Our faith in Jesus is what makes us children of God. And the fact we are now children of God also means we are now heirs of God, joint-heirs with Jesus Christ actually. We are no longer slaves, no, we are children of the promise. And even though we are growing to become like Christ everyday, we have the freedom of the Spirit to live to the glory and praise of God.

There are two paths available to everyone seeking to become righteous; through faith or the law. The scriptures declares, "it is through faith that a righteous person has life" Habakkuk 2:4. This way is very different from the way of the law, which says, "it is through obeying the law that a person has life." Leviticus 18:5. Paul's argument is simple, no one can be made right with God by trying to become righteous through keeping the law, this is because the law condemns everyone that breaks even one single law. However, the way of faith says; "but Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Through Christ Jesus, God blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith." Galatians 3:13-14. The way of faith says Christ took you place on that cross, you have been redeemed. The choice should be simple really; I know my choice, I choose faith in Christ Jesus over the law, what about you?

Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia because of two major reasons. This young believers were beginning to lose their faith in Christ because some Jews who had secretly sneaked in were telling them that for their conversion to Christianity to stand, they had to first convert to Judaism and then become circumcised. Paul's answer was swift and simple; "For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law - I stopped trying to meet all its requirements - so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2: 19-20. A few things become clear when you listen to Paul. You cannot put your trust in the Law and in Christ at the same time. You cannot live for the Law and live for Christ at the same time. They are two separate and opposite paths, choose one. Secondly, the only thing the Law has for you is condemnation, this is because the only way to be justified by the law is to fulfill every single requirement of the Law. You cannot do one and fail the others. Not even Moses who received the Law was able to do this. Next, to live for Christ, you must die to the Law, that means you stop trusting in the Law or trying to meet its requirements. The inverse also applies, to live for Christ also means to put all your trust in him and allowing Christ to live through you.

We conclude the book of Corinthians with these advices from the apostle Paul; "Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you." 2Cor 13:11. At a time when it looks like there is nothing to be joyful about in our world; wars and rumours of war, the economies of nations are failing, the very fabric of society is failing, Paul says, be joyful, not be happy, be joyful. Be joyful because you know how this all ends, in our victory. Next, Paul says to grow to maturity. Only those feeding on a good diet of the word and practicing the lessons there will find they are growing. It is the one reason I encourage you should read your Bible everyday and trust God to apply the lessons there. Paul also says to encourage one another. Our platforms are giving to us to support one another. Please ensure that your actions are not pulling others down, especially other believers. Let them be for building up and encouraging one another to go on living for the Lord. Finally, Paul says to live in harmony and peace with one another. It doesn't mean that offenses will not come and that we won't find reasons to want to give up our fellowship with one another, Paul's instructions here seems to be saying, do it deliberately, protect it even. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all.

Giving for some strange reason has been somewhat contentious recently, anyway, it was a bit problematic during the early church, and should have been clearer after these many years. For many of these new believers and some converts from Judaism, giving in the New testament was strange; it wasn't out of compulsion or duty anymore like the Pharisees used to demand understand the Levitical priesthood, no, it was now out of generosity and a freewill. Giving in the New testament is first giving yourself away to the Lord, and then giving from whatever God has blessed you with. Paul says; "whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don't have." 2Cor 8:12. You shouldn't be compelled or forced to give under the New testament, it should come freely from the heart. In the New testament pattern of giving, we understand that; "..God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others." 2Cor 9:8. All that we have now came from God and we give first because we love him in return and love people he made in his image that might be in need. Halleluyah!

You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. This has huge ramifications. The fact that God lives inside you has to count for something; you are not your own person any more, you are consecrated to God. Whenever I think about this point, I thank God for Jesus and for the New covenant. Imagine if we were God's temple and the rules of the Old testament applied? I am not sure there would be many of us left. However, we still have to remember that the fact that we are God's temple implies we can't just live and do whatever please just us anymore, God himself is now involved, He lives in us.

The New testament is amazing, it tells us that we now belong to Christ, this is what guarantees our righteousness and right standing with God. When you truly understand this, you will realise the futility at wanting to live and be justified by the old covenant. Paul tells us; "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun. And all of this is a gift from God." 2Cor 5:17-18a. The New covenant makes us new persons. Our old life is gone, it is buried in Christ. Secondly, we now belong to Jesus. You want to touch me, satan? Talk to Jesus because I belong to him. Next, a new life has begun. Yes, it has begun and we are being transformed to become like Jesus. The life of grace has begun, Halleluyah! And then, all of it is a gift for God, wow! It can't be worked or strived for, doing the law can never give you this, no. It is a free gift. It is a free gift that Jesus Christ obtained for us by his blood, Halleluyah!

Why does bad and unpleasant things happen to good people? If you've never asked this question before, then you are part of a very few. I remember when my brother passed on, I was like, God, why? You might even be in the same state this morning as you read today's devotional. Paul tries to give us two perspectives as to why he thinks these things happen as he start this second letter to the Corinthian church. Let me say up front that we, talking about God's children, are likely going to be the ones to go through these things because of who we are and because we are on God's side, we have an adversary, the devil, who wants nothing more than to see us fail ourselves and fail God. First, Paul says; "He (God) comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." 2Cor 1:4. Paul is saying here that the pain you are going through is for a reason. It is for someone. It is the only way God will be able to use you to comfort others in the future who will go through something similar because you will understand them. Secondly, Paul says; "In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead." 2Cor 1:9. It is difficult for human nature to let go. We've learned to trust our fives sense so that if we can't see, feel, touch or smell it, then it is likely not real. Paul said they had to learn to trust in an invisible God. They had to learn to walk by faith. My encouragement, let go and let God have his way. One thing is certain, his love for you can never fail. Nothing will ever be able to separate you from the love of God. One day, this whole mess will become a message, this whole pain, this test, will become a testimony.

"Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love." 1Cor 16:13-14. I find these two verses Paul shares as his most compact message. We ought to stand guard because we know our adversary, like a thief in the night, is looking to break-in to steal, kill and destroy. We must be watchful and prayerful. We stand firm in the faith because we know our faith will be tested, some of us will even consider giving up and whether it is even worth all the pain and struggle to follow Jesus. My encouragement, it is. Hold on fast to your faith. The just shall live by faith and not by sight. Paul says; be courageous. It is disheartening that many believers today are ruled by fear, this is not right. We are the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit and have no confidence in the flesh. Our trust is in Christ Jesus because he promised that he would never leave nor forsake us. We know we are not alone because Jesus Christ promised that he would be with us till the very end. Next, Paul says; be strong. Our strength come from waiting on the Lord. I am not talking about fasting here, no. I am talking about waiting on someone to serve and meet their needs and know them better. Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will have unusual strength because they know Him who is the source of all strength, Jesus. Those who know their God will be strong and they will do exploits. Finally, Paul crowns his instruction here to do everything with love. Everything means everything. Do marriage with love. Raise your children with love. Work at that office with love. Attend church with love. Treat your husband or wife with love. Drive in traffic with love, Halleluyah

Paul says; "three things will last forever - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love." 1Cor 13:13. Your faith, hope and love will follow you into eternity. That means they will last you forever. When the Bible speaks about us giving account of our times here on earth, these three things are what we are going to account for. However, Paul says love trumps the other two. Actually, faith itself works by love (Galatians 5:6). Every other gifts works through love so that without love, their motives can be corrupted. Love is not only the greatest, it is the singular quality that should mark us out as followers of Jesus; not faith, not miracles, not outstanding feats, no, love. Love is what should tell us you are a Christian, not the fact you go to church, carry a Bible or wear a cross emblem, no, it is love!