The Compelling Majesty of His Power
The love of Christ compels us… —2 Corinthians 5:14
Paul said that he was overpowered, subdued, and held as in a vise by “the love of Christ.” Very few of us really know what it means to be held in the grip of the love of God. We tend so often to be controlled simply by our own experience. The one thing that gripped and held Paul, to the exclusion of everything else, was the love of God. “The love of Christ compels us….” When you hear that coming from the life of a man or woman it is unmistakable. You will know that the Spirit of God is completely unhindered in that person’s life.
When we are born again by the Spirit of God, our testimony is based solely on what God has done for us, and rightly so. But that will change and be removed forever once you “receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…” (Acts 1:8). Only then will you begin to realize what Jesus meant when He went on to say, “…you shall be witnesses to Me….” Not witnesses to what Jesus can do— that is basic and understood— but “witnesses to Me….” We will accept everything that happens as if it were happening to Him, whether we receive praise or blame, persecution or reward. No one is able to take this stand for Jesus Christ who is not totally compelled by the majesty of His power. It is the only thing that matters, and yet it is strange that it’s the last thing we as Christian workers realize. Paul said that he was gripped by the love of God and that is why he acted as he did. People could perceive him as mad or sane— he did not care. There was only one thing he lived for— to persuade people of the coming judgment of God and to tell them of “the love of Christ.” This total surrender to “the love of Christ” is the only thing that will bear fruit in your life. And it will always leave the mark of God’s holiness and His power, never drawing attention to your personal holiness.
Ed added I am convicted and to a large degree because of Satan, most professing Christians missed the significance that the gift of the Holy Spirit give us the desire and ability to agape (unconditional, sacrificially devotionally) love. We are reborn with God's agape love nature. Satan plays the grace card very well deceiving so many that they do not have to change from their sinful ways. Yet scripture tells us if we choose to use the ability to agape love there is nothing in us that can cause us to sin (2Peter 1:10, 1John 2:1o). Even if we showed Godly sorrow and a repentant heart and have been reborn God's does not take away our free will. He does not immediately remove us from this fallen world where Satan is presently Prince. Scripture is full of instructions how to defeat him but the choice to do so is always ours.
Ephesians 6:10-18 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
John 4:7-11 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
God does not say obey me if you want to go to Heaven or obey me if you do not want to go to Hell what He says is clearly found in
John14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments
Why is it so hard to conclude that if we are not obeying we either have never been reborn or we have been deceived to put back on our old man.
When I ask spouses do you want your spouse to be faithful everyone says absolutely yes. When asked do you want your spouse to be faithful because they fear diverse or because they love you. Again the answer is always because they love me. If we except that from our spouses why should God and our Lord and Savior who have sacrificed so much to offer us the gift of salvation that we could never earn deserve less?