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5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless, indeed, you fail to pass the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed. 7 But we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong—not that we may appear to have passed the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. This is what we pray for, that you may become perfect. 10 So I write these things while I am away from you, so that when I come, I may not have to be severe in using the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

 

In our Bible Babes bible study group (which is open to all. We will be starting 2 Corinthians in September. Come join us! We have been studying Paul’s 1st letter to the Corinthians. He had founded the church and spent some time there before moving on to Ephesus from where he felt compelled to send a letter on a myriad of issues that the Corinthian church had: factions in the church, immoral behavior, marital relations, pagan background and behaviors, communion abuse, misuse of spiritual gifts, and worship attitude.

 

Repeatedly Paul teaches them that they are a part of the one true God’s plan of love for the whole world as unveiled by the life, death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus, and that their lives should reflect that. Despite other letters, sending Timothy as his personal emissary, and a 2nd visit to Corinth, Paul has to beseech them again to live like ones in whom Jesus lives (v.5).

 

So should our lives, too, reflect the love and power of our Savior, Jesus, as we interact with our brothers and sisters and community at Living Lord.

 

I pray as Paul does in v.13:

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. Amen

 

Linda Giesen

linda.giesen37@gmail.com

 

Prayer concern: That the Holy Spirit working among us would pave over any disagreements in our congregation.