see You and all Your glory, power, and grace. Let us live in the confidence of Your resurrection power working in us daily.

SCRIPTURE:
Galatians 6:1-2 NKJV - Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 

OBSERVATION:
Paul, in the opening verses of chapter six, gives us a guideline for restoring those overtaken in sin. These are not sins of doctrinal error but the sins we can find ourselves “overtaken in.” Luther says they are sins that “a person is overtaken through the weakness of his flesh.”

How often are we our own worst enemy? The flesh battles the Spirit, and the Spirit the flesh. Paul wants us to act differently from those who would use legalism to hinder their own restoration. The legalists want to impose extreme conditions on restoration. Jesus says, “Come and be forgiven,” and we must forgive as well. Not only that, but we should also come alongside them, for we ourselves have been in their shoes more often than we like to admit.

Restore means to ‘put in order’ and, by extension, to ‘restore to its former condition.’ It was used in secular Greek as a medical term for setting a fractured or dislocated bone.

APPLICATION:
Often, when we see our sin in others, we treat them harshly. Paul says, “Restore them gently.” Our sin always looks so bad in others!

When we see those overtaken, restore them with gentleness. For that is how the Lord deals with us. Remember, Paul wrote Galatians because they had begun to distort GRACE and had fallen from it, when they should have been walking in GRACE and embracing it.

The legalist in us all wants to prove we can do it! We can achieve righteousness and holiness and please God. The reality is, we are hopeless. Without the grace and mercy we receive from the Father, we would never have been restored.

PRAYER:
Jesus, help the legalist in me realize it is by grace, not by what I can do or be. Thank you for restoration! You are setting right the things in my life that I do not have the power to set right.

SCRIPTURE:
Galatians 5:4-5 NKJV - You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

OBSERVATION:
These two verses that Paul writes summarize his argument against “justification through the law.” Notice that Paul uses the words “estranged (alienated),” “attempt (trying),” and “fallen from (out).” All of these words are attached to the two words “Justified” and “Grace.”

What Paul is saying is that when we try to obtain justification by circumcision or works, we alienate or estrange ourselves from Grace. Literally, we have “fallen” from grace or have fallen out of grace.

Paul said in vs 2, “Christ will not benefit you at all…” That is something I never want to experience. He was the ONLY ONE righteous enough to pay the debt for our sin.
Hebrews 2:17 NKJV - Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
 
The word propitiation appears only four times in the New Testament. It is a legal term meaning to render oneself for reconciliation and mercy. It is the act of appeasing God's wrath and restoring a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It is related to the idea of atonement. No one but Jesus could do this.

Another word that Paul uses is “Justified.” This is also a legal term. Justification is the act of showing that something is right or righteous. It is the act of acquittal. Just as if I’d never sinned (Justified).

Paul uses two laws: the Law of Grace and the Law of Circumcision. One brings us freedom; the other brings us into bondage. Both address the requirements of the Law. One is fulfilled in Christ; the other imposes the obligation to keep the entire Law.

APPLICATION:
Are you estranged, alienated, and attempting to be justified by works of the law? Do you feel the weight of the more than six hundred laws that must be kept to please God by the law (it would be a task to remember all six hundred)? Maybe you st807ill think that God grades on the curve… “Surely, He won’t expect me to keep ALL the law?”

James 2:10 NKJV - For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

Have you fallen from grace? Most people equate falling with falling away from the Lord. But Paul said you can “fall from grace.” Some argue that “from” should be “out,” but they mean the same thing. Have you fallen out of the grace Jesus gave you at the cross? Do you think you can be your own propitiation or justification? You can’t… But there is still hope for you and me!

For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith… We can live by faith in Christ alone and walk in his propitiation, justification, and grace.

Galatians 5:1 NKJV – Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV - For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Walk in freedom, walk in grace!

PRAYER:
Thank you, Jesus, for the justification and propitiation you gave me at the cross. Thank you for redemption, apart from my works, which were and still are a gift of God. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, which saved a WRETCH like me!

SCRIPTURE:
Galatians 4:6-7 (NKJV) - And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

OBSERVATION:
In God’s kingdom (because of the work of Jesus), Galatians 3:28 NKJV - There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. We who were formerly Gentiles and slaves are now called Sons and Heirs in Christ.

Galatians 4:4-5 NKJV - But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

In Greek culture, an adopted son received the same inheritance as the natural-born son… Hence, they became an heir, not by birth but by adoption. But these verses go farther… Even the natural-born son became an heir to God’s promise through Jesus' redemption. The law was fulfilled, and we receive the benefits of God’s Son redeeming us from the law.

Now, because we are sons, God sent His Spirit into our hearts:

1. To seal us until the day of redemption (Eph 4:30).
2. The Spirit cries out, “Abba Father.”

This means we have the promise of final redemption, and the Spirit cries out, Daddy… Yes, it is a name used in a close, intimate family. God did not redeem us to set us aside for later but wants to know us as children and for us to know Him as Daddy… It then becomes personal, not just legal… We are part of His family, and as members of His family, we receive His unending love! How can the Law compete with this? We did not earn the right to call Him Daddy; we were given that right through Jesus. Why would we ever go back?

