The heart of it all #3
| For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. (2Corinthians5:14) |
As we have explored this amazing verse we have explored the idea that we are gripped by the immensity of Jesus' sacrifice for all of humanity when one died for all.
The final thought that we can take from this verse is the fact that Paul argues that if Jesus died for all of us, then, in effect, we have all died. And, by clear implication, we all rise into a new life, just as Jesus rose from the dead.
This is a thought that Paul explores beautifully in the following verses as he speaks about being a "new creation". But before we get to that, let's consider the implication of being one of the "all died".
If we "all died" because of Jesus' generous death for us then it stands to reason that we, understanding:
(1) what Jesus did for us,
(2) that it should have been us on the cross and not Him,
(3) the love that made Him do this,
should begin to live sacrificially like He did.
To some extent we should consider our old lives of selfish self-centeredness as dead - having died on the cross with Jesus.
It's quite helpful, for example, when someone does or says something that dents my pride, to say to myself "Hang on. My old self with its fragile ego, died on the cross with Jesus. I don't have to take this personally." Or when I am tempted to be too materialistic, I remind myself that I'm dead and dead people can't own stuff.
Play with the idea of being "dead" for a while.
It's quite liberating.
