Well, we've come to our last lesson in the books of Corinthians. First Corinthians, Second Corinthians,

and let me summarize them just for a moment for you. There have been really five major themes

that we have looked at in the book of Corinthians, First Corinthians, Second Corinthians. We've looked at the theme

of rejoicing. Paul rejoices in the grace of God. Paul praises God for his goodness. Secondly,

we have looked at the theme of restoration. When Paul looked at the church in Corinth, he saw immorality, he

saw idolatry, he saw division, he saw conflict, strife, taking members to court. Uh he saw abuse of the Lord's

Supper, and he appealed by the grace of God for restoration. The gospel

restores us to God. Sin separates us from God.

But it's the gospel of reconciliation that restores the relationship. So, we find that theme of restoration because

of the reconciliation that Christ provides through his grace. We also see the theme of encouragement.

Paul again and again talks about encouraging one another, not boasting, not competing with one another, but but

encouraging one another. Then he says, "Be of one mind." He's really concerned about the

divisions in the church, and he talks about the peace that Christ can give us. So, we see those themes. In this lesson,

it's entitled grace, love, and fellowship. Our memory text, Second Corinthians chapter 13 verse 14, "The

grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Notice

the love of God. The fellowship of the Holy Spirit and the grace of Christ. Father, Son,

and Holy Spirit are all mentioned in that passage. We're going to unpack that a little later, but let's pray.

Father in heaven, we thank you with all of our hearts for Jesus. We thank you for his goodness. We thank you for his

grace. We thank you for the love of God. We thank you for the grace of Christ. We thank you for the fellowship of the Holy

Spirit. As we study about grace, love, and fellowship, may our hearts burn within us like those disciples on the

Emmaus road that walked with Jesus. And when they fellowshipped with him and discovered his amazing love and his

sacrifice on Calvary as the Spirit led them. So, guide us as we study our lesson in Christ's name. Amen. We come

to Sunday's lesson, the grace of Jesus Christ. You know, if you look at the way Paul ends many of his lessons

in Romans 16, in Galatians 6, in Philippians 4, 1 Thessalonians 5:28, he he ends them very similarly. Let's Let's

take a look at it. I'll take a look at a couple of them. Uh Romans chapter 16

and we're going to look there at verse 20. Romans 16, verse 20. [snorts] The scripture says,

"And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Amen." Paul emphasizes the grace of God. Galatians chapter 6 and verse 18. Galatians 6 verse 18.

Scripture says, "Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." Again,

emphasis of grace. Philippians 4:23 says very similar last verse, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you."

And the same in 1 Thessalonians 5:28. Paul is a man whose mind is saturated by grace. He was stopped in his tracks on

the the Damascus road on the way to persecute Christians. And he experienced grace.

As he experienced grace, he wanted to share that grace. The good news of forgiveness.

The good news that we can be free from guilt. The good news that we can have peace. The paragraph

first paragraph under the section where it says read Romans 16 and Galatians 6 and so forth.

First paragraph says this. Paul refers to the grace of Jesus very often in his letters. Here are some

pearls. The free gift of grace of Jesus Christ abounded for many. So, grace is not limited. Grace abounds. Those who

receive this abundance of grace will Notice what Paul says, "reign in life through Jesus." Romans 5:17. As it

occurs with 2 Corinthians, Paul also begins and ends other letters and he mentions the grace of Jesus Christ. He

does this in Romans. He He does it in Galatians. He does it in Philippians. He ends also in Ephesians. He talks

about this undying love of Christ. Paul's life is just totally consumed

with this idea of the love of Christ. In Monday's lesson titled The Love of God, and

the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be

with you. Second Corinthians 13:14. If you look through the Bible, the love of God is a theme. You know, George

Beverly Shea used to sing that old song, The Love of God, so great and far. And you remember, if

the ocean was filled with ink

and every stalk on Earth were a quill or a pen, and if that ocean represented the love

of God, you couldn't dry it out even if you tried. The love of God is abundant. There's enough of God's love

for all of us, and we can never exhaust it. It will never run out. John 3:16 and 17, God so loved the world that he

gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting

life. God sent his son into the world, verse 17, not to condemn the world, but that

the world through him might have life. God's love was manifest in the self-sacrificing life of Jesus. And you

remember Romans 8:37-39, how Romans 8 is mentioned, verse 37 and 39, yet in

all these things we are more than conquerors. How? Through him who loved us. I'm persuaded that neither death nor

life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other

created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I had [snorts] a

friend, a very dear friend, an old pastor from the Soviet Union. And he told me that during Soviet times

he was in prison for his faith. And while he was in prisoned, he He out to his mother. He was just a young man and

he wrote out and he said, "Oh, Mom, it's so cold in prison. Give me a lighter." Now, the term lighter was a term for the

Bible. It was based on Psalm 119:105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." And so, he wrote

out to his mother and he said, "Mother, I would just so much like a lighter." She knew exactly what he he meant. And

every month the parents of those in prison or their relatives, the wife of the husband or sister or brother, could

send a parcel of food. And so, she took a Bible and she hid it in the parcel of food down in some flour was and it was

in a plastic bag and she put some eggs on the top. Well, the censors would sit at a table on a

porch outside and they would go through each bag. And Mama hoped that they wouldn't find the Bible, but this

particular censor was met very meticulous. He found the Bible and he got so angry, took it out of the

plastic bag and he threw it down. Well, its spine hit the cement steps and it broke. It was kind

of an old Bible and the pages were blown all over. It was a windy day and the censor was running

around trying to pick them up. And my friend said he picked up one page. And he said that page encouraged him.

