Yes, there may still be enemies visible, and yes, we may still be dealing with lingering consequences of sin, but we must never forget that Jesus has already paid the price for our sins on the cross, and by His blood, we are forgiven!

Three times in the first 11 verses of that chapter we are told to rejoice: “We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (v. 2). “We rejoice in our sufferings” because they produce endurance (v. 3). And in verse 11, “We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I memorized this passage when I was 18. I have sung it, quoted it, and prayed it hundreds of times over the decades. Yet I still often struggle with living it out.

The apostle Paul seemed to know what many communication experts still teach: repetition matters. And at the end of 2 Corinthians, he repeats several themes important in his earlier instruction.