 So, we come again now this morning to this blessed letter of Paul, to the church in Corinth, and to the text that was read in your hearing, 2 Corinthians 5 verses 11 through 15. The title of our sermon, Compelled to Live for Christ. This is part two, and we're looking at three compelling motivations from our text, three compelling motivations to lay down our lives in sacrificial ministry for the Lord and for His church. The outline is on the notes page in your worship folder. We are point one on your outline. We are compelled by our fear of the Lord in verse 11. We are compelled by our love for His church, verses 12 through 13. We are compelled by His love for His own in verses 14 and 15. One, we are compelled by our fear of the Lord. Verse 11, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. We are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences. Paul says in verse 10 that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Therefore, because we fear God, we persuade men. In other words, if Paul ignored God's call to preach the gospel, to persuade men, then it would demonstrate a lack of respect or a lack of godly fear for God, for the one who charged Him, for the one who commissioned Him. But here in verse 11, because Paul fears the Lord, his desire is to live a life that is well pleasing to him, verse 9. And because Paul and his fellow co-workers fear the Lord, verse 11, Paul says, we persuade men. We persuade them that they stand condemned before a holy God because of their sin. We persuade them of the truth as it is in Christ. Point one, we are compelled by our fear of the Lord. Point two, we are compelled by our love for His church, look at verse 12. For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God. Or if we are of a sound mind, it is for you. We're not commending ourselves for the sake of building up our own name or building up our own reputation, Paul says. We're not out for personal gain, Paul says. What we do, we do for you. The false teachers, the opponents in Corinth who boast in externals, boast in how well they speak or in how popular they are or how large their ministries are, Paul says they want to discredit us. They want to undermine the truth and they want to make shipwreck of your faith. We are giving you ammunition, the ammunition that you need to refute their arguments. Whether people say we're out of our minds or whether people say we are thinking rightly in either case, it's for the Lord and it's for you, His church. We are compelled by our love for His church. Point three, we are compelled by His love for His own. Verse 14, for the love of Christ compels us because we judge thus that if one died for all then all died and he died for all that those who live should live no longer for themselves but for him who died for them and rose again. Second Corinthians chapter five verses 11 through 15, the fear of the Lord compels us to live for Christ, love for the Lord, love for the Lord's church compels us to live for Christ and verse 14, the Lord's immeasurable, matchless love for us compels us to live for Christ. Now if you call yourself a Christian this morning, if you profess faith in Christ then these three motivations will also compel you. Like they compel Paul, they will compel you to live heart, soul, mind and strength for the Lord Jesus Christ who died for you and rose again. To lay down your life in sacrificial ministry to preach the gospel to the lost, to submit your preferences, to submit your desires to him in ministering to the people in this church and to lay aside worldly priorities, to lay aside even your own life also to live entirely for him. And it's important to understand here that Paul initially teaches us this lesson in Second Corinthians chapter five by showing this to us, right? By showing us how this good theology that we've been learning about, how that good theology has been applied in his own life and ministry. There is a very real sense in which we are to learn here from the life, from the example of the Apostle Paul. He teaches theology and at the same time he is showing us by his own example how that good theology applies to you and I in Christian ministry. Let me give you an example of what this looks like back in verse 11, look at verse 11. Paul says there, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men but we are well known to God and I also trust our well known in your consciousness. Now we have to ask the question, right? Who is Paul referring to by we? Who is Paul referring to by your? He says we persuade men and I trust our well known in your consciousness. Now if you follow the context, the we refers to Paul and his co-laborers, his co-workers for the Lord. For one verse 19 that would include at least Timothy and Silvanus or Silas. The you're in context refers to those in the church at Corinth. Here's a real life example from Paul in applying the doctrine of the fear of God to his life and ministry among them, right? A true life example from the Apostle Paul in ministry and we see that same relationship in verse 12. Look at verse 12 with me. Paul says therefore we, Paul and his co-workers, do not commend ourselves again to you, specifically the church at Corinth, but give you an opportunity to boast on our behalf. Right? So think with me, consider this with me. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul is writing and teaching, writing and teaching, writing and teaching and living and ministering among them and writing and teaching and showing them, showing us by his example and writing and teaching. In the context of his ministry to the church at Corinth, we see that good theology lived out in practice, don't we? And then he says to them and he says to us, imitate me just as I also imitate Christ. Do you see? He says, follow my example, the things which you've learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do and the God of peace will be with you. Here to apply what Paul teaches and what Paul does, we're to apply Paul's example to our own understanding of Christian ministry and we're to live according to his example. We are to imitate him just as also he imitates Christ, our ultimate example being the Lord Jesus Christ himself. But then, for those that might be tempted to say that Paul's instruction here regarding the Christian ministry doesn't apply to the quote unquote normal Christian, I want to make you aware, I want you to make note of a shift that Paul makes then in verses 14 and 15. Look at verse 14 with me. For the love of Christ compels us, now in context we can say that that applies to Paul and his coworkers. The love of Christ compels us because we, Paul and his coworkers, we judge us that if one died for all, the all in verse 14 referring to all of us, all of those to whom Paul writes, the church at Corinth, our church, all of those for whom Christ died, if one died for all, then all of us, you and I, all of us in Christ, if he died for all, then all died and he died for all so that those who live by virtue of his death should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again. Do you see? Paul says before us, this glorious theology, this is awesome theology, right? Glorious theology. This is the heart of the gospel, these statements here by Paul. Three glorious motivations. And then he demonstrates how that glorious theology has worked out in his own life and ministry. Here's how I live and move and have my being in him. Here's how I labor and work in Christian ministry. We see that good theology applied and then he says, this applies to you. This applies to me. If you're in Christ, you are not your own. You have been bought at a price. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. So then Corinthian church, so then Cornerstone Baptist church, lest you think that Paul's example of self-sacrifice here is too extreme. Let's you think that this mindset, this zeal, this love, this sacrifice only applies to the apostles or only applies to people in full-time ministry or only those who don't work a 40 hour a week job or only those that don't have kids and family to take care of. Unless you think that this example of self-sacrifice is too extreme, Paul says this example applies to all those for whom Christ died. We must not live for ourselves. We must live for him who died for us and rose again. When you know a little bit about the Bible and you're witnessing to someone actually doing with the Lord commands every Christian to do, right? You're witnessing. It's not unusual for someone to ask you if you're a pastor. Ever experienced that before? Today even the ladies will be asked that from time to time, right ladies? Most of you here today get to say no to that question. You can say no. This is normal and expected and is the joy and delight of every true Christian to do this? When Peter and John stood before the Sanhedrin in Acts chapter 4, it says that when the Sanhedrin, when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, you're not in full-time ministry, right? Never been to seminary before. When they saw that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. Wait a minute, these guys aren't one of us. These guys aren't Pharisees or Sadducees and then it says there, they realized that they had been with Jesus. I love that. The Lord died for me, right? I'm with him. I have his word. I don't live for myself any longer. The zealous, self-sacrificing, diligent, whole-sold commitment to and ministry for Christ and His church is simply the only appropriate response for those who live eternally in Him. It's the only appropriate response. The love of Christ compels us. You see, it hems me in. It controls me. It constrains me and it is my delight. Let's dig further into the details of verses 14 and 15 here. Working through point three on your notes, we are compelled to live for Christ by His love for His own and in looking at these verses, I want you to see four identifying features of this compelling motivation to devote yourself to the Lord in Christian ministry. Four identifying features of this compelling motivation to devote yourself to the Lord in Christian ministry. One, I want you to see the motivation itself, the motivation itself, described here by Paul as the compelling love of Christ. Two, I want you to note Paul's mindset, Paul's meditation on the cross of Christ has led him to an inevitable conclusion. Third, I want you to note the means of that transformation, the means, the means whereby the Lord's people are compelled, the substitutionary atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. Three point four, the mark, that which identifies all those for whom he died, the motivation, the mindset, the means and the mark. Point one from verse 14, consider with me the motivation, the motivation. We are compelled to live for Christ, to lay down our lives in sacrificial, self-denying, cross-bearing service for Christ because of the love that Christ has lavished upon us. Point one from verse 14, the love for the love of Christ compels us. That little word four that begins verse 14, I want you to see this. That little word four, that preposition really connects us back to Paul's original statement in verse 11, we persuade men. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. And then there's a statements of explanation or statements then of support. Our ministry for the Lord can be summed up as continuous, present, active, ongoing persuasion. We are not commending ourselves, verse 12. What we do, we do for the Lord and for his church, verse 13, because the love of Christ compels us, verse 14, compels us to devote ourselves to this great commission work of persuading men. Persuading men. The love of Christ constrains us to this particular ministry work. It controls us, that's what the word means. It moves us with a specific purpose toward this specific and definite end. The love of Christ governs my actions, it puts the limits on my conduct, it restricts my options. Most of the world today would use that kind of restriction as oppressive. Anything that restricts anything they want to do is oppressive. Now it gives me the freedom to serve him. I am set free to serve him, set free to preach the gospel, set free to live a life that is well pleasing to him, right? This love of Christ governs me. Paul essentially says here by using the word, I am a man under orders. I am not my own any longer. I have been bought at a price. I must set aside self-seeking. I must set aside self-indulgence. I must set aside selfish ambition. I have one supreme devotion, one avowed allegiance, one ultimate focus. I live for him who died for me and was raised from the dead. Notice that in the context, that language died for me points not to our love for Christ, but rather it points to his love for us. Do you see? And that's supported by the Greek grammar as well. The Bible says, I love him, why? Because he first loved me. That's right. Because he first loved me. It's not that we're not motivated by our love for him. Certainly our love for him motivates us, but that's not the preeminent motivation being named here, right? Being listed here. Listen to 1 John chapter 4 verse 10, in this is love. Not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. That could be a commentary on our passage here today. Now the greatest expression of his love for us is certainly his death for us on the cross. The love of Christ or the love that Christ has for us is preeminently and most beautifully displayed at the cross. It's at the cross where he bore our sin and shame. It's at the cross that he suffered in my place. It's where he suffered in your place, on your behalf, instead of you, where he bore the wrath reserved for you. He bore the punishment that I deserved for my sin. The cross is where he conquered sin and death for me. Paul here is single-minded. He is entirely overwhelmed, gloriously consumed. He is zealously, fervently, earnestly driven by the love that the Lord Jesus Christ has shown him by dying for him on the cross to save him from his sin and from the wrath of God. And listen, as we consider those things ourselves, why wouldn't he be? Why isn't it that you and I aren't continuously enraptured with that thought? Knowing what we deserve because of our sin, knowing what the Bible says about us in our sinful condition, knowing what the Bible describes as hell, how the Bible describes the wrath of God that is poured out, we should be overwhelmed, continuously meditating on that fact, gloriously consumed with the Lord's love for us shown us at the cross. That leads Paul to a conclusion. He proclaims in Galatians 2 verse 20, the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. The love of Christ compels us. The love of Christ compels us. If you're not compelled, consider the love of Christ for you. Has not Christ given everything, including his own life, to redeem you? What would you give in return? The love of Christ compels us. That beautiful, ineffable motivation is derived from Paul's understanding of what Christ did for him at the cross. That motivation, driven, it's informed by Paul's understanding. His knowledge of what Christ did for him at the cross. He has meditated on the cross. He's considered the unimaginably high cost. He's considered the implications of his own redemption, and that understanding has led him to a profound conclusion, which is point two. Look with me at Paul's mindset then in verse 14, Paul's mindset. Paul's motivation is driven, informed by his understanding. Look at verse 14, for the love of Christ compels us because we judge thus. Because we judge thus, that if one died for all, then all died. Why does the love of Christ compel Paul? Why does the love of Christ compel Paul? Just because Paul carefully considered, he thought it out. He meditated upon what Christ had done for him at the cross. How the work done by Christ at the cross, how that so beautifully displays the matchless wonder of Christ's love for his bride, self-sacrificing love. Right, Paul waved the matter. He thought deeply about what happened there, and specifically what happened for him. What Christ did for him. He thought seriously about what that means for those who put their faith in him. And he came to a decisive and an arguable conclusion in verse 14. He says, we are constrained. We are controlled, compelled by the Lord's love for us. Because we judge thus. We are convinced that if Jesus Christ died for us, then we have died to sin and self in him. If Jesus Christ has done that for us, if he's died for us, then we have died to sin and to self in him. Now let's unpack that. So much glorious theology packed into such a simple statement. The economy of words here is stunning. So much theology packed in there. The one, the one that if one died for all, the one in verse 14 is clearly referring to Jesus Christ, right? He is the one who died for all. He is also the one in whom the all have died, gotta make