Compelled By Love

"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." II Cor. 5:14-15

Last night in Bible study, we discussed the motives behind our behavior - those which are pure and those which are impure according to Scripture. Knowing that we are accepted, loved, and blessed by God through Jesus' merit, not our own merit, we should be compelled to serve out of gratitude rather than out of a sense of duty. This, of course, is easier said than done. We continually battle self-serving motives, and those motives are never pleasing to God. Only our good works that are motivated out of a love for Christ and a desire to glorify Him are acceptable in His sight. From Transforming Grace (p. 79): "Living under the grace of God instead of under a sense of duty frees us from such a self-serving motivation. It frees us to obey God and serve Him as a loving and thankful response to Him for our salvation and for blessings already guaranteed to us by His grace. Consequently, a heartfelt grasp of God's grace - far from creating an indifferent or careless attitude in us - will actually provide us the only motivation that is pleasing to Him. Only when we are thoroughly convinced that the Christian life is entirely of grace are we able to serve Him out of a grateful heart." Amen.