Famous Last Words

Sometimes I wonder what my last words to people might be. Of course we don't know what words will be our last, but some in history have been able to choose their last words wisely. Some people's last words are poetic, like Emily Dickinson who before her passing in 1886 said, "the fog is rising." Some words were of encouragement, as in 1715 when Louis XIV said, "Why are you weeping? Did you think that I was immortal?" In 1799, George Washington proclaimed boldly, "It is well, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go."

The beginning of the last conclusion that Paul would write to those in Corinth are ones that we should take to heart. 2 Corinthians 13:11 say, "Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you." His farewell is quite an encouragement.

The exhortation to be perfect, or be perfected, is one that we all should be striving for. We know that we cannot be perfectly like Christ until we are given incorruptible bodies at the resurrection of the saints in order to make us fit for heaven (1 Corinthians 15:53), but we ourselves can be made more perfect through love one for another and of God (1 John 2:5). We should also note the glorious fact that we in the eyes of God have already been perfected through the Lord Jesus Christ if we have accepted Him as our Offering for sin (Hebrews 10:14).

We would be comforted that we have a living Savior who will return to take us to be with Himself. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Paul comforts that believers in reminding them that the Lord will return in a coming day, uniting them with their lost loved ones. The assurance that Christ will return as He has promised (2 Peter 3:9) is a comfort to each one as we will be taken from a world of sin, to a dimension of absolute holiness.

Paul exhorts for unity. Unity begins with love, which is the basis of the proof of our salvation to those around us (1 John 3:14). A spirit of hate should never be seen in us. The Psalmist too would remind us in 133:1, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"

Finally Paul tells them to "live in peace." Each of these previous urgings of Paul would let them know that they can live in peace. Philippians 4:13 lets us know that the peace of God, which is beyond comprehension, will not only comfort us but guard us also. If we have seen the Lord Jesus as our substitute for sin, we should have such amazing peace in our heart.

These simple four things that Paul tells them about would no doubt cheered their hearts. We are unsure if Paul wrote again to those at Corinth, or whether he was able to visit them again after his third visit, so these very well could have been his last words to these believers. Hopefully since we never know what might be our last words, we are spreading the Fruit of the Spirit all around so that we might encourage everyone in what could be our last words to them.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23