For the love of Christ compels us,…

                                      2 Corinthians 5:14

The love of Christ is so often spoken about, in the church, that I have often found myself taking it for granted. I frequently regain great perspective and renew my spirit by meditating and dwelling on the vast love of Christ.

I believe this has been the most foundational thing in my personal spiritual growth.  I often reinforce this foundation by reading select passages of the Bible to meditate on the measureless love of Christ. This is one on my favorites:

1 John 4:9-19

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 

In this is love, not that we have 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. 

No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 

By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 

We love because he first loved us.

Wow.

God loves me. God loves you. Even though He knows all of the things that we think we keep hidden. God knows them, knows you, and absolutely loves you.

Take a moment to let that sink in.

The book of 2 Corinthians has become one of my favorite books of the Bible. I have been once again overwhelmed by the depiction of God’s love as described here…

  14 For the love of Christ compels us, 

since we have reached this conclusion,

I see next in the following verses a 2 part conclusion that places Christ at the center of a definition of what true and real love is. I also see that I can follow Christ in that kind of love. He is not only the perfect example of love, but He allows us to share in it, not only as receivers but as full participants. Yes, receiving is part of that, take comfort in the truth that God fully knows you, and yes, still fully loves you. There is more though. 

Only receiving Christ’s love is not the end, but a beginning. What do we do with this overwhelming love? For me, sitting at His feet and basking in this love is sometimes necessary, but it is stationary, and only strengthens me.

14 …..that one died for all, and therefore all died. 

If we truly look upon and receive the love of Christ, we are faced with this conclusion:  If Jesus died for all people, then all people are spiritually dead. Jesus displays God’s glory in His perfect, sacrificial love. On our own, we, in comparison, are as far from that as we could possibly be. Apart from Christ, we are dead.

Ephesians 2:4-5 

4. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5.  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)        

When I take a good look at myself, I know that I cannot ever be perfect. I sin regularly, even when I don’t want to. To be honest, I don’t even have to try! Sin is just a part of my everyday life, no matter what I do, I sin. This has made a spiritual separation between me and my Creator.

 I trust in Christ, and the fact that He is the only one that can save me from the myself, and my inevitable Spiritual Death. I love that in Ephesians the Scripture says that he has quickened us together. It also says that in Colossians:

Colossians 2:13  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

      We are dead on our own, but God can quicken us together, or make us alive together with Christ, having forgiven all of our sins at the same time. This spiritual life brings us right to the second part of our Conclusion.

15 And he died for all 

so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, 

but for the one who died for them and was raised.

If you have been made alive Spiritually, the second Conclusion here, is where your purpose lies.

We often feel like our purpose in life is a job, or a calling, or a role that we play in our family. These are tasks, and responsibilities that should all be driven by this purpose: Live “for the one who died for them (you)” Everything we do should be guided by this one purpose, living unto, or for Christ. We (I) should follow him in every area of my life.

Why? His love compels me to! No one else in my life had died because of my guilt. No one in this life has loved me that much. I have been loved well, and want to give God glory for that. I was loved well by 2 loving parents, 3 loving & involved grandparents, countless extended relatives. Then my husband, he loves me well, more than he should probably! Definitely more than I can earn. Then, his family, that loves me more than him (I’m kidding, he is very loved). That is a lot of love.

It can’t even compare to Christ’s love. We can have as much earthly love as possible, and we will still be empty, and spiritually dead.

Are you Spiritually Alive? Have you connected to Christ to be made alive? If you have, are you fulfilling the purpose your Creator has for you? The first part of 2 Corinthians chapter 5 says that He is the one responsible for us being here. He gives us purpose.

This is so much more than an escape from Hell. Our fears of Hell may be what drives us to a desperate place of needing peace. Some of us that came to know Jesus at a young age, this fear may have played a part. We weren’t so hardened by the world yet. Living unto Christ, or Following Christ is so much more than the escape though. I catch myself looking at my Salvation as my freedom from death and Hell, which it is. However, that is not the fullness of salvation. It is a belief, surrender, and commitment that is ultimately fulfilled when my life ends here and I step into the eternal glory of God’s holy presence in Heaven. This is spoken of in the beginning of this chapter also. It is true that I am saved from death (which is an Eternal separation from God), but what is more pertinent, and what gives us purpose now, is that I am saved to life. And not just eternal life in Heaven, but life in the flesh, here, right now! This brought me to 2 questions:

Have I given over my life to Christ, or only my death?

         I believe, but have I given all of myself to Him to lead me. This would be truly following, letting Him lead.

Do I trust Him with my life, and all that involves, or do I only trust Him with my Death?

We were dead…Christ Died.   

He meets us in our struggles, all of them, even Death Romans 6:23

                     …He Rose         

Power only from God, that we can share in. Romans 6:5-14

                          …He Lives, 

so We Are ALIVE; Our life belongs to Him!