Compelled by Love – 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 (The Message)

“Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes.  His love has the first and last word in everything I do.  Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone.  That puts everyone in the same boat.  He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own. 

Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look.  We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know.  We certaintly don’t look at him that way anymore.  Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new.  The old life is gone, a new life shows up.  Look at it!  All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other.  God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering the forgiveness of sins. 

God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing.  We’re Christ’s representatives.  God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them.  We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you. 

How?  you say.  In Christ.  God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.”

I am reading a book Captured by Grace by David Jeremiah.  It perfectly lines up with our conversation about the Apostle Paul’s transformation.  He shares, “Mercy is God withholding the punishment we rightfully deserve.  Grace is God not only withholding punishment but offering the most precious of gifts instead.”

“Mercy withholds the knife from the heart of Isaac.

Grace provides the ram in the thicket.

Mercy runs to forgive the Prodigal Son.

Grace throws a party with every extravagance.

Mercy bandages the wounds of the man beaten by robbers.

Grace covers the cost of his full recovery.

Mercy hears the cry of the thief on the cross.

Grace promises paradise that very day.

Mercy pays the penalty for our sin at the cross.

Grace substitutes the righteousness of Christ for our wickedness.

Mercy converts Paul on the road to Damascus.

Grace calls him to be an apostle.

Mercy saves John Newton from a life of rebellion and sin.

Grace makes him a pastor and author of a timeless hymn.

Mercy closes the door to hell.

Grace opens the door to heaven.

Mercy withholds what we have earned.

Grace provides blessings we have not earned.”