Second Corinthians 5:14-15 gives us the divine motivation for our life. “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus that if One died for all, then 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 rose again.”
The love of Christ compels us. Now, theologians, and scholars look at the phrase "the love of Christ." And the question that comes up, does this mean his love for us, or does it mean our love for him? And I really just like to simplify things. John says, “We love Him because He first loved us.” So let's just take it as both. When we respond to his love for us, we respond by increasing and growing in our love for him.
And he says that the love of Christ compels us. The word "compel" is a word that means to drive forward under pressure. It's worth stopping for each of us to ask ourselves the question, “Does it really?” Does the love of Christ move me forward? Is the love of Christ the motivating factor of my life and the things that I'm doing?
He says that the conclusion that brings us to this response is, “... because we judge this, that if One died for all, then all die.” Once again, we can take this two different ways. Christ died for all because all died in Adam. We know that's true. When Adam sinned, he brought the curse of sin and with it death. On the whole human race. Paul says, wherefore, as “by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin. And so death spread to all men,” in Romans 5:12. We all share in the curse of sin. But we could also recognize this as Christ dying for all and all dying in Him. In other words, His death encompassed the whole human race.
When Jesus Christ died on the cross and paid the penalty for sin in the sight of God, every member of the human race shared in that death. In other words, there's no antagonism, no hostility, no act of justice that needs to be done on God's part. It's all been done. He has done everything that He can short of for us to make salvation available to every member of the human race.
He goes on to say in verse 15, “and He died for all” —that is every member of the human race— “so that those who live” — these are the ones who respond to the gospel information, receive Christ by faith, enter eternal life, and they now live with Him. “He died for all, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” Christ should be the motivating factor in the soul of every member of the human race. His death, His burial, His resurrection, and His mission to this world should be a driving force in our lives.
Learn about "The Simplicity of Salvation" here:
https://basictraining.org/simplicity-of-salvation/
This lesson was from this audio lesson here:
https://basictraining.org/all-audio-messages/?enmse=1&enmse_am=1&enmse_mid=2685&enmse_av=1
#shorts #BibleStudy #bibleverse #JesusChrist
#jesus #Bible
#christianity
#devotional #JesusLovesYou #mission #christ #death #gospel
13
