Christ Love Compels Us... 2 Corinthians 5:11-15

The newspaper reporter couldn’t understand. The young woman had just won a competition and first prize was a three week trip around the world. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, but she had turned it down in order to stay and be with her friend who was preparing to enter the hospital to face a crucial, and terrifying, operation.The reporter kept pressing her. “I mean, surely your friend would understand. There must be other people who could help her while she was in the hospital?” The young woman remained quiet and the reporter kept pressing her for information. Her plan was to say nothing, but eventually, when she realized the reporter was not going to let up, she burst out, “All right. You really want to know? You think I’m crazy to turn down such a great opportunity, but what you don’t know, and I wasn’t going to tell you, is what she did for me three years ago. I was on drugs and I couldn’t stop. It got worse and worse. My family threw me out. She was the only person who looked after me. She sat up all night, again and again, and talked me through it. She cleaned me up when I threw up, she changed my clothes, she took me to the hospital, she talked to the doctors, she did everything she could to help me get through it. She helped me with the court case. She even helped me get a job. She-she-she loved me! So, did I have a choice? Now that she’s sick herself, the least I can do is be there for her. That’s far less than what she did for me.” There is no greater power in all of the world than the power of love. Love alone can lead a person to deny what is rightly theirs in order to help someone else in need. Love alone caused a young mother to tell her doctor who had delivered the news that carrying her baby to full term would be a great risk to her health– “I’ll take that risk.” Love alone will cause a man to tenderly care for his wife day after day, month after month, and year after year as she slowly deteriorates because she has been stricken with ALS. A reporter watched Mother Teresa of Calcutta clean the maggot-infested wounds of a man on the street. He said, “I wouldn’t do what you do for a million dollars.” Mother Teresa looked up at the reporter and said, “ I wouldn’t either, but I’d do it for Jesus.” Love is the greatest power in all the world. When we love someone, truly love someone, there is no limit to what we are willing to do for them, even suffer for them.As we continue our study of 2 Corinthians 5 this morning we will learn about Paul’s motivation for the life he is living and the sacrifices he is willing to make. If you will turn with me to 2 Corinthians 5:11-15. Let’s read these verses together and see what we can learn. 

11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13 If we are "out of our mind," as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:11-15 NIV)

The “Since, then” of verse 11 points back to what Paul had written in verse 10 about the certainty that one day every person who has ever lived will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Let’s read verse 10 so we can refresh our memory. 

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10 NIV)

There is such confusion among people today who believe in an afterlife. Most of them believe that if they go to heaven it will be because they have lived a “good enough” life. The Bible makes it crystal clear that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is the righteousness of Jesus and not our own that saves us. At the same time, if we have been saved, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, then we know that He has not simply saved us so we can punch our ticket to heaven. He has saved us in order that we might serve Him by serving His people. When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ we will see if what we have done in this life amounted to wood, hay, and straw or gold, silver, and costly stones. You may not be familiar with those descriptions, but Paul used them in 1 Corinthians 3. Read it with me.

11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved-- even though only as one escaping through the flames. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15 NIV)

“The Day” Paul is referring to is the Day we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Here in America, in the modern-day Church, we don’t hear much about that Day any longer. We hear lots of sermons and read tons of books about the love of God, the grace and mercy of God, but we’ve done our best to rid ourselves of any thoughts of accountability to God, of the Day we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Paul had a strong sense of his accountability to God and a constant awareness that the Day was coming. So, he writes, in verse 11.

11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. (2 Corinthians 5:11 NIV)

Fully aware of the Day when he will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, Paul says, “we know what it is to fear the Lord” and because of this “we try to persuade others.” The Greek word translated “fear” is the word “phobos" and it means “fear, dread, or terror.” Bible teachers are quick to point out that the fear of the Lord is not the fear experienced by an abused child when he hears his father coming into the room or a young kid who dreads going to school because she knows the bullies are waiting for her. The “fear of the Lord” is more like what Isaiah experienced in Isaiah 6. Turn to verse 1 and let’s read it together.

