To be Constrained

I went out this evening to a neighborhood church to hear a man who has been faithful for many years in God's service, Bill Wilson.  He has been in full-time ministry for 42 years, 30 of which in a rough area in New York city.  He runs the largest Sunday School in the world and is still going strong.  With 160 full-time staff and many volunteers, his ministry not only buses in thousands of children every week to Sunday School, but visits the 22,000 kids who attend Metro Ministries every week outside of church.  This post really isn't about Bill at all but something that he said.

He preached out of 2 Cor. 5:14 tonight:  "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead..."  Most of the message centered out of the word "constraineth," which has three meanings of equal relevance and strength:  1) to be forced to do something, 2) to be kept away from something, 3) and to be kept in something.  Unlike words which predominately mean one thing, all three of these definitions apply with equality.

It is the love of Christ that constrains us to do good, for He has paid a debt for us that He did not owe and we could not pay.  Now our lives are to be lived for Him, seeing as we will eternally owe Christ for what He has done for us.  Because of Christ's love, He was constrained to obey His Father and go to the cross, willingly laying down His life for ours.  His great love forced Him to do what willpower alone could not.  Because of Christ's love He kept Himself from sin.  He did not seek to do evil and never entertained wicked thoughts.  As a husband remains pure for his bride, so Christ kept Himself pure from all evil.  Finally, Jesus remained in His love.  It did not ebb and flow on the tides of emotion or based upon the merits of people.  He was constrained to remain faithful, righteous, just, gracious, merciful, forgiving, and true.

Scripture is clear that the life of a Christian should stand in stark contrast to those in the world who have not the Spirit of the Living God within them.  If anyone should ask you why you forgive when wronged, it ought to be the love of Christ that constrains you.  The love of Christ keeps us from seeking after sin.  It is the love of Jesus that forces us to do what is right with His gentle still small voice, for we have been given all things according to His grace and mercy.  Does God "force" us to do anything?  No:  but He constrains us.  How could we with a clear conscience refuse to forgive when Christ has forgiven us?  How can we withhold good from whom it is due when we have been unjustly saved by the sacrifice of God's only Son for us wretched sinners?  If guilt or church peer-pressure constrains you, then perhaps you don't know Jesus at all as you should.  We abide in Christ because of His love for us.  It is Christ's love that constrains us.  Do you know that kind of love?  You can - only through Jesus!