{"id":30730,"date":"2023-10-25T09:01:41","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T13:01:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mintools.com\/blog\/?p=30730"},"modified":"2026-07-21T10:57:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T14:57:35","slug":"compelled-by-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mintools.com\/blog\/compelled-by-love.htm","title":{"rendered":"Compelled by Love?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Compelled
\nWhy do we do what we do as Christians? Certainly it shouldn’t be to earn favor with God since we began our relationship with God on the basis of grace (Eph. 2:8-9) and we continue our walk with Him by grace (Col. 2:6; Titus 2:11-12)<\/span>. Rather, Christ’s love should be that which compels us. He loves us so much that He took the punishment our sin deserves.<\/a><\/p>\n

The more we “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Eph. 3:18), the more we’ll want to do that which aligns with Him. The more we’ll want to serve Him and others because of love, not out of duty.<\/p>\n

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that … he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them, and was raised again. (2 Cor. 5:14-15)<\/em><\/p>\n

What happens when we’re compelled by His love?<\/h2>\n

The love of Christ compels us to love in return. I remember my very first public testimony as a 13 year old after giving my life to Jesus. I said, “I love Him because He first loved me.” I don’t think I was familiar with 1 John 4:19<\/span> then but I was able to make the connection. When love compels us, we are never too young<\/a> to worship<\/strong>, expressing adoration to Him because He first loved us.<\/p>\n

When we truly grasp the love of Christ, we no longer want to live for ourselves, taking advantage of the freedom we have in Him. Rather, we “serve<\/strong> one another humbly in love” (Gal. 5:13-14)<\/span>. No matter what position we might hold in ministry, serving is all because of what He did for us so there’s no room for pride and self-ambition.<\/p>\n

We want others to experience His love as well. And so, we’re compelled to witness<\/strong> to those not yet in a relationship with Him because of His love. We’re also moved to build up fellow believers<\/strong>, praying that their “love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight” (Phil. 1:9). As Jesus told Peter, if we love Him, we’ll feed His sheep (Jn. 21:15-17).<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, when compelled by His love, we’ll not only give<\/strong> willingly and cheerfully (2 Cor. 9:7) of our financial resources and time, but also sacrificially. — “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn. 15:13)<\/span><\/p>\n

All that we do should be affected by and driven by His love.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why do we do what we do as Christians? Certainly it shouldn\u2019t be to earn favor with God since we began our relationship with God on the basis of grace (Eph. 2:8-9) and we continue our walk with Him by grace (Col. 2:6; Titus 2:11-12). Rather, Christ\u2019s love should be that which compels us. He loves us so much that . . . Continue reading Compelled by Love?<\/span>→<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christ-like-traits"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\t