2 Cor. 5:13 If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. 14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us.
Heavenly Father, what a beautiful and inviting image Paul gives us in this passage—being controlled by Christ’s love. Not merely inspired, encouraged, or even enflamed, but controlled by Jesus’ great love for us. It’s hard to imagine a more-to-be-desired way of doing life—a freer condition or healing position.
It’d mean we’d be free from people’s opinions and cultural agendas; unfazed by the “what if’s” or “if only’s” of life. We wouldn’t be preoccupied with what might go wrong or anchored to regrets of things we did do wrong. We’d be so free, at peace, and kind, people might think we’re a bit odd, strange, or “crazy,” like they thought of Paul. And that’d be quite alright.
Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.
By your Holy Spirit, help us remember, and rest in the good news, that we’ve already been co-crucified with Christ and raised to newness of life in him (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6:4-5). By Jesus’ finished work, we’ve been set free from the old way of life and now live in the “new creation” order and dominion (2 Cor. 5:17; Col. 1:13). May our new status, privileges, and citizenship become increasingly real to us, Father.
15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
May the love of Christ be so real and compelling to us, we’ll joyfully live for Jesus—in our relationships and our vocation, in our sufferings and our rejoicings, in our weaknesses and our encouragements, in the circumstances we can’t control and with the certainty of a God we can count on. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ lovely and loving name.