Cry out to Abba Father today… Let your relationship not be one of legality but of a personal nature… Our flesh and sin nature resist the idea of calling Him Daddy… But our Spirit cries out… Should we not do so with our own mouths?

Take time today, in a quiet moment, to cry out to Daddy… Notice how your heart will change as you begin to understand that He is not just GOD but Daddy.

PRAYER:
Abba, I desire to know You the way my children called me Daddy (or Dad). They found comfort, direction, love, and even discipline. But they will always know that I love them. I have to admit, it feels so foreign to call You DAD. Help me understand my SONSHIP and what it truly means.

SCRIPTURE:
Galatians 3:3 (NKJV) - Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

OBSERVATION:
One of the greatest pitfalls for a believer is to begin to think that we can be perfected through the law. Paul lays out the tendency to lean toward the idea that “Jesus has saved me, but I must maintain it by following the law.”

This very idea is why Paul uses such a harsh word… fool. Remember, according to Merriam-Webster, a fool is stupid, showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment.

What Paul means is that you (Galatians), who have seen Jesus publicly crucified (vs 1), cannot think you can perfect yourselves. If He, being “perfect” in the law… (2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV - For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.) died to save us who have failed to keep the law, how can we perfect ourselves apart from Christ?

Paul continued his argument that righteousness is by faith. Abraham believed God's promises, and it was accounted to him as righteousness (vs 6). 430 years after the promise, the law was given… Did this invalidate the promise (vs 17)? The law was given to show our need for a savior… Everyone who does not do EVERYTHING in the law is cursed (vs 10) …Jesus took the curse for us. …Cursed is everyone who hangs from a tree (vs 13).

APPLICATION:
Trust that the Lord is working in you. Have patience with yourself. When you feel the need to be “perfected,” rely on the Holy Spirit. It is not a bad desire to be holy… But if the desire leads us to “self-righteousness,” we have missed the point of holiness… Holiness means being set apart. You and I cannot, apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, do anything to make ourselves more righteous than what Jesus did on the cross. Positionally, we are holy; practically, we are being set apart daily by and through the Holy Spirit.

If you’re like me and struggle with this verse in Galatians, memorize what Paul says in Philippians… For those of us who are harder, more critical, and even at times use extreme judgment toward ourselves, make this your prayer and life.

Philippians 1:6 NKJV - Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:
Jesus, help me when I fall into the trap of trying to perfect myself. How often do I struggle with feeling not good enough, worthy enough, or righteous enough? The truth is, I am not. But You are. Continue to work in me and help me remember that You are perfecting and completing me. It will be completed when I finally see You face to face. Help me be patient with myself and trust that You know what You are doing.

SCRIPTURE:
Galatians 2:20-21 NKJV - "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."
 
OBSERVATION:
In Galatians 2, Paul begins to lay out his case for justification by faith. The very reason he wrote the book was that they were quickly turning from the gospel to another gospel. He will go on to argue that it is not another gospel at all, but works. These works are an attempt to justify oneself before God…

Paul makes his first point at the end of chapter two… "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."

If you and I can find justification (righteousness) by keeping the law, then Christ died in vain. The phrase “in vain” in the Greek means: done without cause… for naught… in vain.

My question to you is, “Was Christ’s death in vain?” Why did He need to die if all we needed to do was follow the law?

The Judaizers who came in could not get over the “law of circumcision.” They claimed that to truly be saved, you needed the grace of God and circumcision… They took God's free gift and added something to it… Grace plus something is not grace…

2 Corinthians 10:10 NKJV – “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.”

What the Corinthians had neglected to see was a changed man. They had either forgotten or not known of Paul, formerly known as Saul, the great persecutor of the Church. He was a very powerful and influential man who was taught by the greatest of Rabbis and excelled them all. It was believed that Gamaliel (his teacher) said, “he could not teach him anything else.” Paul was such a voracious reader that he read everything and studied until he said, “He was a Pharisee of Pharisees.”

What the Corinthians had seen was the changed Paul, the Paul who took on the same character and nature of Jesus, the meekness and gentleness of Christ.

Would you say of Jesus what the Corinthians said of Paul? No!

APPLICATION:
Do not be tempted or led astray by those who would come to you and say… Grace plus something… Grace does not supply the rest after we have put forth our best… It all comes from the grace of God, given through Jesus. It’s a gift! Gifts are not earned; if they are, they are no longer gifts but things we work for.

PRAYER:
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound… Jesus, may it not just be a sweet sound but a life I live every day. I know my tendency to live by my own justification, but I am reminded, like Luther, that all I have is a penny and the debt I owe is a million dollars. Thank you, Jesus, for paying that debt IN FULL once and for all. May I live by faith in the Son of God.

SCRIPTURE:
Galatians 1:6-7 (CSB) - I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel -- not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are troubling you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

OBSERVATION:
How does the gospel become distorted (CSB) or perverted (NKJV)? These two words are harsh. They bring to mind things that are not good. But that was the point Paul was trying to make by using the word perverted.

Perverted means – Corrupt (adulterated or debased by a change from an original or correct condition)

Distorted means - Altered from a true, natural, or normal state, shape, or condition.

