Hovering this morning over a couple of verses in 2Corinthians. Paul’s been sharing his heart with his “children in Christ.” There are those who have been trying to drive a wedge between the apostle and the church which God had established through Paul’s ministry. And so Paul contends for them. When they ask for a letter of reference, Paul responds, “You yourselves are our letter of recommendation . . . you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God . . . on tablets of human hearts” (3:2-3). And he goes on to remind them of the nature of his ministry toward them . . . that of being jars of clay . . . carrying the treasure of the light of the gospel . . . the gospel of the glory of Christ . . . the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (4:4-7).

He points out that being jars of clay “ain’t no picnic.” That to be a faithful “transport” of the good news, jars of clay need to be broken so that the light they contain can shine out. And so, Paul admits, “we are afflicted . . . perplexed . . . persecuted . . . struck down . . . always carrying in the body the death of Jesus” (4:7-10). Paul took it in the teeth in order to bear the good news to a people in desperate need of good news. His “outer self” was wasting away (4:16) . . . so much so that there were those who thought Paul and his buddies were out of their minds . . . that they were beside themselves (5:13). They couldn’t figure out what so drove Paul to endure such hardship . . . to continue to press forward against increasing forces of opposition . . . why he put himself through so much. Paul’s answer was pretty simple . . .

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that One has died for all, therefore all have died; 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.    (2Corinthians 5:14-15 ESV)

Paul, at the most basic of levels, was controlled by the love of Christ. The NIV and NKJV say he was “compelled” . . .the old King James says he was “constrained” . . . literally, his energies were “compressed forcibly into one channel”.

Meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus . . . encountering the risen Christ . . . comprehending the price paid by God’s own Son for Paul’s many transgressions . . . knowing forgiveness for sin, though once an enemy of God . . . it all provided for Paul a whole new context for doing life. He wasn’t just saved from wrath . . . Paul’s spiritual DNA was re-wired . . . he became “under the influence” . . . no longer desiring to live for himself, he instead sought only to live for the One who had died for him . . . the One who was now risen . . . and the One now ascended . . . the One now making intercession at the right hand of the throne of God . . . the One who, very soon, was coming again for His own.

The gospel wasn’t a one time message to respond to by “asking Jesus into his heart” . . . the good news of the grace of God became a life changing, and a life channeling, experience. With every new day there were new reminders of the faithfulness and mercies of God. With every temptation . . . every errant thought . . . every misaligned action there was the reminder heaven’s best being sacrificed for the forgiveness of sin . . . a fresh appreciation for the blood of Christ which cleanses from every sin. With every heavenly thought . . . every experience of revelation as the word of God was understood . . . Paul was reminded of the deposit given as a guarantee of his future redemption, the living Holy Spirit of God . . . comforting him . . . corralling him . . . conforming him into the image of the blessed Son of God. The love of God was ever before him . . . and thus it controlled him. The grace of God had become his sustaining power . . . and thus it constrained him. The risen Son would commune with him . . . and thus it compelled him.

Oh, that the desire to live for self would decrease as my appreciation for the eternal wonder of the gospel increases. That I might be so controlled by the love of Christ . . . by His grace . . . for His glory . . .