1 Corinthians 16

V. 19-24, Closing of the letter, (love and curses)

Paul closes his letter wishing that the love of Jesus Christ be with his reader but before these words he makes a bold statement about those who do not love Jesus. In verse 22, he says that if any man doesn’t love Jesus then that person is cursed (Anathema). That word doesn’t mean that Paul is placing a curse upon them, the word means the curse is of a divine nature. It may have been better for Paul to say that the individual who doesn’t love Jesus has placed a curse upon themselves because they have separated themselves from God. The fact is that Jesus died to pay the price for all individual to back into fellowship with God and to live eternally in Heaven, but no one is forced to accept the mercy and grace offered. Individuals have free will on whether to accept the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ or reject it.

When someone accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior the scripture says that they must repent (acknowledge and turn from their sins). Then they must make Jesus the Lord of their life by being obedient to His commands and trying to live a life acceptable and pleasing to God. We place our fleshly desires and passions on the back burning as we begin to live as a servant of Jesus Christ. Individuals who refuse to accept and love Jesus are indeed cursed because they must pay their debt owed. Which means they must partake of the second death (Hell) as they are punished because they choose to reject the truth of Jesus Christ and believe the lies of this world. It is an eternal curse full of pain, darkness, torment, and separation from God. They choose their own fate. I close with Deuteronomy 30:15 as it sums up the choice, we must all make. “I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.” The choice is ours.