Monday's Message: Who do you live for?

II Corinthians 5:14-15
¹⁴ For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:¹⁵ And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

What motivates you in the Christian Life? Here in the letter to the Corinthian church Paul is giving his reason for ministry.The church of Corinth had been told by worldly and false teachers in the church that Paul served only for his benefit or gain but Paul had just told them that his motivation for ministry was the love of Christ. “For the love of Christ constraineth us;” See, Paul realized that it was the love of God that sent Jesus to the cross. The Bible says in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  It was that same love that motivated and drove Paul to serve in the ministry. Paul knew that because Christ died for him, he must now live for Christ.

“And that he died for al” lChrist died for the sins of the whole world and Paul made it his mission to share the gospel, the good news, with the whole world. From Jerusalem to Rome, Paul traveled the entire known world preaching the gospel and starting churches.

“that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” Here is the Christian calling: to live for God and not ourselves. Living for self is the ultimate sin for a Christian because it breaks both of the greatest commandments given by Jesus.

Matthew 22:36-40

³⁶ Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

³⁷ Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

³⁸ This is the first and great commandment.

³⁹ And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Love God and love others, these are the commandments of God. Paul took that message to heart and it showed in his ministry. Paul lost his standing among the lost Jews. He was shipwrecked, imprisoned, beaten, and finally, martyred for his faith. But he never lost faith, he never quit going, never quit telling, never quit serving. Why? Because the love of Christ constrained him. It pushed him, motivated him, to serve God and to serve others.

Paul knew that God had saved him to serve, to serve God and not self. What about you Christian? Are you living for others or are you living for self?  Does the love of God towards you, towards others, drive you to be a witness in your community, at your place of employment? Jesus died for you.  He died for the whole world, isn’t it time to tell the whole world? Isn’t it time to stop serving yourself and start serving others?