Come Quickly -- March 31, 2009

"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."
1 Corinthians 16:22-23NKJV

Strong words! The apostle isn’t employing much tact when discussing our relationship with Jesus. The word accursed is literally anathema (anathema) in the Greek. It denotes something that is dedicated to destruction as an offering to God. Literally something set up to be destroyed. Like the things that God required in the Old Testament when Joshua conquered Jericho. Those things were all anathema. They were to be completely destroyed as an offering to God. Nothing was to be taken as a trophy or treasure from the battle. Everything belonged to God and was to be destroyed so that no one else could benefit from it. So it is with those who do not love Jesus. Like Pharaoh they are set up for destruction for God’s glory. Paul wants to be sure we understand our position in Christ. As believers we have God’s grace with us. But those who do not love Him are destined to be destroyed.

Paul also calls for the Lord to come. He is asking for the end to be near. I often vacillate between wanting Jesus to come quickly and for Him to give me more time to see more people come to Jesus. I have to confess this is often based on the kind of day I am having. Finally I settle for His timing and say you know when it is right. Then like Paul I start thinking about His grace.

I pray that His grace chooses a time that is past my death or that finds me working for Him. I also pray for grace that I might pass on to the next life while ministering to Him. The words of grace that Paul speaks are just as strong as his words of warning. I am reminded of Paul’s writing to the Romans in chapter 11 where he calls us to consider the goodness (kindness) and the severity of God. The goodness that rests on those whom He has saved and grafted into His plans and the severity that has fallen on those whom He has cut off. We need to recognize that He has a plan that does not include sentimentality. It is based on His person that was sacrificed in Jesus. He is just as committed to the kindness for us as He is to the severity of those whom have been cut off.

Considering Him,


Pastor Jason