2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NASB)
14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
Most people will probably not hear many sermons on the topic for today. It most likely will not make other devotional material. It all starts with the love of Jesus. That is popular enough. We often hear about the love of Jesus, sing about His love, and thank Him for that love. How deeply does the love Jesus shows us impact the way we really live?
In the passage today, Paul writes that the love of Jesus controls us. The word control can better be translated to seize, grip, to hold in custody. Let this sink in. In our response to the love of Jessus, we are to voluntarily put ourselves into God's custody surrendering our rights and freedoms to be in charge of how we live, serving Him for the rest of our days as His bondservant. We are to willfully surrender our lives to Him. We are the servant, and He is the Master.
Paul saw himself as a bondservant. He identified himself that way in [Romans 1:1], [Phil 1:1], and [Titus 1:1]. Just exactly what is a bondservant? It is a person who voluntarily puts themselves in shackles as a subservient slave to a master. In our case that Master is Jesus. We do it in response to His love. Mark this next point carefully. Jesus does not enslave us. We are not forced into servitude. We are free to walk away at any time we choose. It is our choice to become bondservants.
We choose the path of bondage because of the love Jesus lavished on us. First, there is His death on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin. Let this thought sink in, Perfection dying for imperfection, the Creator dying for His creation, the Potter dying for the clay, and the Savior dying for the sinner. It does not make sense. Many things about true love do not make sense. Love inspires sacrifice and selfless service. That is what Jesus did for us. Why would we think that such a demonstration of love would not also motivate us to sacrifice and selflessly serve Him in return.
Jesus also continually expresses His love through devotions, answers to prayer, the thrilling ways He works in our lives, and the fact that He prays for us.
The more we understand the depth and breadth of the love of Jesus, the more willing we will be to follow Him and serve Him like a prisoner in shackles. Only we will voluntarily choose to live like a bondslave. The chains that hold us will be the bond between His love for us and our love for Him. When is the last time we were challenged to this? This type of thinking does not often make it into the most popular preaching or top selling books. It is biblical.
- Spend some time reflecting on the depth of the love Jesus demonstrated toward you.
- We cannot pay Him back or earn that love or salvation. In what ways can you express our gratitude?
- Express your thoughts about living as a voluntary bondservant to Jesus.
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