I want to begin with a story. It’s the story of a believer named _________ (insert name here). The end.
That’s the end of the story. Because it isn’t finished yet. It’s still being written. And now is a great opportunity to pause and think about how you want the rest of your story to play out. To help us, Paul provides some guidance for believers.
This letter has every reason to end in a different tone than it does. If you don’t recall why, go back and read the rest of 2 Corinthians and then review 1 Corinthians. If you want to see what a dysfunctional congregation looks like, this is it! Division, discord, immorality, legal action, etc. – they had it all. And not only was the congregation all over the map in spiritual disarray, but remember Paul’s own life and ministry and all of the trauma he experienced. To wrap up his communication with the encouragement to rejoice seems a bit out of place in light of all of their challenges!
REJOICE
But Paul is 100% correct. Because their joy wasn’t based on circumstances; it was based in Jesus. And when he is the source of joy, not even messy external circumstances can rob us of the joy we have in Jesus. So rejoice – you have every reason to in Jesus.
RECONCILE
It is that same joy in Jesus that prompts the following encouragements that Paul gives. Because of our joy in Jesus, we can reconcile. That’s what Paul is getting at with the phrase, “strive for full restoration” (v.11). When believers share the same joy in Jesus, there’s no place for withholding forgiveness from each other and allowing bitterness to take root and establish itself.
We recently had some plumbing issues on the night of our school play and had to open up the restrooms in our school because the ones here at church were backed up. That’s what happens when roots worm their way into the plumbing. However, once the plumber came and cleaned out the roots, everything was in working order again.
When believers avoid or put off reconciliation with each other – when we are slow to repent or forgive each other – we let those roots grow and establish themselves. Instead, Paul says, don’t even let them take root in the first place. But if they do, get rid of them through reconciliation. When you have an issue with a brother or sister in Christ in this congregation or any other congregation (and you will – just as you do with your biological brothers and sisters!), pull out the roto-rooter of reconciliation and do everything in your power to be restored to each other. Take the first step. If you need to confess and apologize, don’t wait for the other person. If someone else has wronged you, don’t harbor that resentment in your heart; make it known to them so they can repent and apologize. Those are the very things Jesus came to heal and forgive, so look for every opportunity to lovingly apply his grace and forgiveness so that this may continue to be a place of reconciliation.
REASSURE
Closely related to reconciliation is Paul’s next closing thought to reassure each other. Really, that’s what we’re doing when we “encourage one another” (v.11), isn’t it? Christian encouragement isn’t the empty promise that “everything is going to be alright,” because each day that passes in this broken world proves otherwise: not everything is going to be alright. We will experience great loss. We will suffer. We will face hardship.
Those things will happen, so when we speak of encouraging each other, we aren’t pretending that bad things won’t happen; rather, we’re reassuring each other with the promise that Jesus has overcome those troubles. He’s made sure they are temporary. When we reassure each other, we assure each other again and again of God’s gracious promises – both for this time and for eternity. That kind of encouragement can’t be found in the world, so if we Christians aren’t reassuring each other with it, then we can easily become discouraged and disheartened.
REALIGN
Next, Paul says to “be of one mind” (v.11). We might think of that as realignment. While he is not saying that Christians must agree on every detail about life or ministry, we do routinely need to make sure that our way of thinking is brought back in line with God’s. Just as wheels on a vehicle need to be realigned and rotated over time so they don’t wear out unevenly and result in a flat tire, we can also get off-center.
Not surprisingly, the more removed we are from regular time in the Word and worship, the more naturally this takes place. What happens is the world’s thinking begins to shape more of our own. The world’s values and philosophies start to influence us and the world then informs our theology rather than God’s theology informing how we see the world.
This can be subtle or it can be severe. It might cause us to struggle a bit with this teaching or that, or might lead us to dismiss doctrine altogether and allow our own personal views and ideas of God to take over. Being of one mind means caring enough about each other to point this out and encourage some realignment so that our souls don’t wear out and leave us spiritually stranded on the side of the road for eternity.
