Paul sincerely wanted to visit the church in Corinth. He boasted of them, and he wanted them to be able to boast of him as well. He did not make the visit he planned, but it was not because he was fickle. He was not saying one thing but doing another. Paul wanted them to know that he saw them as the ones to whom Christ always declared, "Yes." They as a church were the testimonies of God's grace. Their faith declared the glory of God. They were the fruit of the promises God had made, and with Paul, they shared the anointing of Christ to whom they belonged, guaranteed by his Spirit.

One of the reasons Paul did not go to Corinth before was because he had written them a letter of rebuke. They had allowed sin to take root in their fellowship. Paul did not want to cause them pain or grief or distress by visiting them. He bore the distress and tears himself, but he wanted to see their faith and share joy with them. Paul loved them deeply, and he depended on Christ's love to restore them.


Application: Lord, thank you for Jesus, who rebukes our sin but restores us in love. Help me to depend only on him.
One Word: Depend on Christ's love