The Love of Christ

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NKJV)

¹⁴ For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; ¹⁵ and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Devotion:

            Today, we meditate on the power of Christ’s love to save those who believe. Paul here is writing about how the love of Christ affects believers. He states that this love of Christ compels us. The word translated compels has a wide range of meanings in the original Greek. The most likely meaning, according to commentators, is compel, which means to put pressure on someone or something. God does not force Himself on us but gently but firmly moves us in the direction He wants us to go.

            The remainder of the verses explain the direction Christ encourages us to move and how believers should react accordingly. Paul explains that Christ died for all believers. Therefore, all believers have died with Him. The power of Christ’s love is so great that it will eventually kill our sinful nature. We have all died and, therefore, must live not only for ourselves but for the good of our fellow believers and nonbelievers.

            The love of Christ should move us outward to seek the benefit of the world around us. While many may be introverted by nature, as I am, we all should seek the good of our neighbor. This is so that many may hear and believe in Christ and His gospel. We Christians are to be a giving people. The love of Christ moves each of us to benefit our neighbor. We hope that our neighbor will experience the same compelling love we do and act together with us in the cause of Christ.

            We are to be united in the cause of Christ. This is the only hope for this world. We must recover our first love and seek to use that love to influence the world around us. As long as we keep our love for Christ and neighbor to ourselves, the world will get steadily more immoral and toxic to human flourishing. We must allow the love of Christ to push us through death to self and on to the new resurrection life in Christ. Thus, enabling the world to see the deep love of God for humanity as seen in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let us pray:

Prayer:

            Lord, come to us today and put our sinful, selfish desires to death. Fill us with your resurrection power. Help us to be channels for your grace and love in an increasingly wicked and hate-filled world. May we endure any hardship, even unto death, to move the cause of Christ forward. Glorify yourself in us, Lord, that others may see our deeds, hear your words from our mouths, and be compelled to accept Christianity as the accurate way of salvation. Amen.