Ephesians 6:21-24 A Farewell Prayer

So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts. Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.  Ephesians 6:21-24, ESV.
 
This is the close of Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church. What a gift it is to have these last few sentences. Paul was not just a superhero missionary or the church's foundational theologian—though he was those. Paul was a Christian who loved the church. He cared deeply about his brothers and sisters in Christ.
 
Paul, after dealing with the deity of Christ, the gracious nature of the gospel, and matters of ethics, expresses his love in this farewell paragraph. But that is not all. He cares so much about his personal relationship with his brothers and sisters in Ephesus that, unable to go himself, he sends one of his best ministry partners to them. He wants them to know more about his situation and to be encouraged in their situation.
 
Theology matters greatly. Even so, theology is at its best when it inspires expressions of love for the saints. As Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). When our theology includes the belief in a God who loves us, we love one another. And there is nothing more loving to offer the saints than this: the peace, grace, and love of God.
 
My prayer for you today? “Peace be to you, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with you who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.”
 
Pastor Don