Compelled by His love

Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:14-17

Despite the struggles that Paul was going through as he went about sharing the gospel, he said that what was sustaining him was his faith in God. “But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke”” (2 Corinthians 4:13). His faith was founded upon his belief in Christ, His death on the cross and the resulting redemption from sin. There are those that would compare themselves to others and feel pretty good because they think they are much better. But if held up against God’s standard of perfection, everyone will come short. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Good works will not bring anyone to a relationship with God for He requires perfection. It was only through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross that will make it possible for each one to be cleansed from sin. For Paul, to know what Christ accomplished on his behalf meant having a new perspective in life; “those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves” (2 Corinthians 5:15). Now the controlling force in Paul’s life is the love of Christ demonstrated on His sacrifice on his behalf. The reason now to live a good life is the love of Christ. The reason why we would want to minister to others is the love of Christ. At its best, our love for Christ is poor and weak this is why Paul says, the “love of Christ should control us” (v. 14). It is the love of Christ that will make us committed to live our lives pleasing to Him. Since “you were bought at a price, therefore honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:20). As Christ died for us we must now live for Him.

Blessings,

Noel De Guzman

www.my-wbc.com