Wanna know why we do things? “For the love of Christ compels us.” Is it His love for us? or, our love for Him? or, both?

22 The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, without painful toil for it [for millennia, it was believed that wealth equaled the blessing of God; we now have something that is much greater than material wealth: the indwelling of the Spirit].

God’s love for His creation, mankind, is greater than the universe. When sin separated us from Him, He had already set in motion His Plan for getting us back. We must remember that free will is paramount to Him: He wants us to love Him with no manipulation, no strong-arming, and no presets. He came to earth as Jesus to buy us back; He paid the debt that we could never pay.

There are two verses that we will look at today to confirm these truths:

⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

¹⁴ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

God, not wanting any to perish, created the way for all mankind to come back to Him: The cross. When Jesus died, He took every person’s sin to the grave. Spiritually, we all died with Him. Actually, we were already dead spiritually because we did not have the Holy Spirit in us. The Spirit is life, and without Him, there is no spiritual life. But, because of Christ and His finished work on the cross, everyone who accepts Him as God and commits to serve Him as God of their lives receives the life-giving Spirit, which is Jesus Himself (1 Corinthians 15:45).

Now, to answer the question:

1. Yes, the Spirit compels us to follow Christ in obedience. He is our driving Force now.
2. Yes, our love for Jesus is driven by our thankfulness and gratefulness for all He has done for us.
3. We are compelled because of our commitment to Him and because of the encouragement of the Spirit to no longer live for ourselves, but for Christ. He’s the One who died for us and was raised again.

Are you grateful? I AM! Let’s follow the Spirit’s leading and serve our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Abba, I surely am grateful for You saving my soul. I look forward to shedding this old sin-ridden body and taking up residence in my new body in my new home–Your home! I know Your kingdom is in me now, and I can hardly wait to step into Your kingdom whole and complete! May my life and my death bring glory and honor to You, O Lord. Amen.