Both words lead us to the same conclusion. They had left the truth for a lie.

The Book of Galatians was one of Paul’s most passionate books. His tone is evident from the beginning. In all the other books, Paul begins with praise or thanksgiving for the church and what God was doing. In Galatians, Paul gets to the heart of the matter quickly.

The Book of Galatians is the only letter to the churches that was not addressed to a single church. It was addressed to the churches of Galatia (Asia Minor).

Paul was quick to call it another gospel… it was not good news; it was troubling… it was a corrupted, altered form of the truth of the true gospel of Jesus Christ… a distortion of the gospel of Christ.

Paul said they were quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and were turning to a different gospel… They were not turning to God, but AWAY from Him. They were not turning to the grace of God, but AWAY from it… That is what distorted and perverted means. Not towards, but AWAY from the truth of GRACE!

APPLICATION:
Grace plus anything is not grace… It is grace alone. We did nothing to deserve or earn God’s Unmerited Favor (Grace).

Ephesians 2:4-9 (NKJV) - But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

You are saved by grace… You CANNOT and will NEVER be able to make Him love you more! Walk in grace today… When we do, we will find the freedom to change and be changed by the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER:
Thank you, Jesus, for the grace You have given me! I am not worthy, but You are. Thank you for loving me despite who I am, and for allowing me to change through the power of the Holy Spirit.

SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 13:9 CSB - … We also pray that you become fully mature.

OBSERVATION:
As Paul finishes his final closing thoughts to the Corinthians, he gives us a test that shows we need to become fully mature. That is, we still need to mature, even the most righteous amongst us.

2 Corinthians 13:3-4 CSB - since you seek proof of Christ speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but powerful among you. For he was crucified in weakness, but he lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by God's power.

Let His power be the one that matures our weaknesses. Paul knew that God had to do the work, or it would be incomplete. Becoming fully mature is a process.

We love a good aged cheddar cheese. This requires a period of maturing or aging. It does not happen overnight, but with time. So too, becoming fully mature is a process.

2 Corinthians 13:5-6 CSB - Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you? -- unless you fail the test. And I hope you will recognize that we ourselves do not fail the test.

APPLICATION:
The key to becoming fully mature is to keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Philippians 1:6 CSB - I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
 
In your self-examination, look to Jesus and allow the process of aging and maturing to unfold.

PRAYER:
Jesus, as David prayed in the Psalms. Today I cry out: Psalm 139:23-24 NKJV - Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;  and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Change my heart, O God,
Make it ever true;
Change my heart, O God,
May I be like you.

You are the Potter,
I am the clay;
Mold me and make me,
This is what I pray.

SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NKJV - And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

OBSERVATION:
Paul had learned a valuable lesson we could do well to learn. His strength is made perfect in weakness, not his strength but his weakness.

As men (and often women), we see weakness as a sign of someone lacking fortitude, endurance, and strength. But God sees it as strength. How?

Because when we are weak and have nothing but His grace to rely on, He can be strong in our lives, strong in a way that would not be possible with our strength.

David Guzik explains it like this:

APPLICATION:
Have you come to that place of realizing that in our insufficiencies, His grace is sufficient? It’s okay to be insufficient sufficient. That is when we realize that HE is enough; adequate in our weaknesses when we are not enough; inadequate, HE IS!

Sufficient - Enough; adequate. Insufficient – Not enough; inadequate.

That is the key to grace – His strength made perfect in [my] weakness.

PRAYER:
Thank you, Father, for giving me grace through Your Son. A strength I would never have received apart from recognizing my weakness, that I cannot save myself. I am insufficiently sufficient in You.

SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 11:4 NKJV - For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted--you may well put up with it!

APPLICATION:
How does one come to believe in another Jesus? The answer appears in verse 3.

2 Corinthians 11:3 NKJV - But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Whenever we try to complicate the gospel rather than present the simple truth, we risk losing its simplicity.

When those who come along and say that history (proven history) has it all wrong, but I have been enlightened, have one purpose in mind, it is deception. Those today who make it their aim to deconstruct others’ faith are doing just this.

Don’t fall into the trap of deception. If anyone preaches another gospel, let them be accursed.

Galatians 1:8-9 NKJV - But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

Who is the TRUE Jesus? He was the Suffering Servant King who died for you and me. What more could we ask for?

Isaiah 53:2-5 NKJV - For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

APPLICATION:
Don’t be deceived! Face the truth. Read the Gospels and see that Jesus truly is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. And no one can see the Father except through Him.

Either Jesus was a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord. Which one will you choose? Only one can save!

PRAYER:
Thank you, Jesus, that You are The Way, The Truth, and The Life. When I lost my way, You showed me the path back to You. When I sought answers, You gave me the truth. When I was lost, You found me. No other Jesus has ever done that. No other Jesus was crucified, died, and rose again!

2 Corinthians 10:10 NKJV – “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.”

What the Corinthians had neglected to see was a changed man. They had either forgotten or not known of Paul, formerly known as Saul, the great persecutor of the Church. He was a very powerful and influential man who was taught by the greatest of Rabbis and excelled them all. It was believed that Gamaliel (his teacher) said, “he could not teach him anything else.” Paul was such a voracious reader that he read everything and studied until he said, “He was a Pharisee of Pharisees.”

