Living for Christ

Living for Christ




As Christians, what do we live for? The Bible provides the answer in straightforward terms.

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. (2 Corinthians 5:14,15)
Putting off the living for ourselves is the definition of "the love of Christ controls us". Living for Christ is actually being controlled by the love of Christ and the love for Christ.
No longer are we to be living for ourselves but living for Him, the Christ who died and rose again to our benefit; for the removal of our sin. This is love, not that we loved Him but that He first loved us and died for us. This is gratitude that has its outworking in love and obedience--living for Christ.

To be "Controlled By" is to be "Preoccupied With"
"Control" (in the Greek) means to "compel or preoccupy". When our actions are deliberately taken to be in alignment with our love for Christ, we can be said to be "controlled by our love for Christ". We chose the actions we take, we calculate the decisions we make, based on whether the outcome will be in obedience to Christ and will please Him. As the Greek implies, our minds are preocuppied with how to please Christ. This is love. This is being controlled by love.
And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. (2 John 1:6)
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (John 14:15)
"He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me;…" (John 14:21a) If we are compelled to do what we do out of consideration of our love for God, we are controlled by our love for Him. If we do what we do because we are preoccupied with how to love and obey Him, we are controlled by our love for Christ. That which is the dominant influence in directing our actions and decisions is that very thing which also controls us.

Controlled by Love-for-Christ Compared to Controlled by Love-for-Pleasure

Love for Christ, which controls us, can be compared and contrasted with Christian Hedonism. Christian Hedonism is living for the pleasure that Christ bestows. Indeed, "living for pleasure" is the meaning of the word "hedonism". Therefore, the object of a hedonist’s desire is to obtain for himself the pleasure, the reward, over and above taking notice of the reward-giver. After all, hedonism means our minds are preoccupied with the pursuit of pleasure which we chase after with all our strength.
Love, when it is the motive for action, means that the one who is loved will be the main beneficiary of the action (1 Corinthians 13:5). When I live for Christ, controlled by love for Him, my actions are purposely designed to benefit Christ, His glory, and His kingdom. In the case of a hedonist, he is both the one acting and the one receiving benefit, for he is living in pursuit of his own pleasure; his love for himself and for his pleasures have caused him to act on his own behalf.

What Controls Us -- We Must Decide

Christians, brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to be preoccupied with and controlled by the love of Christ and the love for Christ. To be controlled by the love of pleasure, the love of rewards, or the love of anything except Christ and our gratitude for the forgiveness He has granted us is to embrace an unbalanced lifestyle that leads to envy, resentment, and a focus on "my rights" and "my happiness". We ought not be so swayed.

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. (2 Corinthians 5:14,15)

God bless You all