Title: Empowering Love

Intro:
1. 2 Corinthians 1:2-4 NIV
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Father of
compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us I all our troubles, so
that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive
from God.
2. God promises to comfort us in our troubles, then asks us to share that comfort
with others.
3. Remember; we cant give away what we dont have, what we dont possess.
4. We are to pass on what God gives to us.
5. We dont receive as an end in itself, but as a means to an end.
6. We are to empower others with the power of God gives us.
7. Same thing with the Unli-love of God, we cannot share the love of God to other
people unless we, ourselves, experienced the same weight of Love of God in our
lives.
8. We need to be filled first with the love of God in our lives in order to share it with
others.
9. BUT. There is a first step towards achieving this process.
10. WE NEED TO DIE TO OURSELVES.
11. 31 I affirm, by the boating in you e=which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die
daily.--- ! Corinthians 15:31

Text: 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

14 For Christs love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and
therefore all died. 15 And 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.
PROFOUND TRUTH BEHIND EMPOWERING LOVE OF GOD:
PROFOUND MEANS DEEP, REFLECTIVE AND INSIGHTFUL
EMPOWERING COMPELS (CONTROLS) US ABOUT OUR LIFES CHOICES
14 For Christs love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all,
and therefore all died. (V.14)
A. CompelsMeans to Control
Control: Greek word (sunecho/synecho from sun = with + echo = HOLD)
Literally means hold together to press together.
TDNT adds that in the classic Greek.
1. This word means first to hold together, e.g., law upholding the state, or
deity the cosmos, or virtues the world.

2. Then we find the meaning to enclose or to lock up, e.g., an army

behind walls, or a prisoner, and once for holding ones breath.
3. To hold together with constant, to compress i.e.
To press together with the hand: to stop the ears = Acts 7:57; the
mouth = Isaiah; the heavens = to shut so that it may not rain =
Deuteronomy 11:17; 1 Kings 8:35

B. Murray Harris paraphrases it.

The example of Christs love controls our action and leaves us no choice but to
serve God and you.

C. God does not strip away Pauls freewill, but Gods Empowering Love works in
partnership with Pauls freewill,

D. Because Pauls desire is for his will to align with Gods will. Do when Paul is
compelled by the Love of God, this isnt something that Paul resists but it
something that Paul welcomes and yields to in his life.

E. Paul didnt shrink from doing the right thing.