What the Corinthians had seen was the changed Paul, the Paul who took on the same character and nature of Jesus, the meekness and gentleness of Christ.

Would you say of Jesus what the Corinthians said of Paul? No!

Let’s take a moment to define the two words used to describe Jesus.

Meekness – Not to be confused with weakness. In its truest form, it means strength or power under control, humility, and gentleness.

Gentleness - A humble, meek, and compassionate attitude, marked by kindness, patience, and a willingness to yield rather than assert oneself.

Certainly, we see Jesus in these definitions, and we can see (for those who know Paul) Paul in this way. The Corinthians were only interested in those who came with power, displayed great wisdom, and spoke with excellence. Yet this is the opposite of what Paul was, for he took the form of a servant.

Romans 1:1 NKJV - Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God.

APPLICATION:
At the end of this chapter, Paul would say that he did not need the Corinthians’ commendation, for he had God’s. He would continue to live his life in the same manner as Jesus, in the meekness and gentleness of Christ.

For you and me today, let us adopt the same characteristics of Jesus. Let us be like Paul, who became a servant and served others with humility of heart and attitude.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 NKJV - Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.

PRAYER:
Jesus, the world does not need another assertive, outspoken, unloving, and prideful man. It needs a Savior who embodies meekness and gentleness. The world needs us to be more like You. Apart from Your Spirit and the transformation within us, it is impossible. But we know You changed Saul into Paul. You can change us more into Your image and character.

SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 9:15 CSB - Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

OBSERVATION:
Paul challenges the Corinthian church to fulfill their prior promise to collect a gift for the church in Jerusalem. In this chapter, he uses a bit of sarcasm and playful encouragement to urge them to finish the task (2 Corinthians 8:11).

At the end of Chapter 9, we see a glorious verse that really drives home the point Paul is making. We have been given this amazing gift of salvation through Jesus. Should we not want to share this? We must be cheerful givers, not grudgingly or out of extortion, for Jesus did not exemplify this in action or in words.

Remember that God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is indescribable. What does this mean? To me, it means that the more I study it, experience it, and partake of it, the more I realize the awesomeness of God in this gift. I find that it has no end to its understanding. The more I study it, the more I learn of its enormity, greatness, and unending returns.

Even as I try to describe what this indescribable gift means, I struggle to find ALL the ways to express it. Yet I am encouraged and blessed by how Spurgeon describes it.

APPLICATION:
Today, live in this indescribable gift. May it motivate and encourage you, and may we share it with the world around you. So they, too, can be in awe of the awesomeness of this indescribable gift of God, salvation through Jesus Christ, His Son!

PRAYER:
Thank you, Jesus, for this gift of salvation. Truly, there is no end to its glory and awe. As we ponder it, live it, and truly experience it, it is indescribable to me. May I never tire of the “old, old story.”

I heard an old, old story
How a Savior came from glory
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me
I heard about His groaning
Of His precious blood’s atoning
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory

O victory in Jesus
My Savior forever
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood

SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 8:7-8 CSB - Now as you excel in everything -- in faith, speech, knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love for us -- excel also in this act of grace. I am not saying this as a command. Rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love.

OBSERVATION:
In verse 11, Paul tells the Corinthians to finish the task. What does he mean by this?

In 1 Corinthians chapter 16, Paul encouraged the church to take a collection for the church in Jerusalem. At the time, they were eager to do so. What had happened to keep them from following through?

It is believed that there was a third letter to the Corinthians, which would fall between the first and second letters. Paul had to be firm in this letter because there were serious errors in the church that needed correction. This letter was so severe that it caused the Corinthians to begin to turn against Paul.

Now that the errors had begun to be corrected, Paul would remind them to keep their word and finish the task.

The Corinthians took great pride in excelling in everything -- in faith, speech, knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love for us -- so excel also in this act of grace. Paul was exhorting them, “If you excel in all of this, let our words become actions, not just words.”

Paul was “testing the genuineness of [their] love.” Put love into action. Don’t just talk about it; do it. This is a true test of love. Moving from talk to action!

APPLICATION:
We are exhorted to finish the task! Not by guilt or obligation, but as an act of grace.

2 Corinthians 8:9 CSB - For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

Don’t just talk about loving, serving, and giving to others, or about serving the Lord. Talk is cheap, but action has a price.

Let the genuineness of your love be put on full display.

1 John 4:19-21 CSB - We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother or sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And we have this command from him: The one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.

PRAYER:
Jesus, thank You for Your unfailing, unending love for me. Help me to love others not only in words but also in action. Help me to love as You love. I can only love this way because You first loved me. Help me to finish the task and to love others in deeds, not just in words.

SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 7:10 NKJV - For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

OBSERVATION:
There are two types of sorrow, godly and worldly. Both are vastly different.
Godly sorrow leads to repentance. It is grieving over one’s sin and realizing that I have sinned against God.

Worldly sorrow is being sorry for having been caught. It often leads to asking how we can do this and get away with it.

