Gospel Motivation (2 Corinthians 5:11–15)

Whatever else Paul is communicating, he makes clear that the controlling factor in his life and ministry is the love of Christ. Not essentially his love for Christ (which of course he had) but rather Christ’s love for him. Verses 14–15 provide us with the motivating factor of Paul’s life, including his motivation to persevere with a church that had caused him both joy and much pain. Paul’s motivation should be that of every Christian. I trust that our study will go a long way towards motivating us towards this motivation! We consider these verses under three broad headings.

Paul’s Uncompromising Commitment

This passage contains two motivations for how Paul lives and ministers: (1) the objective motivation of the fear of the Lord (11); and (2) the subjective motivation of the love of Christ (14–15). “Therefore,” first things first.

“Therefore” point us back to the judgement seat of Christ (v. 9). Paul’s ambition was to please the Lord to whom he knew he will give an account. At the Judgement of Christ, each Christian will stand before the Lord and our saving faith will be evaluated by our works. No Christian will be rejected because all will have been justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. But our faith will be revealed as genuine by our works. Each Christian will be rewarded and those honours will be returned with reverent and loving honour to our Lord. “Knowing” this “fear of the Lord” was a further motivation for Paul’s ministry, including the ministry of writing this letter.

Though Paul was not terrified of the Lord, he did fear offending the Lord whom he loved. He feared offending the Lord who loved him.

Sinclair Ferguson helpfully and pastorally notes, “Sometimes we mistakenly think that what most causes awe and reverence before God is terror of his holiness, the fear of his law, and the threat of judgment and condemnation. But it is not so. Pure and intense love has more power to effect awe, even gracious fear, than all terror.”

But we must pause and consider this word “persuade.” What does it mean and whom does Paul aim to persuade? The word derives from the root for “faith.” It is used in various ways, including “trust,” “confidence,” “obey,” “urge,” and even to make someone a friend (Acts 12:20). In Acts, we read of Paul urging, persuading people to believe (obey) the gospel (13:43; 17:4; 18:4; 19:8; 26:28).

The power of persuasion can be either a wonderful servant or a tyrannical and unethical master. And Paul knew this. As we will see in future studies, false apostles—unethical teachers who were purported church leaders—used cunning and rhetorical tricks to persuade people to follow them. Paul has already made the point, repeatedly, that his ministry was different (cf. 1:12; 2:17; 4:2). He employed no rhetorical games, no manipulation of the message, no ulterior motives. Instead, because of his fear of the Lord, his ministry was one of uncompromising commitment to declaring the truth as urgently as he could. As he will soon make clear, he was willing to do so regardless of criticisms to the contrary.

“Knowing” for sure of “the fear of the Lord”—being convinced and confident that a day of judgement is a fact for everyone—Paul did everything in his power to persuade others to believe this gospel. He was convinced that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 12:14). It is terrifying, in fact, for those who cannot legitimately call him “Father.”

And yet Paul, driven by “the fear of the Lord,” also sought to “persuade others” to whom he ministered (i.e. the Corinthians) of his integrity. We’ve seen something of this already (2:17–4:6). If the Corinthians questioned his integrity, they would hardly take his message seriously. Living with “the fear of the Lord,” therefore, ensured that he could be taken seriously (v. 13).

Though critics, of course, will always abound, regardless of wholesome motives and righteous manner and biblical methods, nevertheless those ministering the gospel carry a certain responsibility to defend their integrity. This is not only true when unjust slander and malicious misrepresentations are bandied about but it also applies to the days in which we live and the various religious hucksters that abound, including those associated with Christianity. As is often said, we must not only be clean, but we must also be seen as clean.

A right and therefore reverent relationship with the Lord is paramount if our evangelistic ministry will be effective. Integrity and impact are rarely mutually exclusive.

In other words, the fear of the Lord is essential if we will compromise neither our message nor our ministry. Pleasing the Lord (v. 9) rescues us from enslavement to the temptation to please people.

Paul’s Unconventional Conduct

Verse 12 repeats what Paul addressed earlier (in chapter 3) concerning the church’s responsibility to stand up for him amid attacks upon his ministry, message, and motives. Paul here provides them with ammo of evidence concerning his integrity of motive when religious frauds mock his ministry. This is not for personal reasons but for the sake of the gospel.

Paul says that the critics make a big deal about externals but with no attention to the heart (that is, to motives). Perhaps Paul is thinking of 1 Samuel 16:7, where the Lord tells Samuel, who, in his quest for God’s chosen man, assumed that Eliab, Jesse’s oldest son, was the guy: “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

As the critics sought to diminish Paul’s influence by various attempts at discrediting him the Corinthians could respond: “We know this man. Though he may not be as skilled at speaking as you are, though he may not have an attractive physical appearance, though he may be weak in body—a mere ‘jar of clay’—we can testify to his character. We can see something of his heart. He fears the Lord and that makes him trustworthy.”

