2 Corinthians 5:14 "For the love of Christ constraineth us..."

Philippians 1:21 "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain."

The love of Jesus Christ in giving Himself up to die to save His people from their sins is love unbounded, far and above what we can fathom. This loving sacrifice for us is our joy, peace and comfort. It shapes us and changes us. Now, like Paul, our very life and existence is to be wrapped up in Jesus Christ. In light of that, the words of a hymn have been recurring in my mind the last couple of days:

For Thee all the follies of sin I resign. That is a line that has stood out to me. Sin is folly, foolishness. And Jesus is our motivation to turn from it. There are things we do for our spouses that we may not feel like doing in the moment, but because we love them we still do it. Parents make great sacrifices for their children, not because it is always pleasant, but because they love their children. Brothers and sisters, the love and grace of JESUS should be great motivation for us to reject temptation, sinful words, attitudes, actions and motives. Our struggle with sin is real. But, let us war against our sinful nature for the sake of One who has loved us with an everlasting love. "This is for you, Lord" should be a great thought we frequently have, as we seek to walk in a way that pleases Him. When we live this way, what joy and happiness we find in doing the will of God! The idea is not a "just because I have to" bitter obedience, but a happy one. And be encouraged by this: Jesus is not only our motivation, but also our source of strength. In Him there is a fountain overflowing with all the grace that we need. "My Jesus, I love Thee..."

Let us pray: