“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all!” - 2 Corinthians 13: 14.

In the first part of this series, we uncovered the profound significance of the final benediction, a powerful closure to the Divine Service that assures us of God's grace, love, and communion.

But have you ever paused to consider how this blessing impacts your daily life?

As we continue with the Chief Apostle's address from the District Apostle Meeting in Ghana in November 2024, we delve deeper into the transformative depths of God's love through this blessing.  

The love of God

Before we go home, God declares His love for us once again. Everything He does is to enable us to be with Him forever. He will remove from our path any obstacle that could prevent our salvation. He will give us what we need in order to be saved.

In return, He asks us to remain in His love under all circumstances. God wants us to leave the divine service with

• the determination to keep His commandments;
• the resolution to serve Him with love and not out of calculation;
• the desire to love our fellow human beings just as God loves them.

The communion of the Holy Spirit

It is through the Spirit that we can hear God and know His will. God promises that He will continue to speak to us in order to guide, comfort, and strengthen us. And He recommends that we remain attentive to that which He says to us, both in the sermon and in our conscience.

Communion in Christ’s inheritance goes hand in hand with communion in His sufferings (Romans 8: 17; Philippians 3: 10). God warns us that we will still experience tribulation. But we have nothing to fear. He is with us. He hears our prayers and will answer them. And if we should ever be too weak to pray, the Spirit will make intercession for us (Romans 8: 26–27).

The communion of the Spirit is also a fellowship of love. The Spirit has poured out the love of Christ in our hearts. As we return to our daily lives, let us remember that God has made us capable of loving others just as they are—provided that this is what we want, that we work on it, and that we implore the Lord for divine help.

The final benediction also attests to the enduring presence of the Spirit in the Church. We have no reason to worry: nothing will prevent the Spirit from leading the Bride into perfect fellowship with the Bridegroom.

Finally, the communion of the Spirit is inseparable from the communion of the saints.

We all have the same Spirit, the same faith, and the same future. We all receive the same word and the same bread. Before we part, God exhorts us not to forget that we are all members of the same body, the body of Christ. We can only truly have communion with God by remaining in communion with one another (1 John 1: 3–7). We will always be different from one another. But God does not want us to be prisoners of our differences! He asks us to overcome these and to contribute actively to the unity of the Church. And He reminds us that the communion of the believers is not only a spiritual one. It is also expressed in a concrete way, in solidarity with those in need and by sharing the goods of this world (1 John 3: 17–18).

These reflections might only scratch the surface of the profound impact the final benediction can have. Our goal is to highlight its significance and the transformative effects it can cultivate within a believing heart. Remember, this blessing extends not only to the congregation but also to the minister who pronounces it. Hope you embrace this powerful gift and truly experience its life-changing potential!