Though we can be deceived by appearances, including deception about motivations, nevertheless, over the long haul, we are enabled to see a person’s heart when it comes to their commitment to Christ and to his people. Of course, this assumes the ability to get close enough to do so. In Paul’s case, an honest member of the church at Corinth would be able to say, “Yes, Paul is at times hard to understand and sometimes he changes his travel plans (see chapters 1–2); nevertheless, he is a good because godly person. Therefore we are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.”

Of course, we need to be careful. We might get it wrong. And yet when those closest to us can testify that we are the “real deal,” that is a wonderful testimony. (This is the reason for the “home” requirement for elder qualification [1 Timothy 3]).

At the risk of repetition, “the fear of the Lord” is key. When no one else is looking, the Lord sees. When no one else can hear, the Lord hears. And when others do not have access to our hearts, he who made us knows us deep within.

Crazy Living, Crazy Love

The first phrase (“if we are beside ourselves”) indicates that some (critics) accused Paul of behaving as if he were mad. This put him in good company (Mark 3:21). To “be beside oneself” means to be out one’s mind, to be insane. But why such a charge? Perhaps this is a reference to Paul’s experience of speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:18). Perhaps it is with reference to his experience of visions (chapter 12). It might refer to Paul’s frenetic ministry as he moved from difficulty to difficulty, such as when he was stoned and assumed dead in Lystra, came back life, and then returned to the same place a few days later! Remember how, when Paul testified of God’s gospel before Agrippa and Festus, Festus interrupted with, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind!” (Acts 26:24).

Doubtless, those who listened to this man ministering zealously in the fear of the Lord was viewed as a fanatic. But one man’s fan is another man’s fanatic.

Derek Prime comments, “In a world that does not take seriously God’s holiness and righteousness, any proclamation of divine judgment will be regarded by some as madness…. Enthusiasm for the gospel will often be thought madness by the world.”

Regardless of precisely what Paul is referring to, he makes clear that what matters is that he lives and ministers for God’s glory. God is pleased with it and, most importantly, God is glorified by it.

On the other hand, when it came to the Corinthians, Paul could testify that his behaviour toward them was viewed as sober. “Right mind” can be translated “to be of sound mind” (Mark 5:15) and connotes controlled passions. Perhaps Paul was accused of being a killjoy.

Depending on what the situation calls, for you might be ecstatic and emotionally “overjoyed” about a matter while at another point you might be soberly serious. Like the difference between a wedding reception and a funeral.

In summary, Paul is making the point that his conduct, though deemed by many to be unconventional, was nevertheless purposeful. He aimed to please and glorify God and to promote the good of his hearers, particularly the church. Fear of the Lord made him faithful, even fanatical, and, when it came to others, fearless.

These are the kind of people that make an impact. Let your fear of the Lord drive out all other fears.

This leads us to the last verses of this section, the heart of the passage.

Paul’s Unconquerable Constraint

“The love of Christ” could be read in two ways. First, it could be read objectively as Paul’s love for Christ. Second, it might be read subjectively as Christ’s love for Paul. Along with the majority of interpreters, I lean towards the latter, though of course that produces the former. That is, Paul’s knowledge that Christ loved him resulted in him loving Christ. Regardless, knowing of Christ’s love for him is what “controlled” his conduct.

The word “controls” speaks of “holding together” or “seizing” and can be translated “hemmed in.” Paul was surrounded by, immersed in the love of Christ, and this “controlled” all he did.

The realisation that Jesus Christ loved him with an everlasting love was the reason that he was willing to be labelled a fanatic or a killjoy (v. 13). Knowing that Jesus Christ loved him with an unquenchable because unchangeable love constrained him to continually engage others with a view to persuading them to trust Christ. “So fully does he realise this love that he is limited to one course of action. He can turn aside neither to the right hand nor to the left for any selfish purpose. He is impelled forward in the ceaseless service of Christ, constrained by the love of Christ” (Erdman).

A Concluded Constraint

First, “that one has died for all, therefore all have died.” The “one,” of course, was Jesus Christ. This refers to his death on the cross. But there remain two important questions: (1) who are the “all” that “have died,” and (2) in what sense have they “died”?

Answering the second question first, some say that Paul is referring here to what he writes in Romans 5: that, when Adam sinned, we all sinned in him and therefore, like Adam, all of humanity is dead in sin. Though that is true, Paul here seems to be saying something more than that.

God had told Adam that, if he sinned, he would “on that day” die. Elsewhere, God says that the soul that sins will die (Ezekiel 18:20–21). In other words, God’s death penalty will be declared and carried out on condemned sinners. This is precisely what happened when Jesus died.

Jesus died because God poured out his wrath on him for sin. Not for his own sin but for the sins of all those for whom he died (v. 21). Paul is saying, “Christian, when Jesus died, being condemned as a sinner, you were condemned with him. Your sins were judged in Christ. Your guilt was consumed by God’s wrath. What happened to Jesus on the cross under the wrath of God happened to you. By union with Jesus Christ (by the work of the Holy Spirit) he was your substitute. Jesus literally, really, died in our place.”

