Paul here adds the full force of his authority to the letter he has written to the Corinthian church by signing it with his own hand. Remarkably, we see in his own hand that Paul ends the letter imploring the Lord to come. You can almost hear the yearning in his voice. In doing so he is asking God to bring to a conclusion the redemptive work he began in Jesus Christ. Today, we still echo that call. Lord, come! In this declaration, we recognize that we survive and even (sometimes) thrive amid the present troubles of this world only by the grace of God. But at the same time, we make our plea for deliverance, for the end of suffering, and for God to bring to completion his world in the world.
But until that time comes we throw ourselves upon God’s grace. Just as Paul began his letter with grace, he ends his letter with God’s grace. Without God’s grace, we cannot begin the day and face its challenges. God’s grace is sufficient for all things.