Jesus Died for All. Now All Should Live For Him

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver

"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again." (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

A Constraining Love. Knowing “the love of Christ” is paramount in the believer's life God-ward. Without this knowledge, that Jesus loved them, they cannot serve God acceptably and they will not be compelled to forsake all things in order to gain Christ. This is an effectual knowledge. The more a person knows the love of Christ, the more they will immediately through off every encumbrance and the sin which so easily besets them. Paul knew this and asked the Father that the saints in Ephesus would “be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Eph 3:18-19).

Why do people forsake houses, lands and families in order to follow after Jesus? Why do people quit well paying jobs and reject prosperous opportunities in order to walk in the light? Why do people neglect their own well-being in order to please God and minister to the saints? Because they know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge and this love constrains them to live for God.

The "love of Christ," here, is referring to His sacrifice of Himself - "one died for all." Jesus laid down His life for us. He said, “No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself” (Jn 10:18). He demonstrated in His cross that the greatest love that man has is to “lay down His life for His friends” (Jn 15:13). And what He did for His friends was bare their sins “in His own body on the tree,” that they “being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness” (1 Pet 2:24). When this truth dawns upon a person's heart they stop living for themselves and start living for Him who died for them, namely, Jesus.

Sound Reasoning. By considering His death and His love toward us, we are able to make sound judgments concerning our lives. Here is one such judgment: “We judge thus, that if One died for all, then were all dead.” In other words, the reason that Jesus died for all men is because all men were dead in trespasses and sins. The death of Christ is like a cornerstone for sound reasoning.

“The wages of sin is death,” (Rom 6:23) says the apostle, and those wages must be paid in order for the Righteous God to be just. In the infinite wisdom of God, He laid all the sin of the world on the only One who “knew no sin” (2 Cor 5:21). Jesus was the only acceptable sacrifice; the only “spotless lamb.” His sinless life qualified Him to be a worthy sin-bearer. And when the sin of the world was laid upon Him, the Father cursed Him, forsook Him and killed Him, thus making an end of sin.

Jesus died for all, therefore all died.

But...the One who was given power to lay down His life was also given power to take it up again. So, while all are dead because of sin, so all shall be made alive because of righteousness. While by one man sin came into the world and death by sin and "it is appointed for all men to die once and afterward the judgment" know this: provision has been made by Christ, in the putting away of sin once for all, that those who believe on Him should not perish but have everlasting life (Jn 3:16). We are to live for Him who died, "AND ROSE AGAIN."

There is a requirement for all to die but if that death is a death to self, then it is the beginning of life for evermore. When a person is constrained by the love of Christ, they henceforth – from that point forward – no longer live for themselves but for Christ. This is the appropriate response to the love of Christ toward man. It is actually not an option but a requirement of man because of Christ's death. While men may think that they are free to live for themselves, they are actually not. When they sinned the wrath of God was placed upon them and every day after that was a display of God's mercy and patience. They will stand before God and He will say, “I showed you mercy and gave you space to repent. You should have lived no longer for yourself but the One who died and rose again.” Men will give account for “the things done in the body” (2 Cor 5:10). Why? Because Jesus died and purchased their bodies. This is the doctrine of redemption.

“What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Cor 6:19-20).

Jesus died for all. All are dead. But since we live, it is appropriate for us to live not for ourselves, but for Jesus who died for us and rose again.