“For the love of Christ controls us.” (II Corinthians 5:14 NASB)
How do you catch a monkey? Put a treat in a hole in the ground just large enough for him to get his hand through. Because the monkey doesn’t want to let go of it he will be trapped. Then…you’ve got him!
This is a perfect picture of how God’s Word challenges us to not hold too tightly to the things we love, but to remember that the love of Christ holds us fast to Him.
“For the love of Christ controls us.” (II Corinthians 5:14 NASB)
The Greek word used for control is translated, “to hold completely, to hold fast, to hold together in a whole so that no pieces fall.” It makes me think of gluing a puzzle together so it can be hung on the wall. God holds us together without glue–this is the love that holds us fast!
Why is this so important for us to remember? It is because we hold too tightly to things other than Christ and become trapped into serving self instead of serving God (our marriages, our children, our reputations, our recreational activities, our service in the church).
Instead of keeping a tight grip on these things for selfish aims His love for us should compel us to do everything we do for Him. It is the self-sacrificing love of Christ that is our example.
“…one died for all, therefore all died; 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”(II Corinthians 5:14b-15 NASB).
His secure love compels us to no longer live for ourselves, to stop holding tightly to those things we feel are important to our security, and to then live for the One who died and rose again, giving us victory over sin and death.
Praise His name!
How can the monkey get free? By simply letting go. We must do the same, take that next step, and hold fast.
