REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on May 21, 2017, is provided by Pastor Barry Kang, who heads Symphony Church in Boston.  Barry is a graduate of Stanford University (B.S.), Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and Gordon Conwell Seminary (D.Min.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Beginning and Ending in Grace”

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.

Paul began his letter to the Corinthians with a benediction (literally means “a good word”) of grace: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 1:2); and now ends with a benediction of grace. His message begins with grace, the middle is full of grace, and again ends with grace. 

Before he met Jesus, Paul was not a man known for grace.  He was known for his zeal for God and his knowledge of the Scriptures.  He was also known for persecuting the sect of Jewish believers known as Christ followers.  But after he met Christ, he became a man full of grace.  Grace was the most important thing he had received and the most important thing he had to offer.

As we follow Jesus, many of us begin with grace, but at some point, we can be tempted to replace the grace of God with our human works.  But the thing is, we never graduate from the Gospel of grace.  Our Christian lives begin with grace, sustained by grace, and end with the grace of God.

Paul had many reasons to be angry with the church in Corinth, but he never forgot grace.  His pain and anger was tempered by love, and he ends with a sincere blessing over them.  I pray that we would never forget grace, and that it would overflow in our lives. 

Prayer: Father, I thank You for Your amazing grace.  Your grace saved me, forgave my sins, brought me into a relationship with you, sustains me and leads me into holiness.  Forgive me for any ways that I’ve been trying to earn Your love or any ways that I’ve sought a righteousness of our own.  Help me to never forget grace.  May Your grace, love and fellowship sustain and lead me throughout my life.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 1