2 Corinthians 5:1-21
Tuesday, 25 April 2023
“For the love of Christ compels us…” -2 Corinthians 5:14
The Apostle Paul commences 2 Corinthians 5 by urging all believers to rise above the temporal struggles of the world and to experience the eternal through the presence the Holy Spirit, given to us as a guarantee. While in this world, we are to walk by faith, persuading men to be reconciled to God out of the divine love that has been poured into our hearts.
The Agape Love of God: John 3:16 so beautifully expresses the depth of God’s unconditional love for the fallen world, that He sent His only begotten Son to take the penalty for our sins. The Father’s love in Him strengthened Jesus to leave heaven and selflessly take up the agonizing mission to redeem the world, to be obedient to the point of death. “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in our trespasses.” (Ephesians 2:4)
Divine Love in the New Creation: By faith in Christ and His redeeming work on the cross of Calvary, we are justified and made a new creation. (V. 17). The old sin nature has been crucified with Christ and in Christ we are made new. This new creation has a new mind (1 Corinthians 2:16), new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26), a new character (Colossians 3:12-14) and a new image (Ephesians 4:22-24). Into this new creation, purchased by the precious blood of Christ, the divine love of God is given. Jesus prayed, “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:25-26). The love of Christ has been given to us with a purpose – this divine love urges us to live for Christ who gave His live for us (Vs.1).
Set ablaze for the Lord: “…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend … the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-18). When you are filled with such a fullness of His agape love, it is impossible to sit still! His love urges and propels you to do great things for Him. As you experience the immeasurable love of God, your entire being changes - you are able to forgive and bless others no matter how deep the wounds they inflict on you; you are able to serve humbly without complaining; you are able to give freely; you can empathize and pray with a burden for others; you can love like Christ did. All that you do will be in joy out of the overflowing love of God that you experience. Christ’s love urges you to be ambassadors for Christ and messengers of the Gospel, on a mission to lead lost souls to the Savior.
In these end times when the coming of the Lord is at hand, allow the love of Christ to take control and let us labour with an urgency to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth, desiring that none may be lost. May His immeasurable love flow from us into the hearts of others!
Think on: By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:9-11)
Listen: 'How deep the Father’s Love'