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." (Isaiah 6:1-5 NIV)

I don’t think there is any question that we have lost the sense of being overwhelmed by the holiness and glory of God which accentuates and sensitizes us to our own sinfulness and unworthiness, just like it did for Isaiah. Because there is so much taught and so much written about how God is able to meet our needs we’ve come to see God as our servant who’s on call 24/7 to be there when we need Him and we’ve lost sight of the joy and blessing of serving Him.For Paul, knowing that all people will stand before a holy and righteous Judge one day was such a powerful motivator for everything he did. He did not want to stand before the Lord on that Day knowing that he failed to do all he could to share the Good News about Jesus with everyone. He also did not want anyone to stand before the Lord, when that day came, and not know the saving power of Jesus, the transforming power of Jesus that alone can move us from the kingdom of darkness into His glorious light. Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller, the famous magician entertainers, told a story one time about a man who came to their show in Las Vegas. Penn Jillette is an outspoken atheist and that is what makes his story so powerful. The man attended his show two nights in a row. On the second night he waited around until everyone was gone and he had an opportunity to speak to Mr. Jillette. He told him how much he enjoyed the show and how impressed he was with Mr. Jillette. Then he held out his hand and said, “I’d like to give you this.” It was a small Gideon Bible. He said, “I’m a Christian businessman. I’m sane. I’m really not crazy. I wrote in the front of it and I wanted you to have this.” The man had written a brief note along with his phone number and email address in case Mr. Jillette wanted to contact him. Then Mr. Jillette said,

I’ve always said I don’t respect Christians who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there is a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell, or not getting eternal life, and you think, ‘Well, it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward.’ How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? If I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was going to hit you and you didn’t believe it, that that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that. Now, I know there is no God, but he was a very, very good man. (Penn Jillette)

Penn Jillette never named the man who risked being rejected, but I see in him the same thing I see in Paul as I read his letter to the people of Corinth. The call to go into the world and make disciples, the responsibility of being “salt and light,” the blessing of being an ambassador of Christ is so great that no situation or circumstance should ever deter us from sharing with others. Paul wrote to the people in Rome and said,

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. (Romans 1:16 NIV)

Knowing that all people will stand before the judgment seat of Christ one day, Paul said “we try to persuade others.” Paul is trying to persuade them, but about what? Is it to believe in Jesus? There is no doubt that this was high on Paul’s priority list, but is this what he is referring to here in verse 11? Or, is Paul trying to persuade the Corinthians that his motives are pure and his life and ministry is one of integrity and transparency? I think there is no doubt that both are true. This is such an important lesson for you and me to take to heart and to implement into our own lives. First, there is no doubt that Paul was trying to persuade people everywhere, not just in Corinth, to believe in Jesus. When Paul first encountered trouble in Corinth, the Lord appeared to him in a vision. We can read about it in Acts 18:9-11. 

9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." 11 So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. (Acts 18:9-11 NIV)

Paul stayed on in Corinth sharing the Good News about Jesus, trying to persuade those who were not believers, and discipling those who had become followers of Jesus. In Acts 26, while Paul was on trial before King Agrippa, Paul shared his testimony of what had taken place and how God had called him to open the eyes of those who were blind to the Good News about Jesus. Then Paul asked the king, “King Agrippa. Do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”  Take a look at Acts 26:28-29 with me and let’s learn how King Agrippa responded.

28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" 29 Paul replied, "Short time or long-- I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains." (Acts 26:28-29 NIV)

Paul was always looking for an opportunity to talk about Jesus, to influence others so they too might become followers of Jesus. At the same time, Paul knew how important it was that his life not get in the way of the truth of the Gospel. This is why Paul was so troubled about what the false teachers in Corinth were saying about him. Paul’s desire was that his life would be like a clear pane of glass so that others could see clearly the love, grace, and righteousness of Jesus. Earlier, in 2 Corinthians, Paul wrote,

17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God. (2 Corinthians 2:17 NIV)

Corinth was loaded with professional speakers, philosophers, false teachers, and those who were trying to build their brand. Petronius lived at the same time as the Apostle Paul and was part of Emperor Nero’s inner-circle. In his book, Satyricon, he described how a teacher of rhetoric defended his means of earning money.  