One leads to salvation, and the other leads to death. Literally, life and death are in the balance. Not so much physical death, for sin can lead to that, but ultimately a spiritual death.
If this were the end, how pitiful would we be? How much angst and depression would we feel? But Paul brings a glorious word into the equation. REPENTANCE.
 
Repentance (Greek: metanoia) is a change of mind and heart that leads to a change in behavior. It involves recognizing one's sins, feeling sorrow for them, and turning away from them to seek God's forgiveness.

APPLICATION:
Romans 2:4 NKJV - Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
 
Acts 3:19 NKJV - "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

Remember, God’s goodness leads us to repentance. If it were not for the goodness (grace and mercy), we would not be able to repent, not unto salvation or unto restoration.

Repentance must ALWAYS be seasoned with grace, mercy, and the kindness of God, for that is the very nature of God.

John 3:16-17 NKJV - "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Do you need to turn from your current direction back to the Lord today? Repent, turn back, and experience times of refreshing from the Lord. Repentance is not a bad thing. It is truly a glorious thing.

PRAYER:
Thank You, Jesus, for the kindness You show us daily. Thank You for refreshing what comes with refreshing. May I learn to walk daily in Godly sorrow, not a sorrow that I got caught, but one that leads to change.

SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 6:1-2 NKJV - We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

OBSERVATION:
If today is the acceptable time, the day of salvation, we should actively share the grace of God with those around us.

Paul says, “as workers together with Him.” The work God has for you and me to do is not works unto salvation. That is the work of grace, freely given at the cross. This work is not a continuation of salvation, as if grace only saved us and works keep us. No! It is a work of sharing the Good News with a world that is lost, just as you and I were lost.

Paul goes on to say, “We then, as workers together with Him, also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” Is it possible to receive the grace of God in vain? Yes!
Is the grace of God bearing fruit in your life? Not fruit unto salvation, but fruit as a result of salvation. By grace, we can bear fruit.

Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV - For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (10) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

God has good works for you and me to walk in.

Have you and I grown stale, barren, and fruitless in the Lord’s service? If so, let it be a sign that we need God’s grace once again in our lives. May it rejuvenate, revive, and motivate us to share His grace with those around us.

APPLICATION:
If you find yourself stale, barren, and fruitless in the Lord's service, take heart, for Paul quoted Isaiah 49 in these two verses.

"In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

The amazing thing about grace is that it is not dependent on you or me. It’s dependent on Jesus Christ. He will never stop giving it to us. We need to embrace it, live it, learn it, and let it guide us each day.

He has heard you and helped you. Today is the day of salvation!

May every day be a reminder of this Amazing Grace that God has given us! May we, like Paul, work together with HIM to share it with a lost and dying world desperate for God’s salvation and grace.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I am found. I was blind, but now I see.

PRAYER:
Jesus, may I never receive YOUR grace in vain. May it always be a truth that holds me and keeps me.

SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV - For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

OBSERVATION:
In this chapter, Paul is describing what our future will be like after death. He states that a heavenly one will replace our earthly tent. Why would he say this? Is there something wrong with our earthly tent? Yes!

We are born into sin, corruption, and death. When we enter heaven, we will no longer know sin, corruption, or death. We have this guarantee from the Lord Himself.

2 Corinthians 5:5 NKJV - Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

How was God able to give us this guarantee? Paul tells us in today's verse. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Because of the work of Jesus on the cross, when we receive this gift of forgiveness, or, as Paul calls it, 5 times in this chapter, reconciliation, we are given the guarantee of a new heavenly body! One that will no longer experience pain, suffering, corruption, death, or sin.
The word reconciliation is important for us to understand. It describes what Jesus did in verse 21.

To reconcile means “to bring into agreement or harmony, to resolve a difference, or to make someone accept something, whether it's an unpleasant situation or a disagreement with someone; to settle or resolve.”

In accounting, it means to “check (a financial account) against another for accuracy; to account for.”

Jesus did this! He brought us back into agreement with the Father, resolved the difference, and accounted for our sins. He reconciled the account, which means he made it balance. If you read the end of verse 20 with verse 21, this is what you get!

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 NKJV - …on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Because of the work Jesus did on the cross, we can be reconciled to God. Earlier, I said that Paul used the word 5 times in this chapter. The number 5 is associated with grace. Because of grace, we are reconciled, and our debts have been resolved!

APPLICATION:
What is our role in all of this? Paul tells us in verse 7.

2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV - For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Trust the Lord and walk by faith, not by sight. He sees us as complete. We see all our imperfections.
 
Philippians 1:6 NKJV - being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

One day soon, because of what Jesus did on the cross, we will see Jesus face to face and enter the Kingdom of God with new glorified bodies, because we have been reconciled in Christ!

PRAYER:
Thank you, Jesus, for reconciling me! Thank you, because of the cross, my sins are forgiven, and my account has been settled. Thank you that I will enter Your Kingdom in a new, glorified body.

SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 4:6-7 NKJV - For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

OBSERVATION:
Often, God is seen in the wrong context. Even men teach that God is just waiting for you and me to mess up so He can punish us. Yet this very premise is the opposite of what the Bible teaches.

