The Love of Christ Controls Us

2 Corinthians 5:10-15 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (11) Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. (12) We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. (13) For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. (14) For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; (15) and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

Love is powerful emotion; indeed, “love” demonstrates its power as supreme when it triumphs over the also formidable emotion of “fear” (1John 4:18). Godly fear is a desirable basis for evangelism (e.g. Matt. 5:22ff, 7:21ff, 18:6-9, Luke 12:5, 16:19ff for Christ Himself utilizing it) & for continuing in the faith (2Cor. 5:11 & 7:10-11). 

But as John directs in that fourth chapter of his epistle, God’s ultimate goal is for love from Christ to eventually engender within the elect an all consuming love for Christ. Understand- this is the most glorious fact from that chapter: that we need not be overly burdened with trying to produce such a love in & of ourselves; for as verses 9 & 10 of that chapter plainly state, such love is not from us at all, but from God, in the Person of Jesus Christ. Indeed, all of Scripture states God as sovereign in the realm of producing real love…

We can know & exhibit no more of true love than He reveals to us, in us, & finally, through us.

Therefore, perceive, as the elect, you are (thankfully) not called to produce such love by your own efforts; in fact, it is such efforts that God terms “filthy rags”, for they devilishly disparage the desire of God to exalt Himself, which He accomplishes primarily through His Son. God, in desiring a pure love (agape) to be displayed, is consequently requiring that we find it through Him & Him alone.

Thus the glory of the cross of Christ- it is in there alone that we find the ultimate exhibition of love-
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

But then this “greater love” becomes greater still as the proselyte is given the still“greater” understanding this was not mere act of one imperfect man giving his life to save another temporally from a physical death (great as that act may be), but the supreme act of the only holy, righteous, & perfect Man to ever trod this terrestrial ball saving the proselyte from an eternal death in the “lake of fire” in the day of God’s final judgment (Rev. 21:8) .

Thus, it is this love- the “love of Christ” which “controls us”. This “control” is greatly to be praised, because it is God sovereignly exhibiting His holy, pure sort of love- not because of, but despite mankind. It is men’s haughty desire to extol themselves with an exaltation of an impure, imperfect, & sometimes even overtly evil notion of love, but God shows His power as He begins to consume our lesser love by the power of His uniquely unadulterated, pure love.

The Judgment Seat of Christ

2 Corinthians 5:6-10 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord- (7) for we walk by faith, not by sight- (8) we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. (9) Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. (10) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Judgment is a difficult subject to broach with people, so it most often isn’t. Pastors & preachers the world over will instead defer again & again to tickle parishioners’ ears with the sweet sounding notions of love, mercy, & grace. They fail to dwell on the companion concepts of a completely holy & righteous God, man’s ongoing degeneracy, & the consequential need to deal with this disparity in a real way. Indeed, these three concepts are so necessary to the believer that they summarize the primary convictions of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8ff). So this is where those ministers tragically fall short- in failing to propound these three core doctrines, they dispense with the majesty of God’s love, mercy, & grace, for these are built upon the foundation of sin, righteousness, & judgment. The good news of Christ’s love carries no true weight apart from the bad news of mans’ requisite judgment before he can dwell in the presence of an utterly righteous God.

The good news is that Christ Himself endured the judgment that allows us to dwell eternally in the presence of such a holy God. That work was fully accomplished upon His speaking the words “It is finished” & His immediate death. Merrill Unger succinctly speaks to our manner of salvation thusly…

“The one who believes on Christ has been hailed to court, sentenced to condemnation, & executed in the Person of his Substitute.” Unger’s Bible Dictionary, pg 621

So we who repent to believe on Christ can trust that our salvation is secure because we were “buried with Him” (Rom. 6:3ff); consequently, we can trust that Paul is not warning Christians of such a dire judgment in 2 Corinthians 5:10. What he is giving us caution towards is the revelation that all that we do & say has implications for eternity, & so we must contrast all our “deeds in the body” with what the mind of Christ would have us do & say, lest we suffer loss. We have already dwelled on this judgment when we discussed it formerly, but to make clear what the apostle refers to, allow this synopsis…

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (12) Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, (13) each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. (14) If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. (15) If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
　

　
But in keeping with our main theme of pondering Christ’s glory, we should consider the fact that Paul’s attributing to Christ the power of arbiter of this separate judgment of the elect reinforces the fact that the Father has indeed given Him all judgment…

John 5:22-23 The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, (23) that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.


So when the liberal wings of Christian denominations & sects like Jehovah Witness & Christian Science deny the supreme authority of Christ to pass judgment, they attack the very intent of the Father they falsely suggest to honor. By ascribing to His Son the highest honor of judging His beloved, it is shown that the Father-
1) Knows Christ to be autonomously capable of fulfilling that role with the same degree of sovereign character & wisdom as He.
2) Recognizes His Son’s works of righteousness & atonement that enable Christ alone to be an arbiter of mercy & grace to the Father’s elect.
3) Reveals the “oneness” of the Father & the Son, in that Christ elsewhere still declares that the Father judges too (John 8:16, 1Peter 1:17- the Father judges us through His uniquely intimate bond with His Son).
4) Commands us to honor His Son to the same degree that we honor Him.
Therefore, those who subsequently deny the Son’s equivalent stature with the Father completely deny the Father as well.

Hence, with the revelation of John 5:22-23, we should propose to false forms of Christianity the following simple question-

“Does what you believe allow you to 'honor the Son, just as (you) honor the Father' "?


John 8:15-16 You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me.

Romans 14:10-12 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; (11) for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." (12) So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

1 Corinthians 4:3-5 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. (4) For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. (5) Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.