2 Corinthians 5:13-15 (HCSB)
For if we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we have a sound mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If One died for all, then all died. And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised.
Paul had just pointed out that his main motivation was not fear of men, but fear of God. The practical outcome of was that as he worked out God’s mission in God’s ways, his actions often seemed strange to people, as if he was out of his mind – something that he was actually accused of by Festus (Acts 25:24). But Paul’s response to that accusation was that he had to follow God, even if others regarded him as insane.
Paul then identifies the other key motivator in his life. Why does he put his life on the line over and over again? Why does he suffer beatings and imprisonments and still refuse to give up? Why does he endure even the scorn of fellow Christians in his pursuit of helping his brothers and sisters in Christ move on to maturity? The answer is: the love of Christ!
The simple child’s song Jesus Loves Me is actually deep theology. But the divine love for us comes not just from Jesus, but from the whole Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The whole reason that Jesus came to earth in the first place is because God loves all humanity and was willing to sacrifice even His One and Only Son in order to restore us to fellowship with Himself. And when God says ALL humanity, He means the good and the bad, the saints and the sinners, the old and the young, the rich and the poor. God’s greatest desire is that no one will be lost, but that everyone will repent, be saved, and come into a powerful relationship with Him through faith in Jesus (2 Peter 3:9)
It was that divine agape love, placed deep into the heart of Paul. It motivated him, spurring him to go wherever people needed to hear the gospel, even at the risk of his own lie. And it was that same love that pushed him to walk in God’s strength to help people to stay on track and to move continually toward maturity, never turning back and never falling away, even at the cost of his own comfort and reputation.
Father, it is evident that far too few of us have this same agape love working in the core of our hearts. That is powerfully demonstrated by the fact that most of us are motivated by our focus on self, seeking comfort, safety, and a good reputation rather than being pushed beyond the edges of or comfort zone out of love for humanity, giving ourselves completely to Your mission of seeking and saving what was lost (Luke 19:10). Help us, Lord. Change our hearts and fill us so full of Your agape love that we completely reorient our lives, our schedules, and our agendas, putting the salvation and maturity of all those around us at the top of our priorities, just like it is at the top of Yours. Amen.