Devotional: LOVE’S CONTRAINT
“For Christ’s love constraineth us …. We are ambassadors for Christ as if God had beseeched us by Him.” — 2Corinthains 5:14-20.
The ambassador may live in a foreign country but he is not part of it. He is only allowed to represent his country and is not permitted to help her. Our duty is to be Christ’s ambassadors to the world. Constrain is a word that refers to a constant pressure or urge. It’s like water being forced down a channel. St. Paul said: “I do what I do because I’m under a powerful constraint; there is no other way; I don’t have the power to do it.” You shouldn’t be surprised at the unusual or extravagant. My eccentricity can be attributed to Christ–His love motivates me and bears with me.”
What does “the love for Christ” mean? Is it His or His? They are not possible to separate them. The sun’s rays are reflected off the moon by the sunlight, which reflects back to earth. This is how we love Christ and man. All the love we feel in our hearts, however cold or unloved, is the reflection and emanation of His Love. This Love was mediated to us at Calvary and is reflected back from us like sunlight from a mirror.
Because they don’t understand the significance of the Cross, the love of Christ doesn’t constrain them all. But once the soul has that understanding, it can move through the gates of death into the life and love of God. Our pivot must be the Risen Christ. “We no longer live for ourselves but for Him who rose again.” People are sometimes described as “excentric”–outside the center. When a man is concentric with Christ, he is ex-centric to the whole world. This is how we become a new creation. The transition occurs when we believe and are united with Jesus Christ on His Cross and Grave. We are now able to enter the Easter life. He has reconciled us unto Himself, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation–therefore we are ambassadors. We must proclaim forgiveness to the guilty, the release of prison-house prisoners from their chains, and the nearness of salvation for all (Isa_52,7-10).
PRAYER
You can fill this empty cup with Thee
For Thee, this trembling heart;
This gave rise to life for Thy will.
O Lord of Love! I bring Thee. AMEN.