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.

Fig Leaves are Filthy

2 Corinthians 4:16-5:5 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. (17) For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, (18) while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (1) For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2) For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, (3) inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. (4) For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. (5) Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.

Gen 3:7, 21 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings… The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam & his wife, and clothed them.

Any attempt to cover our nakedness before God is hopeless if we are the source of such attire; a righteousness fashioned by man is no righteousness at all. But when God Himself both fashions the Garment (Christ), & dresses us in it, we are assured of never being underdressed at any occasion.

Compare & contrast these two statements from Isaiah:

Is 61:10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness- as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Is 64:6 We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness is like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

“Filthy rags” is a reference to works done outside of a communion with Christ, not the good works we are saved unto over the course of our sanctification in our relationship with Him. (Eph. 2:10, Phil. 2:13). Our works, even works supposedly done in His name, cannot ever save us; our salvation is entirely centered in His knowing us & thereby our knowing Him (Matt. 7:22-23, Gal. 4:9). Christ Himself confirmed the totality of our righteousness is sourced from He alone as He declared: “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” (John 6:29) Our “justification” to abide with God forever in paradise is wholly founded on belief, on faith, & specifically faith in Jesus Christ! Ground that into the depth of your soul, for it is the essence of Christianity…

Jeremiah 23:5-6 "Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD our righteousness.’”
　
We have no righteousness apart from the Savior. This is why the twenty-four elders of Rev. 4 “cast their crowns” back to Christ, saying "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created." They understood- He not only pre-positionally clothed them in in His righteousness, but, by a further extension of God’s grace, He lavished crowns upon their heads for their post-justification works. But even these works of righteousness cannot be seen as being done apart from Christ’s power, as Paul stated to the Corinthians earlier…

1 Corinthians 3:5-7 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. (6) I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. (7) So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.

Our righteousness is filthy only when it is singularly ours, because it is tainted with the sin of rebellion against God & His only begotten Son. Christ entitled Himself as “the Way” because He came & provided the only way, a way far more glorious than anything we could ever fashion in & of ourselves. When we try to find another “Way”- our own seeming goodness- we disparage & pour contempt upon Christ’s magnificent Person, perfection, & Passion.

Rev 3:5, 18 “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”… “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.”

“The shame of (our) nakedness” is the stain of sin which is never removed, until we receive Jesus Christ as savior & Lord & therein become clothed with Jesus Christ’s perfect righteousness.  

“Since clothed” He restricts to believers, what he had stated respecting the certainty of a future life, as it is a thing peculiar to them. For the wicked, too, are stripped of the body, but as they bring nothing within the view of God, but a disgraceful nakedness, they are, consequently, not clothed with a glorious body. Believers, on the other hand, who appear in the view of God, clothed with Christ, and adorned with His image, receive the glorious robe of immortality… The Apostle, therefore, makes mention here of a twofold clothing, with which God invests us — the righteousness of Christ, and sanctification of the Spirit in this life; and, after death, immortality and glory. The first is the cause of the second, because those whom God has determined to glorify, he first justifies. (Rom 8:30) This meaning, too, is elicited from the particle also, which is without doubt introduced for the purpose of amplifying — as if Paul had said, that a new robe will be prepared for believers after death, since they have been clothed in this life also. -John Calvin (quotes based upon KJV)