Constrained by the Love of Christ

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: II Corinthians 5:14,15
Psalters: 170, 352, 91, 396
Applicatory to the Lord's Supper
  1. The basis.
    1. Jesus Christ “died for all.”
      1. The death He endured was the death of the cross.
      2. Christ endured this divine wrath for others.
      3. The “all” for whom Christ died are those who are members of the church, the body of Christ.
    2. If one died for all, “then were all dead” (implies the activity of a legal representative).
      1. God also made Christ to be a representative of all those whom God made to be members of Christ’s body.
      2. The death we died through Christ is our salvation, for it bears all the punishment of our sins and renders us righteous.
    3. All this is connected to “the love of Christ.”
  2. Christ’s love and death for us was we should live unto Him, and not unto themselves.
    1. The issue for living are just two possibilities.
      1. To live unto ourselves is to have ourselves as our chief concern and goal.
      2. To live unto Christ is to be focused on Him, His name, His cause, and His kingdom.
    2. Christ’s love which led to His giving Himself up for the ungodly was exactly so we should live to Him.
      1. Consider the horribleness and emptiness of living unto ourselves.
      2. To be a disciple of Jesus begins with self-denial as we live unto Christ.
    3. To this end Christ both died and arose.
  3. The end is that Paul and we are to live our lives serving.
    1. The love of Christ constrained Paul to live in willing and grateful service to the church.
      1. “Constrained” is to hold together, squeeze, hold fast so can do no other.
      2. Paul continued to serve the church even when criticized, slandered (said to be beside himself), and evilly treated.
      3. He did so because the knowledge of Christ’s love for him and for the rest of the church squeezed him into such service.
    2. May that same love also constrain us to live unto Him Who died and rose again.