Useful Bible Studies > 2 Corinthians Commentary > chapter 5

The love of Christ changes us

2 Corinthians 5:14

When we truly know the love of Christ, that love changes us. We can no longer allow our own selfish desires to control our lives. We can no longer care only about the people who care about us. Instead, it becomes our deepest desire to love other people as he loved us *.

The greatness of his love astonishes us. He did not die for his friends, but for us who were his enemies*. He did not die only for the people from his nation, but for people from every nation*. His love was a love for the whole world*. Every person who trusts in him receives the right to become a child of God*.

Christ died to suffer the punishment for our sins (evil deeds). We must confess our sins to God, and we must invite Christ into our lives. It is as if we have died with Christ*. Our old lives, when by sin we served ourselves, have ended. We begin a new life*, when we live to serve God*.

So, our right relationship with God begins. It starts when Christ gives us that right relationship with himself. That is when we become Christians. All Christians do God’s work when they obey him. However, to some Christians God gives the special work to bring other people into a right relationship with him*. They do that as they declare the message about Christ and his death*. That is God’s message, called the gospel. Other messages may have a great effect on people’s lives; but only the gospel can change a person’s life completely*. Only by the message of the gospel can a person truly know Christ’s love for them.

Next part: Christians should live for Christ (5:15)

 

* See complete article for these Bible references.

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© 2016, Keith Simons.