that connection, right? Jesus Christ died for all and Jesus Christ is the one in whom the all have died, okay? Notice first that the one, the Lord Jesus Christ died for, who pair, died for in the place of instead of on behalf of, he died for the all. Jesus Christ died as a substitute for all those for whom he died. Do you see that in the text? That little preposition four points us to glorious theology called the substitutionary atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, a penal substitutionary atonement of Christ. And I think with me for a moment, Adam, our original ancestor, Adam fell into sin. Adam is our head as our original ancestor. He is our representative. And now all those who are born after Adam inherit Adam's sin nature and sin because they are born sinners, right? We inherit that from Adam. This is called federal headship representation. All those who are born after Adam, you think about it, right? When you have a child, someone say one of my daughters looks like my wife, the other daughter looks like me, right? They inherit, very unfortunately for the one who looks like me. They inherit, now she's absolutely beautiful, but they inherit certain features from their parents, right? Then Adam, we inherit a sin nature and we sin, we sin because we are, by nature, sinners. Sin is a death penalty offense against God. He is holy and we are unholy. He is perfectly just and we are unjust, notice the opposites, right? He is holy, he is holy and we are unholy, right? He is just and we are unjust. We are guilty of breaking his law and his righteous wrath is raised against us. Romans chapter five explains that death and condemnation comes to all men because all men sin. It's amazing to me that often when you witness to someone, they will protest at you confronting them in their sin, right? How dare you? God loves everybody. God wants in his love. He wants everybody to be happy. God forgives everyone. Like, wait a minute, do you realize that you die? I think the fact that you die, you're going to die. I think the fact that you die points to the fact that God hates sin and he's going to deal, to use your words, harshly with your sin, right? Condemnation, death comes to all men because all men sin. Apart from grace, apart from God's mercy in Christ, we would all suffer the eternal torments of hell as the punishment do our rebellion against him. This is a just punishment for sin against an infinitely perfect and infinitely just God. There is actual sin, actual transgressions that are marked. There is therefore actual guilt that is accrued, right? Actual guilt. There is therefore an actual penalty, an actual punishment that is levied against you, right? Paul wasn't enamored with the notion that Christ merely died to make salvation possible. It's not potential substitution. It is actual substitution. It affects an actual result. Your actual sin must be actually dealt with. Your actual guilt must be in reality actually expiated, done away with. Your actual guilt must be dealt with. Therefore, that actual penalty that you don't want to pay for yourself, that actual penalty is actually poured out. Paul was compelled by the love of Christ, poured out at the cross for him personally, I live by faith in the Son of God, Paul says, who loved me and gave himself for me, not for a nameless, faceless mass of humanity to provide for them the potential or the possibility that they could be redeemed. No, no, no, no. Actual sin dealt with, actual guilt dealt with, actual punishment dealt with and dealt with for me, for you, if you're in Christ by faith, right? Jesus Christ stood in Paul's place as Paul's substitute. He took about himself Paul's actual sin. He bore Paul's actual guilt. He endured Paul's actual penalty, propitiating or satisfying the actual wrath of God once actually directed at Paul himself, right? That same wrath that is directed against you if you're in sin, right? Jesus Christ died the death that Paul deserved to die and he died that death in Paul's place. And Paul says, that love compels me. It's that love, that sacrifice, that love compels me. I don't live any longer for myself, but for him who died for me and rose again. This is the heart of the Lord's work on the cross. This is the very heart of the gospel that we preach. And it is true for you just as it is for Paul if you have put your faith and trust in Christ. If you do not put faith and trust in Christ for salvation, you do not follow him as Lord. In your end will be the end of all those who have gone before you who have done likewise. You will pay for your own actual sins by taking upon yourself your own actual penalty. And that no one survives. You will suffer eternally in torment and hell. Paul's enamored with this. Romans chapter 5, God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Look at chapter 5 here, 2 Corinthians chapter 5, dropped down to verse 21, verse 21. For he made him, so God made Christ, for God made Jesus Christ, for he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Praise the Lord. Isaiah chapter 53, verse 5. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. You see, he stood in our place. He himself bore the punishment that we deserved. The chastisement for our peace, that chastisement was upon him. And by his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Galatians chapter 3, verse 13, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. This is not potential, not merely potential, not a mere possibility. This is actual substitution. Actual work for actual blessings, actual forgiveness, actual reconciliation to God. All the wrath and punishment, all the torment, all the fury, all the horror that you and I deserve as just recompense or just retribution for our sins was poured out upon our substitute. We're going through the Gospel of John, and we spent time considering the cup. The Lord Jesus Christ was about to take as he prayed, sweating great drops of blood in the garden, that cup of God's wrath, the cup of indignation. That cup would be poured out full strength upon the one who stood in our place so that I could be forgiven of my sin. So that I could be declared righteous, so that I could have an inheritance with him, so that I could be reconciled to God, so that you could be an adopted son, an adopted daughter in God's household. That God could dwell with you, right? You would be his people, he or God, to be in the very presence of Almighty, perfect and holy God. You, a sinner, right? Tremendous love. Jesus Christ bore all of that himself on the tree in my place. The one died for the all. If you're in Christ, if you're united to him by faith, then Adam is no longer your legal representative. He's no longer your head. Praise the Lord. We have a new representative, right? We have a new federal head. We have a new federal head by faith in him, by faith, the one who died for us. He's our representative. He's our head, and we are united to him by faith. The implication of this reality is then expressed by Paul at the end of verse 14. Look at verse 14, 2 Corinthians chapter 5. We judge thus, considering these things, Paul says, we come to a conclusion, we come to a conclusion. We judge thus, that if one died for all, notice the corporate language being used, the one and the many, right? The one and the many, the one died for all, all of those who are his own. If one died for all, then all died. The Paul is here expressing a relationship between those two realities, right? Think with me. If Christ died for all, then all those for whom Christ died died in him. That's what text is saying. Christ is our representative. So by virtue of his death on the cross, we die to sin in union with him. If one died for all, then all died, right? This is best expressed in Romans chapter 6. Turn there with me. Romans chapter 6. Let's take a look at a text here. We'll shed some light on the passage that we're looking at in 2 Corinthians 5. Romans chapter 6, and look there beginning at verse 1. Paul says, Romans chapter 6, verse 1, what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? There it is, right? How can it be said of those who die in him that next that they live, right? They didn't die physically. They died spiritually. They died in sin. Now having died in him, united to him by faith, they die to sin. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized spiritually immersed or spiritually submerged into Christ Jesus, as many of us as were united to him, were baptized into his death? Verse 4, therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life. In other words, in him you are raised with him to life, raised with him to walk in newness of life. Verse 5, for if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of his resurrection. Saying this, that our old man was crucified, old man is now dead with him, so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. Saying that Christ having been raised from the dead dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over him. For the death that he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life that he lives, he lives to God. Likewise, verse 11, you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Is this connection between death in Christ and life in Christ? Therefore, verse 12, do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in its lust, and do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God for sin shall not have dominion over you. You are not under law, but under grace. This passage also says light on what Paul is referring to back in 2nd Corinthians, chapter 5, in verse 15, look at verse 15 there with me, verse 15, and he died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him, right? Who are those who live? It is those who have died to sin in him, Romans chapter 6, verses 8 through 11. Do you see? Who are those who live? It is those who have died to sin in him. Who are those who have died to sin and self in him? The all for whom he died. Do you see? Work through the text. We see what the text is referring to. Verse 15, and he died for all that those who now live in him should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again. This is in keeping with Romans chapter 6, do you see? This is love. This is glory, compelling love. Look at verse 14, for the love of Christ compels us because we judged us that if one died for all, then all died. What motivates you? What motivates you? Think about that for a moment. What occupies your thoughts? What drives your conduct? What drives your priorities? What makes you choose the things that you choose? What makes you neglect the things that you neglect? What makes you do the things that you do? What is it? Is it your work that compels you, that motivates you? Is it getting the next project done, the next goal, the next thing on the checklist, the next promotion, the next raise? Is it the kids? Is it money? Is it the approval of others? Just fear man, fear what others might think of you? Is it some unbiblical standard that you have applied? Is it pride? Is it just straight up pride? Paul says the love of Christ compels us. Christ love for us compels us. The one who is God worthy of unending praise, worthy of the worship of heaven and yet making himself of no reputation. The one who created all things, having power