Paul says in verse six that “God who created light out of darkness,” the creator of all things, including light, is the one who has revealed or shone Jesus in our hearts. This light that has shone in the heart of man, revealing Jesus, has also revealed the “glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus.”

All this is to say that God had a plan. He is indeed NOT angry with us, nor is He waiting for us to mess up so He can punish us. If that were the case, NONE would be worthy. Those who want to preach that God is an angry God have missed what Paul is saying in these verses.

Jesus was the light, the plan of God in flesh, to fulfill what God had planned.

John 1:3-5 NKJV - All things were made through Him [Jesus], and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
 
John 1:14 NKJV - And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus was THE SPOKEN WORD of God in the Flesh. He was the image of God Himself. John said He was “full of grace and truth.”

If Jesus came in the exact image of God, how can anyone preach that God is angry with humanity and waiting for humanity to mess up so God can destroy them? That is contrary to grace and truth.
 
Since Jesus came to be the final payment for our sins, this proves that God is no longer waiting for us to mess up, because Jesus has atoned for our sins, past, present, and future. The only people who will face God’s wrath and judgment are those who reject the gift of grace from Jesus, the fulfillment of God’s plan.

APPLICATION:
To God be the glory! We have seen this light, and it shines in our hearts. Not only in our hearts, but Paul says, “we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”

God has chosen to place this treasure of the gospel in man. Despite all his efforts to be worthy, man remains an earthen vessel. God knows man’s heart. He often reminds us of this in His Word.

Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV - “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?

God is not angry with you. On the contrary, (John 3:16-17 NKJV) "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

God's very nature is SALVATION, not JUDGMENT.

Walk in the light of Jesus today. Be that earthen vessel that brings honor and glory to God the Father, who showed His unfailing love to you and me through Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:
Thank you, Father, for Your tremendous love. Thank you for the forgiveness I have received through Jesus. Thank you that You are not angry but full of grace and truth. None of us is worthy, but You are. Because You chose to save rather than condemn, we can one day stand before You.

SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 3:4-6 NKJV - And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

OBSERVATION:
Paul uses a word in these three verses to drive home an important truth. The word he uses is sufficiency.

Sufficiency is the condition or quality of being sufficient or adequate. Sufficient means enough to meet the needs of a situation or a proposed end.

As a young man, I used to have the words Sufficiency in Christ embossed on the front of my Bible. Most people have their names on the front of their Bibles (which is not a bad thing), but for me, I knew I needed the reminder. It’s about Jesus’ work, not mine. I struggled greatly with who I was in Christ. I always felt I couldn’t measure up, wasn’t worthy or holy enough, and spent many years trying to become something I could not be. One day, while reading this very section in 2 Corinthians, the light turned on. My sufficiency is in Christ.

For years, I struggled to overcome the thought that I wasn’t enough. Much of this stemmed from what happened in my life as a child. I often had nights when I lay in bed, crying out to the Lord in desperation. I had been told so many times, for so many years, that I was not good enough that it became who I was. It was not humility; it was pride! I had let it become who I was and would not let myself see myself through God's eyes. But glory to God, he rescued me and showed me who I am in Christ!

APPLICATION:
Like me, you can come to the understanding that our identity and all was in Him, and that He is enough to meet the needs of a situation or a proposed end.

Paul would encourage you and me with the words he used to encourage the Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NKJV - Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Find your sufficiency and your freedom in Christ. Through His Spirit, allow Him to transform you into what He wants you to be, into what He already sees you as! We may only see in a mirror dimly, but through the Spirit, you and I can realize that our sufficiency is in Christ!

PRAYER:
Thank you, Jesus, for being my sufficiency. Thank you for the reminder of this truth today. May I walk in You today, knowing You are my all, my everything. You are faithful and always will be. Though I now truly understand I am NOT worthy, I know without a doubt You are more than enough to meet any need or achieve any proposed end.

SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 2:6-8 NKJV - This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.

OBSERVATION:
It is believed that 2 Corinthians is actually the third letter Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church. The second letter is believed to have been “harsh” because major problems in the church needed to be corrected. Unable to attend in person, he wrote the letter, and as a result, the necessary correction took place. This is why Paul would speak of his next visit not with harshness, but with encouragement.

Our Bibles today contain two letters to the Corinthians. If there was a third letter, it was intended only for Corinth and was not included in the canon of Scripture. Whether there were three letters or not, Paul will address the “excessive” punishment inflicted on the immoral man mentioned in 1 Corinthians.

This raises a question. When does church discipline go too far? Paul had rebuked the church and told them to deal with this man. They had obeyed, but they had taken the punishment too far.

Paul says, “Forgive and comfort.” The punishment was sufficient; it was time to restore. The man was repentant; forgiveness was a must!

Our aim in church discipline should always be to restore. They were instructed to treat the man as an unbeliever. We are instructed to hate the sin and love the sinner. Love is what draws the unbeliever.

Paul would go on to say, “lest he may be overwhelmed with grief.” The purpose of discipline is not to bring hopelessness but to bring repentance. For repentance brings times of refreshing, not overwhelming grief.

Lastly, Paul would say, “Reaffirm your love to him.”

