Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (ESV)
14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
As sinful creatures, we are not able on our own power to commit our whole lives to Christ. No matter how many times we earnestly resolve to be more faithful and dedicated, we fail. We get distracted by worldly things, we get tired, we get frustrated, and before too long, our enthusiasm for Jesus grows cold. Only God can fix this, and God does. This brief passage explains how God does it. It’s rather simple: God motivates us by dying for us. When we recognize that we were under a death sentence, and that Christ took our place in front of the firing squad, our heart changes. True, we can be ungrateful–just as children may take their parent’s sacrifices for granted. But if we want to restore our enthusiasm for Christ, this is the only way. Go back to the cross, and refresh your mind and heart by what Jesus did for you. Then your ungodly interests will lose their grip, and you will begin to find joy in living for him who died for you.