“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
“Christ’s love compels us.” When I read those words this week, I stopped and reread them. I wondered, “Does Christ’s love compel me?” “Compel” is a rather strong verb, stronger than merely “motivate.” Spending some time in chapters 4 and 5 of 2 Corinthians gave me some insight into what Paul was saying to the Corinthian Christians.
- Paul lived for Christ because of Christ’s love demonstrated through His death and resurrection.
- If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. No longer living in selfishness and pride and no longer having a worldly point of view.
- The purpose of Christ’s death and resurrection was to make a way of reconciliation between Holy God and sinful mankind.
- Those who have been reconciled to God, forgiven and redeemed, are now responsible for this ministry of reconciliation. God made us His ambassadors, “as though God were making his appeal through us” (verse20).
Paul explains in chapter 4, “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (verse 7). The message of reconciliation is the treasure we humans are to share. Paul goes on relating the troubles and persecution he and his fellow workers experienced. He says, “we always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”
You, like me, may be feeling the heaviness of troubles and disappointments of this year. This “jar of clay” (our mind and body) may be weary from it all but isn’t it wonderful we can have a heavenly point of view and not a worldly one. We have been made new in Christ! He gives us the will and power to keep going.
Gazing on a baby’s face gives feelings of joy and love. Fixing their eyes on Baby Jesus compelled the shepherds to tell the good news to everyone they saw! How much more should we be compelled to tell the good news of salvation when we fix our eyes on the crucified and risen Christ!
The Baby in the manger became our Redeemer.
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).