APPLICATION:
Remember, we were granted forgiveness and comfort when we were overwhelmed by grief and sorrow over our sin. Every day, Jesus reaffirms his love for us.

When we are wronged or have to participate in church discipline, remember that when one repents, we should restore and forgive. That is what Jesus does for us daily!

PRAYER:
Father, give me Your heart to restore those who have fallen and those who are lost, for I have been both. I was lost and often fell short. Help me live out G. Camble Morgan's words, "Love never slights holiness; but holiness never slays love." May I be motivated by love because You first loved me!

SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 1:2-4 NKJV - Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

OBSERVATION:
In the opening of the book of Second Corinthians, Paul uses his standard greeting. Grace and peace appear in all 13 of his letters. Yet each time he says it, there remains a deep sense of gratitude and thankfulness. It was not just a phrase that Paul would say, but a TRUTH he would live out daily.

We cannot have the peace of God or peace with God without grace. We cannot know the grace of God without first experiencing both the peace of God and peace with God.

Think about this for a moment. Paul says, “We have received “Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.’” If you really dive into this, you understand that we, by nature, are not children of God. We are not by birth but by adoption; not by nature but by election; not by right but by redemption. It is only through the Work of Jesus – Grace and Peace!

Not only is God the Father of Jesus, but also the Father of Mercy. Mercy is simply not receiving what we deserve. Through Jesus, we have been given grace, peace, and mercy. All of this comes from God.

What does this tell us about God? His nature, His very essence and character, is grace, peace, and mercy. If that were not enough, Paul reminds us of God's comfort.

He is not merely a comfort but the source and embodiment of all comfort.

Our Father is truly amazing. He has granted us peace, grace, mercy, and comfort.

APPLICATION:
Paul brings home the point of his greeting. That we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Have you received God’s grace, peace, mercy, and comfort? If not, how can you offer comfort to those in need? We must first receive before we can give.

Do you have peace, live in grace, and walk daily in His mercy? Have you experienced His comfort? If you cannot answer “Yes!” what are you waiting for? Receive them today! They are freely given; all we need to do is receive. Get under the fountain where blessings pour out. Come to Jesus and be refreshed today.

The world longs for peace, grace, mercy, and comfort. We CANNOT share them unless we first experience them. Live in His comfort today!

PRAYER:
Father, thank You for Your grace, peace, and mercy! Truly, I do not deserve any of them, yet I find great comfort in knowing that this is who You are. Your very character and essence. Thank You for being a God of ALL comfort. May I comfort others with the truth of the Gospel today.

SCRIPTURE:
1 Corinthians 16:13-14, 20, 22-24 NKJV - Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love. ...All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. ...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.

OBSERVATION:
Paul ends the letter to the Corinthians with a subtle yet not-so-subtle message. Love!

Paul devoted an entire chapter to the subject. Chapter 13 is known as the “love chapter.” It was Paul’s crowning statement in the letter. Greater than knowledge, gifts, and self-sacrifice is Love. Why? Because Love NEVER FAILS! Remember, Paul said all of these would eventually fail and even cease, but Love will not.

In his final “exhortation,” he encourages the Corinthians to “watch, stand fast, be brave, be strong.” All of these terms are military in nature and origin. Paul says all of this needs to be done, but the warning is – “Let all this be done in love.”

APPLICATION:
Paul will use the word "love" multiple times in his conclusion and greeting at the end of this book.

First, he uses an example: Greet one another with a holy kiss. This Jewish custom and early church tradition were widely practiced as greetings in that culture.

Second, he says, “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!” In preaching the return of Christ, let it be motivated by love. If anyone does not love the Lord, he is already cursed, and there is no hope. But because there is still hope, Jesus has not returned, and many are still “cursed.” Let us bring the message of love and hope regarding the return of Christ!

Finally, he says, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.” Without the Love of God, we would never experience GRACE! Remember, grace stands for God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense! Love is with us ALL who are in Christ Jesus. Let us go and share this love with the world, as we “watch, stand fast, be brave, be strong.”

Philippians 2:3-8 NKJV - Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Remember, love is an action, not just a word!

PRAYER:
Jesus, thank You that the summation of the book of Corinthians is love. It is the summation of who You are and what You want us, Your children, to do and show to the world around us. May we be strong and brave, stand firm in the faith, and share the glorious hope of Your return, all in an attitude of love and motivated by love. For You, LOVE, will never fail. 

SCRIPTURE:
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 NKJV - "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

OBSERVATION:
In chapter 15 of Corinthians, Paul spends more time on the resurrection than in any other chapter of the book. He takes 58 verses to lay out the importance of the resurrection and where we would be without it.

The argument among those with great knowledge was that there was no resurrection. The common phrase of the day was “let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die” (vs 32). If there is no resurrection, then why worry about eternity? Death was the finality of all.

Paul would conclude differently!

1 Corinthians 15:16-17 NKJV – For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!

If Christ had not died on the cross and the resurrection had not happened three days later, we would still be under the heavy burden of atoning for our sins!

That sting of death would always haunt us, knowing that death would be the end. Sin would reign in our mortal bodies. The Law would prove (as it is intended) that none is righteous, no, not one. We cannot, nor ever will be able to keep it. What hope would we have if there were no resurrection?