And you know what that page was? Romans the 8th chapter. About the love of God.

And he wrote and he said, "You know, I'm in this dirty, damp" and he told me the story. He said, "I'm in this dirty,

damp, cold, dark dungeon in prison in a Soviet prison camp." But he said,

"By faith, I believe God loves me. He cares for me. He's is

to sustain me." And God preserved him in that prison, and when he got out, he continued to

preach God's word, and thousands came to Christ as the result of his ministry. God's love can be seen all around us. He

told me that at times he would go out of the prison and look through the prison bars and see the stars and sense the

majesty and might of God. Reminds me of Ellen White's statement where she says, talking about nature, in Steps to

Christ, page 10, "God is love is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass, the lovely birds

making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the

lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green, all testify to the tender fatherly care of

our God and to his desire to make his children happy." When my friend looked out of those prison bars and he heard

the singing of the birds, he saw the flowering trees, he he he looked up into the stars and he saw

the starry heavens, he was reminded of the love of God. The passage in Romans kept

him encouraged, and all nature around him reminded him of the love of God. As you read the Bible,

open your heart to God's love. As you see nature in the springtime, in the fall,

the winter, the summer, be reminded of a God that loves you. Tuesday's lesson is the God of love. In Monday's lesson, we

read about the love of God. In ancient times, in the ancient pagan world, people didn't believe that gods loved

humans. Instead, the gods were malevolent. They were violent. They were evil and furious. They were supposed to

be appeased. The idea of a god of love, as we see in the Bible, was a novelty. As surprising as this statement was in

his time, Paul characterized our God as the God of love and peace. Second Corinthians chapter 13 verse 11.

Second Corinthians chapter 13 and we're looking there at verse 11.

Paul characterizes God as this God of love. The 11th verse

puts it this way. Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort. Be

of one mind. Live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Notice Paul is about ready to end his

letter. It is the end. And he talks to the Corinthian church about being of of good

comfort. Recognize that because of God's love, you can have

comfort in your heart. Be of one mind because of God's love, you can have unity.

Live in peace because of God's love and peace, you can live

in peace. The Apostle Paul emphasized the important qualities of comfort, unity,

and peace. And he did that because he knew that God's love was transformational.

It could transform the divisions in Corinth. It could transform the strife in

Corinth. It could transform men and women caught in lust, fornication, immorality, and

adultery. It could transform those that were taking one another to court and the

courts of law. It could transform those who were murmurers and complainers and angry and

bitter. The grace of Christ transforms us. The grace of Christ makes

us over again. Here, the phrase the God of love and peace can be interpreted in two

different ways. I'm reading from the note on Tuesday's lesson. On one hand, God is seen as the source of love and

peace. On the other hand, God is characterized by love and peace. It is not necessary, however, to decide

between the two. Love and peace are characteristics of God. He gives us love and he gives us peace.

Elsewhere, Paul refers to God as the God of endurance and encouragement, the God of hope, the God of peace,

the father of mercies, the God of all comfort. God is the source of all these blessings. He gives them to us out of

his unfailing love. Reach out to God day by day and understand

the blessings that God gives to us. The blessings of joy, the blessings of peace, the blessings of forgiveness, the

blessings of power and strength to overcome. All these spiritual blessings are blessings of God. The blessing of

hope when we go through trial, the blessing of encouragement when we go face challenges, the blessings of of his

Holy Spirit to strengthen us when we feel weak, the blessing of wisdom when we feel ignorant.

God's blessings reach out to us. Rejoice in the blessings of God. Wednesday's lesson is on the fellowship of the Holy

Spirit. First paragraph, the grace of Jesus not only reveals the love of God for us, but

also brings the fellowship of the Spirit as a further effect of that love. At the same time, fellowship has its source in

the love of God. And that is because without love, there is no fellowship. As Paul writes,

"Therefore, if there's any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any

affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord." It is the Holy

Spirit that reveals God's love in our hearts that enables us to be unified. Without the love of God, there is

division in the church. And without the Holy Spirit leading us into fellowship, there is conflict in the church. Now,

some people, don't miss this, believe that the Holy Spirit is only a force or an influence.

But, that can't be true. After all, why would God mention two persons, the Father and the Son, along with a mere

force in a Trinitarian formula? That would make no sense at all. Just as the Father and the Son are

presented in a personal relationship, the relationship of the Spirit with persons leads us to the conclusion that

he is also a divine person. So, then what is this fellowship of the Spirit?

The fellowship of the Spirit is fellowship in the Spirit with one another

and my personal fellowship with God through the Spirit. If you read scripture, you see that the

attributes given by God through the word of God to the Holy Spirit are attributes of

personality. Uh in 2 Corinthians 10:1 2 Corinthians chapter 2:10-11, it talks about the Spirit searches all things.

