Those who live should no longer live for themselves   

For Christ’s love compels us, 

Love, a word so commonly used, hardly comprehended, because of its extreme simplicity and lucidity. It escapes the capture of the human mind when it comes to the question of understanding Christ's love for us. Keen listening and patient understanding can enlighten us the importance of the mystery and the responsibility that is our due toward this Love, that not only saved us from the condemnation of eternal death--that was our punishment--and our reciprocal love, that needs to be extended and expressed concretely in daily life situation.

Love, we receive it from many sources. Our parents, our siblings, friends...but,

 

above all the love that we need to realize is the love that we receive from God. The Love of God that is manifested in the person of Christ. Because He came in person and took the punishment that is our due, your due and my due, in His body. That is what we should realize.

Paul says, "This Christ's love compels us." How can you be mute, unresponding, not reciprocating, if you are still alive?

 

because we are convinced that one died for all,

The punishment of sin, according to the scriptures is death. Imagine the countless sin that we have committed, and the punishment. Christ accepted that punishment and established justice--meaning, you need to be dead, Christ executed that on your behalf, therefore you are dead. In reality, your death is been executed in Christ's body. 

 

and therefore all died.

that is the requirement of the law, because of the sin.

 

he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves   

just as He accepted our death in His body, we in return should accept His life. We are to continue His living in our body. 

 

In another passage, it is also explained. "The very mentality and the same mind in Christ be with you." If He were to be alive, not sharing the blame that belongs to you, or the punishment that belongs to you, He would have lived as God's son in this earth. The same way we have to love, we have to live, we have to forgive, we have to share, we have to set a good example. that's why he is insisting, 

 

" those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him, JESUS, who died for them and was raised again."

Yes, death could not contain Him, because there was no sin in Him. The third day He rose again. The Spirit of God rose Him, the angel of God rolled out the stone of the tomb. Now it is our duty to rise again, rise out of our fear, rise out of our doubt, rise out of our discouragement, all that makes us weak and fragile. We need to have hope, we need to have commitment, to live for Him, to live like Him, to live for Him

 

Abba, thank You for showing us this compelling Love, that came in the person of Jesus. We worship You Father, Son and the Spirit. Let Your Spirit make us understand this great sacrifice and convince us the duty of living for Him who died for us. May He, without fail, inspire us, compel us, that we may be able to live like Him and live for Him, and be witness to Jesus' Love to the world outside, in Jesus' Most Powerful Name, Amen.