Compelling Love

As we have been reading, in John chapter 9:39 Jesus declared to the Pharisees who were objecting to his Sabbath day healing of a man born blind: “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”

After Jesus was risen from the dead, he made Paul (a.k.a. Saul) blind for a season, to help open his eyes spiritually. Later Paul described the deep privilege and high calling of living for the Messiah who died for us and was raised again:

2 Corinthians 5 (NIV)
“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.”

In Ephesians 4, Paul urges believers “to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called”:

Ephesians 4 (NKJV)
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Later in Ephesians 4, Paul describes the futility of being alienated from God and exhorts believers to put off our former conduct with its deceitful lusts and to be renewed in the spirit of our minds:

17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

In Colossians 1, Paul prays that believers will walk worthy of the Lord, seeking always to please Him, ever strengthened by His might and abiding in “the kingdom of the Son of His love”:

Colossians 1 (NKJV)
9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Paul reminds the Thessalonians that he exhorted and charged them, as a father does his own children, to “walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory”. Paul was eager for believers to grow into all that God desires for us, knowing He is jealous for us. (Exodus 34:14, 2 Cor. 11:2)

1 Thessalonians 2 (NKJV)
10 You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; 11 as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, 12 that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

Peter urges believers to die to sins and live for righteousness, empowered by the forgiveness and grace of Yeshua who “bore our sins in His own body on the tree”:

1 Peter 2 (NKJV)
24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Peter declares that God has empowered us to be “partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

2 Peter 1 (NKJV)
Greeting the Faithful
1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Continuing, Peter exhorts believers to grow in the expression of our faith remembering that we were cleansed from sin, and to be diligent to make our call and election sure. If we do these things we will never stumble:

5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Paul writes about his new life in Christ, setting this example for every believer:

Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

David Krause, dhkrause@neteze.com