Are You Controlled By Christ's Love?

2 Corinthians 5:14-16 -  For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  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. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

Paul knew the Greek believers struggled with the concept of the resurrection of their earthly bodies.  He had to convince them that not just the soul would separate from our bodies at death….but that God would give them the same resurrected immortal body that Jesus had when He rose in victory from the grave.

But Paul doesn’t stop with an explanation of the concept at death….he combines it with how God transforms us into new creatures at our conversion. The world should cease to be our focus and we should be completely controlled by God’s pure love. The process of atonement…the beginning of this new body we receive to live with Him in heaven…should become a part of us when God removes the sin in our life at conversion. The rest of our days on earth should be spent allowing God to pour Himself into us….transforming us one day at a time into likenesses of Him.

Paul explains in Galatians 5 the fleshy battle we enter into to keep this pure concept of transformation active in our lives. That is why it is so very important to stay connected to the source of power and strength in Bible study….prayer….and support of other believers that want to conquer the temptations of the world and become all that Christ intends for us to be.

I admit that I am still learning how to let God win my battles of flesh for me. It is a daily battle…that I feel the strongest when I have the help of other believers…like Moses when Aaron and Hur held his hands up when they grew tired.

Father…thank you for the reminder that I should be completely controlled by your love. Forgive me for the times that I have failed to call for help and fallen to the flesh that causes me to sin.  Help me to let pure humility keep me ever ready for you to pour more of your love into my heart…so that I may be a better vessel to show it to others. Amen.