Constrained by the Love of Christ
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 11/9/2014 PM |
Text: | II Corinthians 5:14,15 |
Psalters: | 170, 352, 91, 396 |
Applicatory to the Lord's Supper |
- The basis.
- Jesus Christ “died for all.”
- The death He endured was the death of the cross.
- Christ endured this divine wrath for others.
- The “all” for whom Christ died are those who are members of the church, the body of Christ.
- If one died for all, “then were all dead” (implies the activity of a legal representative).
- God also made Christ to be a representative of all those whom God made to be members of Christ’s body.
- The death we died through Christ is our salvation, for it bears all the punishment of our sins and renders us righteous.
- All this is connected to “the love of Christ.”
- Christ’s love and death for us was we should live unto Him, and not unto themselves.
- The issue for living are just two possibilities.
- To live unto ourselves is to have ourselves as our chief concern and goal.
- To live unto Christ is to be focused on Him, His name, His cause, and His kingdom.
- Christ’s love which led to His giving Himself up for the ungodly was exactly so we should live to Him.
- Consider the horribleness and emptiness of living unto ourselves.
- To be a disciple of Jesus begins with self-denial as we live unto Christ.
- To this end Christ both died and arose.
- The end is that Paul and we are to live our lives serving.
- The love of Christ constrained Paul to live in willing and grateful service to the church.
- “Constrained” is to hold together, squeeze, hold fast so can do no other.
- Paul continued to serve the church even when criticized, slandered (said to be beside himself), and evilly treated.
- He did so because the knowledge of Christ’s love for him and for the rest of the church squeezed him into such service.
- May that same love also constrain us to live unto Him Who died and rose again.