Romans 6 tells us, “The wages of sin is death!” If that were the end of the verse, how pitiful our lives would be! But because of the resurrection of the dead, Jesus rose! He rose to set the captive free. The rest of Romans 6 says, “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

APPLICATION:
For you and me, because of the resurrection, we no longer have to face the sting of death or be bound by the power of sin!
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have victory in Jesus! In Christ, you will see heaven and be allowed to enter. What amazing grace Jesus has given!

We also, because of the resurrection of Jesus, have the victory He had over sin and death, which means we no longer have to be bound to sin. We can have victory because He was victorious!

That sin you and I struggle with does not have to be your master. It has been defeated! Let us walk in His victory.

Oh, victory in Jesus, my Savior forever
He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood.
He loved me 'ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him.
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.

PRAYER:
Jesus, thank You for the work You did on the cross. Thank You that because You rose, I know I can live in victory over sin and death. One day, I will see You face to face, because death is not the end. Victory in Jesus, my Savior forever!

SCRIPTURE:
1 Corinthians 14:7 CSB - Even lifeless instruments that produce sounds -- whether flute or harp -- if they don't make a distinction in the notes, how will what is played on the flute or harp be recognized?

OBSERVATION:
1 Corinthians 14 highlights the importance of order over chaos. Paul discusses two spiritual gifts – tongues and prophecy – to show how they can work together to do the “right thing, the right way.” In verse 7, he uses musical instruments as an analogy, showing that they can produce noise or, when played skillfully, create beautiful music. The same principle applies to spiritual gifts: exercised with love, they please God and uplift the body of Christ; improperly used, they lead to chaos and confusion. Paul concludes chapter 13 by stating that the greatest gift is love, then opens chapter 14 with a call to ‘pursue love,’ emphasizing its importance.

1 Corinthians 14:1 CSB - Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy.
 
Why would Paul tell us to pursue love?

The word 'pursue' is interesting because it carries two distinct meanings and implications. One is to pursue in a hostile manner, while the other is to seek eagerly or strive earnestly to obtain. Paul teaches us that the Corinthians focused on one gift over another—tongues. Although the gift of tongues itself is not wrong, overemphasizing it is. In their pursuit of this gift, they became somewhat hostile, chasing after it for the wrong reasons—to appear more spiritual than others. Nonetheless, Paul advises us to ‘pursue love and desire spiritual gifts.’ Our goal should be to love sincerely and eagerly, rather than to elevate ourselves. Today, Paul uses the example of a musical instrument played alongside others to create a beautiful symphony. However, when played alone and poorly, it results in chaos and noise.

APPLICATION:
Today, the focus isn't so much on theological debate over the proper timing and use of tongues and prophecy, but on pursuing love in our daily lives, whether through our spiritual gifts or in everyday interactions. Are we simply making noise—like a trumpet—or harmonizing and creating music with the other instruments in the symphony?

Let us do all things decently and in order (vs 40) and pursue love.

Psalm 133:1 NKJV - Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

PRAYER:
Jesus, in everything I do, may I do it correctly and in order through the filter of love—Your love. In areas where I may sound more like ‘hot air’ blown through a trumpet, help me to join the symphony of love, not chaos. May I, like You, think of others more than myself and see You glorified.

SCRIPTURE:
1 Corinthians 13:13 CSB - Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love -- but the greatest of these is love.

OBSERVATION:
As we conclude the month of “Love,” as the world and commercialism tell us, we realize that the love we are told to celebrate is a partial love… it is love, but not love in its fullest. We quickly realize that in the English language we have one word for love… Love!

I can love my dog, ice cream (I do love ice cream!), and my wife… Do I love them the same? I hope not! No, I love my dog, but not the way I love my wife. And don’t I love ice cream the way I love my dog (I won’t eat my dog, no matter how good she tastes)?

• In Greek, there are four words used to describe love:
• Eros - Erotic love, referring to sexual love.
• Storge – Family love: love between parent and child, or among family members.
• Philia – Brotherly friendship. A deep friendship and partnership. The highest love a person can attain without God’s help.
• Agape – Love that loves without changing. Unconditional Love.

Paul is telling us that Love is the most important thing… so pursue it… learn it… live it…

APPLICATION:

Paul tells us that the greatest is love… it is one of the three that will “remain.” Faith and hope are needed for us today. We need to have faith in Jesus that His promises are true, and we have the hope that one day we will see Jesus face to face. When that day comes… we will no longer need faith and hope… we won’t need them in heaven, for we will have reached the very thing for which we had faith and hope. But love will always remain, because it is the very nature and character of God… For God so LOVED…

If love does not remain… There would be no heaven, no faith, and no hope. God is love!

Today, let us, through the power of the Holy Spirit, pursue faith, hope, and love… Let our love be the Love of God… Agape… It’s a love we CANNOT produce, yet its results are fruit we cannot live without. The blessing of Agape Love is that it completes the other three forms of love. Pursue love today!

PRAYER
Jesus, help me love the way You love. I am incapable of it without You. I can only love so far… and it’s not enough. Your love is what endures.