When spongers are trying to get a dinner out of their rich friends, their main object is to find out what they would most like to hear. The only way they will get what they are after is by winning over their audience. It is the same with a tutor of rhetoric. Like a fisherman he had to bait his hook with what he knows the little fishes will rise for; otherwise he’s left on the rocks without a hope of their biting. (Petronius, Satyricon 3)

I think it is safe to say that not much has changed from the first century to this very day. Paul would not stoop to give the audience what they wanted to hear so he could boost his brand or line his pockets. He was not trying to win the approval of people, he was seeking to be obedient to God…and so should we. In 2 Corinthians 4:2, Paul wrote,

2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. (2 Corinthians 4:2 NIV)

It was Paul’s “fear of the Lord,” his high regard for the holiness and glory of God, that led him to conduct his life in a way that was above reproach. We no longer take sin seriously. We speak about forgiveness flippantly, forgetting the price paid for our forgiveness, and as a result we no longer desire to pursue holiness. Today, in the church, we are trying so hard to be accepted by our culture that far too often we find ourselves living lives totally unacceptable to God. You and I are sinners no doubt. We come from a long line of sinners that we can read about in the pages of God’s Word. When we read about those who have gone before us, God’s Word never tries to hide their sin, their character flaws, or the bad decisions they made in life. At the same time, we can recognize something that we desperately need to reclaim for our own lives today and that is the pursuit of holiness, a life of integrity that reflects the heart of God. People like Paul, and so many others, were concerned with God’s reputation among the nations and they did not want to do anything that would negatively reflect on the holiness and righteousness of God. As I was thinking about this on Thursday, I was reminded of Daniel, a young Jewish man who had been carried away from his home in Jerusalem when the Babylonians invaded the city and took many of the people captive. Daniel desired to be faithful to God while living in Babylon and serving the king, King Nebuchadnezzar. God blessed Daniel and he was elevated to a leadership position which caused some of the Babylonians who wanted his job to be jealous. We read in Daniel 6:4-5.

4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God." (Daniel 6:4-5 NIV)

How awesome would it be if the only dirt they could dig up on us was our love and devotion to the Lord? I want us to be able to take a look at 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 before we leave here this morning. Let’s read it together.

14 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:11-15 NIV)

Paul was an enigma to many in Corinth. Why did he do the things he did? Why would he be willing to suffer such persecution? Why was he not willing to accept payment for his services like the super apostles and other teachers they heard on a daily basis? How could he keep loving them, being devoted to them, even though some in the church showed him no love at all? In verse 14 Paul lays his cards on the table–it is the love of Christ, not Paul’s love for Jesus, but Jesus’ love for Paul which motivates and empowers him. Paul had, prior to meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, loved only those who were like him and those he liked, but Jesus had shown Paul that He died for all, Jews and Gentiles alike. Jesus’ love radically transformed the way Paul saw all people. The love of Jesus also caused Paul to understand his life in a totally different way. Paul’s nature, his natural bent, was no different than yours or mine. We are going to put ourselves before everyone else, we are going to make sure our own needs are met. When Paul experienced the self-sacrificing love of Jesus, the One who willingly gave His life for Paul, that love changed everything for Paul. He wrote,

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:3-4 NIV)

And Paul lived this out in his ongoing relationship with the hard-headed and oftentimes hard-hearted people of Corinth. Paul put the needs of the brothers and sisters in Corinth above his own needs. Paul opened his heart to them again and again even though they guarded their hearts from him. We will read about that in the next chapter where Paul wrote,

11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. 12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. (2 Corinthians 6:11-12 NIV)

Paul was overwhelmed by the love of Jesus and it was Jesus’ love which motivated and moved him to live his life for the glory of God as he shared the truth of God with people. Scott Hafemann writes,

To love like Christ, because of Christ’s love, is to consider the spiritual growth of others more important than one’s own status or security. To live for Christ is to live like Christ. What transforms the believer, therefore, is that the Judge (5:10-11) is also the Savior (5:14-15). (Hafemann, Scott. 2 Corinthians. pg. 241) 

Whether you are a follower of Jesus or not, you know what it is to be loved. The love that we have received from others can vary wildly in its quality, authenticity, and durability. The vast majority of the time, love received from people comes complete with strings and clauses. If you are not a follower of Jesus, and even for many of you who are followers of Jesus, you mind think Jesus’ love is like the best love you’ve ever known from the person who has loved you best. Let me tell you, it’s not even close. God Word tells us that while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us. He loved you when you wanted nothing to do with Him. He loves you at this very moment whether you love Him or not. And that is why I want to give you the opportunity, those of you who are not followers of Jesus, to accept His love this morning. Would you meet me at the front of this sanctuary and say, “I want to know Jesus’ love. I want to follow Jesus.” Mike HaysBritton Christian ChurchMarch 19, 2023