Second, Paul concluded the fullness of the good news in these words, “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” (v. 15). Several things need to be addressed.

First, those who “died” are the same ones who then also “live.” Again, we are dealing here with the doctrine of penal substitution and union with Christ. “All” those in and for whom Christ “died” were also made alive in and through Christ when he was raised and made alive.

Christians are those who share in both the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and in his resurrection. Jesus Christ “died” and was “raised”; Christians have therefore “died” and have been “raised.” And this substitutionary work of Jesus Christ and its related reality of being in union with Christ is not a mere doctrinal truth.

To summarise, for whom did Christ die? For those who will live. Jesus did not come as a potential Saviour but as an actual Saviour. Christian, “Jesus came for us particularly, to die for us personally, to purchase us specifically.” If, hearing this today, you respond in your heart, “I want that Saviour!” then come to him, die with him, and be raised to newness of life through him.

And if you believe on him, then his salvation will control your devotion. This gospel truth is the controlling motivation of every Christian.

Think, Christian, Think!

In other words, “I am constrained by the love Christ because I have exercised my mind about Christ and his work.” How we need this!

Paul gave thought to the gospel, the good news of Jesus’ penal substitutionary death and resurrection. He writes of his union with Christ, the same union shared by all Christians. This biblical truth, grounded in space-time history, is that from which Paul has concluded that Jesus Christ loves him. And this love controls his conduct, purifies his motives, and keeps him faithful to the message and ministry of the gospel.

The growing, faithful, fruitful, joyful Christian life requires engagement of the mind. This is often where the battles with the world, the flesh, and with the devil are either won or lost.

Solomon exhorts those who fear and love God to “guard your heart for out of it flows the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). The heart in Scripture is not merely the seat of our emotions but the seat of our intentions and affections and therefore actions. It is the “heart” of who we are. This includes the mind. If we do not develop a Christian mind, our controlling motivation arising from Christ’s love for us will wax and wane.

We need to think of justification by faith alone, including how this is possible by the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As helpful as it can be to reflect upon the experience of our conversion (see Acts 22:1–21; 26:9–23; 1 Timothy 1:12–16; etc.), it is equally and essentially more important to reflect upon the cross work of Christ behind that experience.

The sacrificial, substitutionary work of Jesus Christ, resulting in our being united to Christ, is under attack in our day, as it has always been. I remember hearing critics of the song “In Christ Alone” alleging that the words “Till on that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied” should be changed. They argued that such a picture of God pouring out his wrath on his Son was erroneous and likened it to “divine child abuse.” Stuart Townend, the song’s author responded that the lyrics stand because this is what the Bible teaches. He was right. To take that away is to gut the gospel of what Paul says is the Christian’s constraining, controlling motivation. As on older hymn writer put it,

Therefore, read the Bible and think. Read solid Christian literature and think. Get alone, get on your knees, and think. Turn off your TV, disconnect from your device(s), and think. Gather with other church members and talk about Christ and think about him together. Yes, “Love so amazing so divine demands my soul, my life, my all,” which is precisely how Paul closes this passage.

Liberation

Paul says that, because of the work of Jesus Christ, Christians no longer live for themselves. What a blessing! “For those who rose with Christ to walk “in newness of life,” slavery to sin and self has ended while devotion to Christ and church has begun. The outcome of Christian self-denial is a Christ-centred life filled with concern for others” (Harris).

To live dominated by my own needs, making life all about me, being controlled by my desires and my agenda, is a miserable existence. It is a terrible kind of slavery. To be liberated from such a narrow existence, and to be freed to serve the Lord of glory, is the greatest freedom we can ever experience. This gospel liberation is the controlling motivation for the Christian. It was because Paul experienced the love of Christ through believing the gospel that he reverently, righteously, resolutely, and relentlessly sought to persuade others to also believe the gospel. Gospel deliberation (contemplation) about gospel liberation (conversion) resulted in gospel motivation (constraint) for gospel declaration (communication). So, what are you living for?

The gospel message Paul records—the good news of God’s provided substitute and the resultant union with his substitute, Jesus Christ—must be believed if we will experience the benefits of this good news.  John Calvin so helpfully wrote concerning this, “As long as Christ remains outside of us, and we are separated from him, all that he has suffered and done for the salvation of the human race remains useless and of no value for us.” Or as George Guthrie simply writes, “To benefit from Christ’s substitutionary death, the ‘all’ must repent and believe the gospel.” Have you? Or does Christ remain outside of you? Repent, believe on him right now, and begin to lovingly live with gospel motivation.

Christian, let us repent of living for our own agenda and rather, with gospel contemplation of our spiritual liberations, let us live with a greater commitment to gospel declaration. May the love of Christ truly be our controlling motivation.

AMEN