Talks about the Spirit dwells in us. It talks about the Spirit giving us gifts. It talks about the Spirit giving life.

It talks about the Spirit freeing us from sin. You look at Ephesians chapter 4, it says, "Grieve not the spirit.

Can you grieve a force? Certainly not. In the book of Romans, it says the spirit intercedes for us. Can a force

intercede for us? Paul says the spirit pleads for us. So, you look at all these things and um

Paul has a great deal to say about the work of the Holy Spirit. He talks about the spirit in 1 and 2

Corinthians in 40 different references. The Holy Spirit, for example, reveals the deep things of God. The Holy Spirit

teaches us. The Holy Spirit dwells in us. The Holy Spirit works with Christ for our justification. The Holy Spirit

bestows spiritual gifts on us. The Holy Spirit seals us for salvation. The Holy Spirit imprints the law of God in our

hearts. The Holy Spirit gives us new life and freedom from sin. All these are attributes of personality.

When you look at scripture, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit are three divine eternal beings. And they're

linked together. We see that linkage throughout scripture. For example, let me give you

some examples of this linkage of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Bible mentions God is love, the Son

is love, the Holy Spirit is love. God is powerful, Jesus is powerful, the Holy Spirit is all powerful. Um

many times the Bible links the attributes of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as very similar.

1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 3. We studied 1 Corinthians 1 some 13 weeks ago. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 3. Grace to

you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. So, again, you have grace and peace from God the Father

and from Jesus. Verse 4, I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ.

Again, very similar language. Uh verse 9, God is faithful

by whom you were called into the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ the Lord. So, you see all of these texts

linking together grace that comes from God, grace that comes from Jesus. You see the Holy

Spirit revealing God's grace to us, peace that comes from God, peace that comes from Jesus, and the Holy Spirit

revealing God's peace um to us. Remember Jesus said, "Peace I leave you, my peace I give it to you,

not as the world giveth I unto you. When he the spirit is come, he'll lead you into all truth." So, Jesus sees the Holy

Spirit as the third person of the Godhead to reveal God's eternal truth to us, to give us peace, joy, meaning.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 14 and onward, we have this uh

great concept of the triune God, the linkage of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians chapter 13

verse 14, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you

all." Um look,

the Holy Spirit, the Father and the Son work together for our salvation. Grace, love, and

fellowship come not only from one, but the three members of the Godhead. Yet, all three have different functions. So,

the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit are different personalities with different functions.

Um the three members of the Godhead, God the Father sent Jesus, which suggests

that the Father is the source of the plan of salvation. The Son is born of woman, which is a reference to the

incarnation. It points to the fulfillment of the ancient promise. And the Holy Spirit legitimizes our identity

as children of God and leads us to Christ. We find this, for example, in Galatians chapter 4 and verse 6. Because

you are sons God has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying, "Abba Father." So, the spirit of

God, the third person of the Godhead, legitimizes our relationship with the Father.

There are several other references to the Trinity in the Pauline letters. The three act together enabling the church

for mission. For example, 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, giving us spiritual strength, Ephesians

3:14-19, promoting a profound unity among church members, one that replicates the unity

that marks the very relationship of the members of the Godhead, Ephesians 4:4-6.

In Paul's understanding, guided by the spirit of God, not only is God triune, but also the three persons

of the Godhead work together for our salvation. You know, when you come to the reading

of Friday, Ellen White's writings can't make this any plainer. The Ellen White, The Faith I Live By,

page 52. We need to realize that the Holy Spirit is as much a person as God is a person. How much clearer could that

be? The Holy Spirit has a personality, else he could not bear witness to our spirits and with our spirits that we are

children of God. He must also be a divine person. Else he could not search out the secrets

which lie hidden in the mind of God. So, it's very clear in the Bible and the writings of Ellen White that the Holy

Spirit is as much a person as God is a person. In the book of Evangelism page 615,

I read this statement by Ellen White. There are three living persons of the heavenly trio. In the name of these

three great powers, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized. And

these three powers will cooperate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ.

Notice there are three living persons in the heavenly trio. And you remember in Matthew chapter 28:19 and 20, Jesus

says, "Go you therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name

Go you therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son,

and the Holy Spirit. So, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit comprise the three persons of the

eternal Godhead, three separate beings. As we open our hearts to God, His love is poured into our hearts.

As we as that love pours into our hearts and we study His word,

we recognize that Jesus Christ is our savior. That He came to reconcile us to God and

to restore to us the image of God in us. The plan of salvation becomes real as the Holy Spirit impresses these

divine truths on our mind. Let's pray together. Father in heaven, we thank you for these

lessons. We thank you for the opportunity to study them together. We thank you that all of the trio of

heaven, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are working for our salvation. That there's nothing God would not do

to save us. That his love reaches out to us. That he sent his son

to die for us, and to live for us, and that the Holy Spirit is there to convict us, and to empower us, and to strengthen

us. We thank you, Lord, for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We thank you

that heaven is doing everything it can to save us, and we open our hearts to you just now in Jesus' name. Amen.