Gospel Reflections #556: May we have hearts to receive God

2 Corinthians 13:11-13 "At the end, brethren---the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."

Paul concluded his letter to the Corinthian church by saying, "Rejoice always. Be ye whole. Encourage one another. Be of one mind. Be at peace." He says,"Be joyful always."

Then he continues, "Do this, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

God pours out His unconditional love for us, but for us to know, understand, experience, and fall into His love, we must, as Paul says, receive the expression of God's character in our lives.

God's grace of Jesus, God's love, and the communion of the Holy Spirit are available to all, but it is our active response, our voluntary and willing response to God's love, that allows us to mature in that love.

It is not that if we believe in God, we will naturally do His will, but that if we believe in God, we should be willing to do what He wants us to do.

Even if our progress this past year has been disappointing, God's love for us will never change, and God's intentions for us will never change.

We give thanks and praise to our God who enables us to be more aware of and to rejoice in the grace of Jesus, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit that is with us in the year 2025.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.