REST
Finally, pursue peace, or to keep our alliteration going, rest. That is what it means to “live in peace” (v.11). There is no shortage of ideas on how to achieve peace in our world today. Cut negative people out of your life. Unfollow social media accounts that consistently crush you with feelings of inadequacy. Be true to yourself, no matter what others think or how you get labeled. I could go on, and while a few of these approaches may provide us with some relief, none of them will give us real rest, the kind of peace we find in only one place.
Paul even indicates that source of peace. “And the God of love and peace will be with you” (v.11). If God is characterized as the God of love and peace, that kind of makes it his thing, doesn’t it? To be revealed in such a way is to make a clear connection between God and peace. If God is the source of peace, then we must go to the source when we desire the rest he provides. And we will always find it.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Also, “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:19-20). If we desire rest, then we must have peace, and if we are to find peace, look no further than to the God of peace.
Rejoice. Reconcile. Reassure. Realign. Rest. These are tall orders! But it isn’t just any God who calls us to this thing. It is the triune God, the Holy Trinity, who equips us to carry them out.
God is never interested in just telling you what to do without reminding you of who you are. Who are you? “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (v.14). These are not just three randomly mashed-together phrases that Paul threw together because they had a nice ring to them as a closing thought. Rather, these are the unique characteristics of the eternal God incorporated into a blessing by which God desired to touch the hearts and lives of believers for the rest of time.
How appropriate, then, to remind us of the grace – undeserved love – that is ours in Christ! An understanding of grace is foundational to our relationship with the true and triune God because it establishes the undeserved nature of our relationship with God. That is hugely important anytime you ever feel worthless and undeserving, whether those feelings come as a result of what someone else has said to you or about you, or those feelings are the result of your own regrettable words or actions. When we are left feeling worthless, grace is the reminder that we’re in great company – Christ came to win the worthless, the undeserving, the sinners and screw-ups, the don’t-have-it-all-togethers, the shameless and those in shambles. You aren’t disqualified when you feel undeserving; rather, you are God’s target audience! Jesus didn’t come for those who think they deserve him or are worthy of him on their own merits; he came for those who know they don’t deserve him. That’s grace – and it is and always will be yours in Jesus Christ.
That is love, as the next portion of the blessing reflects, “the love of God,” to be specific. Grace is proof that God’s love is different. More than an emotion or a feeling, God’s unconditional love is an action. It’s a real love based on real action that God took and continues to take on behalf of his people. I can say I love my wife and my kids – and I do say it – but my actions don’t always back it up.
Not so with God. He says he loves us, and then recorded for us in his Word action after action after action on behalf of his people that backs up his love. That amazing love captured in John 3:16 is yours today and forever.
Finally, fellowship. “The fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” Healthy Christian congregations enjoy strong fellowship – a bond of faith and friendship that surpasses that of other friendships. But your fellowship isn’t just with each other. It is also with God. It is with our church body, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). It is with all Christians whose names are written in the Book of Life by faith in Jesus Christ.
Fellowship by definition is God’s reminder that his plan for you was never a relationship with just him but with his body, the church – with other Christians. The popular idea that one’s faith is one’s own and is only between God and that person has no basis in Scripture. God wants your faith to grow in fellowship with other Christians, too. Yes, your faith in Jesus is personal – it’s yours, but that doesn’t mean it’s private.
It’s not at all private. Each Sunday we make a public confession of our sins and publicly confess our faith with the words of the creed. That’s not private at all, and I pray that your faith never becomes so. Instead, may it continue to be fanned into flame to burn brightly as you rejoice, reconcile, reassure, realign, and rest. Do so blessed by and empowered by the grace, love, and fellowship of the Holy Trinity. That deep love of God for you will not only lead and equip you to live for him but will also guarantee the absolute best ending to your story.