2 Corinthians 13:14 - A Vision for a Life-Giving Community

The first part has in mind how we approach God – how we worship. The 2nd part has in mind how we approach each other in the church – how we gather. And this third part has in mind how we approach those outside the church – those whom Christ might yet bring to Himself and into our congregation.

From the beginning, we had a vision of a Good Shepherd “introducing more people to the life-giving community of the local church.”

Now, what makes the church a “life-giving community?” Well, it’s the abiding presence of the Life Giver. Christ is our life. He has given us life. We have life in Him. Where Christ is truly known and followed – there He gives life.

The Bible explains that when mankind fell into sin, that life was lost. God’s presence was lost. Humans lost the ability to love God purely and to be completely loyal to Him. All of us naturally inherit that sinful nature. It wrecks our relationship with God and makes us self-centered, and that self-centeredness then affects all of our relationships – and our communities.

But Christ came into the world to save us from that, to enable us to love God and be loyal to Him. And Jesus came to establish us in a God-centered community where those redeemed by the triune God can enjoy this relationship with Him and each other. It’s a life-giving community that God creates, and He gives life to all who gather there.

That kind of community is described in many places in the Bible, 2 Corinthians 13 is one such place. Look at the verse once more: Paul writes, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

If God would generously make this congregation a place where that grace, love, and fellowship can be enjoyed – a place where those things can “be with you all,” then this will be a life-giving community, because It will be a place where God dwells by His life-giving Spirit. So, let’s look at this verse together.

This is the last sentence of Paul’s second letter to the church in the ancient city of Corinth. And this statement is one that many pastors (like myself) use for a benediction – as a blessing from God as you leave and go on your way.

Acts chapter 18 tells us that Paul planted the church at Corinth. He began the gospel ministry there as a missionary. So he loved the church in Corinth. He wanted the very best for them. And of course, the very best is the abundant life in and through Christ, who is our access to the triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

First, Paul wanted “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ” to be with and among them. What is grace to a Christian? What is grace to the church? Romans 3 says we are “justified by [God’s] grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Now, the order in which Paul gives this list in verse 14 is interesting, because the love of God the Father actually precedes the grace of Christ. Ephesians 2 says we were dead in our sins, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”

Notice the order there. First, there was God’s love, then He showed His grace. Romans 5, “one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” If you are born again – if you’ve trusted in Jesus – it’s because of amazing grace. But before you knew the joy of amazing grace, there was amazing love for you.

Now don’t we naturally have qualifiers for our love? We need a reason. There must be some credential or some characteristic for us to show love. Even the love of a parent for a child. You love your child the way you do because it’s your child. You don't love someone else’s child like you love your own.


What about the wicked people out in the world? Could you love them? Not the ones who want your love or the ones showing improvement. What about the ones who don’t want your love? What about those who couldn’t care less about you and your love? Could you love them?

Romans 5 says, “While we were still [helpless], at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” For the wicked. One scholar wrote that the word “ungodly” refers to those “destitute of reverential awe toward God.” These are men and women, boys and girls, going through life, self-absorbed, each one comfortable as the center of their own universe. But God loves them.

Romans 4 says, God is “him who justifies the ungodly.” In other words, He pronounces them righteous. He does away with their sinful record. He does it by His amazing grace, and because of His amazing love.

But Paul begins His benediction with grace. We’re not sure why. It’s not wrong to put grace first here. But I wonder if it’s because grace hits you first. You’re living your life, you think you’re earning favor from God for your good deeds, or you’re fearful of God because of your bad deeds.

And then God changes your heart. He opens your eyes. And then you can see. You see your sins. You see your guilt. And you see that you need God’s forgiveness. You see that you have sinned against Him. But no sooner than you see your sin, you see also that in Christ God is reconciling you to Himself, and not counting your sins against you. You see that Christ died for you, that He gives His record of a righteous human life to you.

You see that He “suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God.” And you see that you could never have earned it. It’s a gift – faith in Jesus Christ is a gift from God, a result of His grace. And so you trust in Jesus. You believe in Him and His saving work for you. Grace hits you.

You realize that the divine, holy, and eternal Judge of the Universe has pardoned you! As it turns out, He will not punish you for your sins! He has allowed — not just allowed, but he has ordained — another to take your punishment. It’s a merciful decision by a gracious Judge.

But then you learn that the reason was that the Judge loved you so much. He loved you! You received the grace of Christ because of the love of God the Father.

Sadly, so much of what many of you have endured in this life has not been love. You’ve been mistreated, neglected. Perhaps it’s difficult for you to love yourself. Many of you, in so many ways, loathe yourself. You really hate how you are. You may wonder, “Who could ever love me? Who could ever really be aware of all I’ve said and done and who I truly am, and still love me?

I know someone. The Scriptures tell us about his love. 1 John 4 says, “In this the love of God was made [known] among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the [atonement] for our sins.”Grace and love. May they be with you all.
But there’s one more that Paul lists. He says May “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” What is this fellowship?

The Greek word here is “koinonia.” In this first century in Asia Minor, this was their word for “participation” and for “communion.” It signified a closeness — a connection. God is holy – in Him is life. We were banned from that life. But the Father sent the Son to save us, and the Holy Spirit applied that salvation to our souls.

It was the Spirit who performed the action that brought us from death to life. He stirred our hearts. He opened our eyes. He gave us understanding. He gave us ears to hear what God the Father was saying in Jesus Christ.

The Spirit caused us to participate in the life of God. He brought us into communion with the living God. He ushered us into closeness and real connection with the Father, Son, and Himself. And with them is true fellowship. By the Spirit’s work, according to the Father’s plan, and through the Son’s sacrifice, fellowship with them is yours.

And so you can understand how unique and precious is the fellowship that we who are in Christ have with one another. We have been given life. And together we are a life-giving community. As God told Abraham in Genesis 12, we are blessed to be a blessing – to each other, and to the world.

It’s good to invite people to Good Shepherd. It’s good to be intentionally welcoming. It’s good to reach out so that others might come in. We do that here, and may we do even more of it. But if the person you invite decides to visit one day, what must they find here? They must see a demonstration of “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.” May the Lord give us a growing vision for introducing others to that life that comes only from the life-giving triune God.

Do you know that life? Have you trusted in Jesus Christ? You can trust in Him today.

Let’s bow in prayer.