Conscience Problems and Love

One issue I have been struggling with on and off lately is that of my conscience - a good way of making decisions.

'For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and he died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and rose again on their behalf' (2 Corinthians 5:14,15, NASB).*

The main part of this reading I want to focus on today is 'the love of Christ controls us' (2 Co 5:14a, NASB): most of the rest of this passage is an expansion of how Jesus Christ showed his love for us. For 'this is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins' (1 Jn 4:10). Consequently, 'since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another' (1 Jn 4:11).

That the love of Christ controls us means that we 'should no longer live for [ourselves], but for him who died and rose again on our behalf' (2 Co 5:15, NASB). And living for Christ means loving him, which is such a natural thing to do for the one who took the punishment for all my sins so that I can have life through him. The commandment given by Jesus Christ himself sums up what it means to be controlled by his love: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength ... Love your neighbour as yourself' (Mk 12:30,31).

Thus, what I got out of the reading today is that any decision we make should be determined by love. If doing something is loving toward God (and thus loving toward your neighbour), then by all means, do it! But how do you know if your actions are loving toward God and your neighbour? Well, God's Word, the Bible, comes in very handy for helping you here. And if you make a mistake and do something that isn't loving toward God and/or your neighbour, remember that your sins are forgiven by Christ's death on the cross and his resurrection.

Don't do what I have done and fear making a decision for fear of making the wrong decision. Just make your decision based on love for God and your neighbour. If you stuff it up, God forgives you.

Hallelujah!

God bless everyone,

Andy.