Controlled by the Love of Christ

First Presbyterian Church (Dothan AL) Podcast

Pastor Rusty Milton
2 Corinthians 5:11-15 ESV
"Controlled by the Love of Christ"

Your life should not be controlled by your feelings but Christ's feelings for you. Your feelings come and go; his feelings are steady and unchanging. His love for us should be our motivation for why and how we do everything we do. The Christian can be motivated by two different things: Appearances through good works to gain God's pleasure. Or, the love of Christ. But it is the love of Christ that must control your heart. Paul tells us two things to explain why. First, it is the love of Christ for us that compels us (vs. 9). The Love of Jesus restrains us from acting for ourselves, which causes our desires and affections to be led by Jesus' love for us. Secondly, Jesus died for us (vs. 14): one died for all and therefore all have died. Jesus has died in the place of all believers, and therefore, the required deaths of all believers have been satisfied.

How should we apply this? We ought to be mindful that we are guided and led by a living person. Make choices out of love for him. Be mindful of the reasons for your choices. Is it the appearance of godliness? Or is it the love of Christ?

2 Corinthians 5:11-15
The Ministry of Reconciliation

11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.