Compelled By Love Series

Compelled by Love

2 Corinthians 5:14-21

Rev. Brian Bill

October 18-19, 2025

I sense you want to break out into praise for what God is doing, so let’s stand and give Him the glory by singing the Doxology together.

Sing the Doxology

Let’s remain standing as we read 2 Corinthians 5:14-21.

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Here’s the main idea: The love of Christ compels us to share His love with the lost.

1. The compulsion we feel. When we ponder the love of Christ, we can’t help but want to share that love with others. This is stated in verses 14-15: “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” The word “controls” means, “to compel or constrain” and has the idea of “being compressed forcibly so as to push out.”

One pastor offers this great perspective: “Being a Christian does not mean merely believing in our head that Christ died for us. It means ‘being constrained’ by that reality. The truth presses in on us; it grips and holds; it impels and controls. It surrounds us and won’t let us run from it.”

The phrase “for all” is used twice and is a term for substitution. Jesus died in our place, on our behalf. I think of Isaiah 53:5-6: “But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace…and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Hudson Taylor, the pioneer missionary to China, was motivated for missions not by a sense of duty, but because of the compelling love of Christ. He realized that if Christ died for him, then he could no longer live for himself. That truth became the driving force behind his obedience and endurance through years of trial and isolation. God used this verse to ignite his heart with a holy passion to reach the unreached in China. The same love that rescued him also propelled him to go with the gospel. When we’ve been gripped by the love of Christ, we can’t help but share it with the world.

2. The contrast we see. Because the love of Christ controls us, we’re compelled to tell others about Him. But first, we must see people as Jesus sees them. Notice verse 16: “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard Him thus no longer.” Instead of viewing people through the filters of race, ethnicity, economic status, ideology, education, appearance, or lifestyle, we must see them as eternal souls who will live forever.

When a plane goes down, reporters don’t just say how many passengers were lost; they tell us how many souls perished. Why? Because even the world recognizes that every person is more than flesh and blood. Every face you pass, every voice you hear, every hand you shake belongs to someone who will spend eternity either with God in Heaven or separated from Him in Hell forever. That reality ought to shake us, stir us, and send us to rescue perishing souls.

C.S. Lewis put it like this: “There are no ordinary people. You have never met a mere mortal…it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit.”

The love of Christ compels us to share His love with the lost.

3. The change we experience. Listen to verse 17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” If you have been born again through the new birth, you are a brand-new creation. The phrase “in Christ” indicates someone who has been saved from their sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The word “new” means, “new in quality, freshly made or created.” When you are saved, you literally become someone you never were before.