and glory and dominion and might, that one took the form of a slave. The one who is and who was and is to come took upon himself the frailty of our existence, the frailty of human flesh and he came in appearance as a man. The one with all power, all strength, all dominion, all might, all authority, that one humbled himself. He became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. The source of life suffered death. The one who is the eternally blessed God became a curse for me. He took upon himself my sin, my guilt, my shame that I might be set free in him that where he is I may be also, right? So that heart, soul, mind and strength, I can love him as he is worthy to be loved. I can worship him and serve him. I can walk worthy of the calling with which he's called me. In response to that, I judge thus. I come to this conclusion that if he died for me, then I have died to sin and self in him. I am his and he is mine, amen. That must be our motive, right? That must compel us. That must be our mindset. This love compels us. This love constrains us to live for Christ. We then persuade men. It's in the context of that love, right? In that context that Jesus says, Luke 14, if anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. You put that statement in its context and you see the power of it, right? Having considered the love of Christ as his motive, having that love as demonstrated in the penal substitutionary atonement of Christ, having that love then shape and determine his self-sacrificing mindset in ministry, Paul then acknowledges that substitutionary death as the means through which he now no longer lives for himself, but for him who died for him and rose again. Look at verse 15. Consider with me the means. Verse 15, and he died for all so that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again. The Lord's vicarious death for the all has a purpose. The Lord in it has an intention for the all. And notice first with me Paul's use of the word all here in verses 14 and 15, verse 14. One died for all, then all died. And he died for all, verse 15, to those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again. Now we have to ask the question, who are the all for whom Christ died? We've been considering this at this point already. Let's get specific. Hang in there with me, okay? And I'd ask that you listen carefully. You want to understand what the Scripture is saying on this particular issue. The proper response to the Bible being carefully taught even when you think you know it all, right? Or even when you think that you know it, even when you may disagree, the proper response to the Bible being carefully taught, especially when it's being taught by your elders, is that you be a humble Berean, a humble Berean. Consider what's being said, right? Seek to understand. Are you willing to be persuaded from the Bible? Some of you, if you took the same approach to soteriology that you take with your eschatology, you'd still be an Armenian. Some doctrine is difficult. You may even initially disagree with it, but the proper response, especially when it's being taught by your elders, is not to stop your ears and leave the room, right? Be humble, be Berean. Consider what's being said. Seek to understand, do you see? When we ask the question, who are the all for whom Christ died in verses 14 and 15, we are talking about the extent of the atoning work of Christ. Is the death of Christ a universal atonement, a potential atonement, or is the death of Christ an actual, particular, and definite atonement? Notice in verse 14 that Paul makes the death of all a necessary and connected result of the death of the one, right? If one died for all, then connected to it, all died. Now notice it doesn't say. It does not say that all were dead, and so Christ died for all. You see? It doesn't say that Christ died for all so that all may potentially die in him, doesn't say that, nor does it say all deserve to die. And so Christ died for all. Nope. The text says one died for all, therefore, it's a good translation of that word, therefore all died, right? The ones for whom Christ died are the ones who died to sin and self in him. Notice next, the one who died for all had a purpose, had an intention in his death for them. Look at verse 15, those who live, verse 15, are those at the end of verse 15, for whom he died and those for whom he rose again. In the Greek grammar, both of those go together. He died for them and he rose again for them. He died and rose again for them, okay? Romans chapter 4, verse 25 says that he was delivered up because of our offenses and was raised because of our justification. So those for whom Christ was raised from the dead, he was raised for their justification, okay? Who are those for whom he was raised? Those who are justified in him. In other words, those for whom he died and those for whom he was raised are those whom are his. Those who have been justified. Now how do we know, how do we know that those who die in him, verse 14, are the same as those who live to him, verse 15? Your finger in 2 Corinthians 5, go right back to Romans chapter 6 and look there at verse 5. How do we know that those who die in him are the same as those who live in him? Romans chapter 6, verse 5, for if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of his resurrection. There will come a time when you'll be raised, not in the likeness of his resurrection, you'll be raised like him. You'll be raised in him. You'll be raised from the dead, right? Here we're in the likeness of our resurrection. In other words, we walk in newness of life. We are raised from the dead, spiritual death to spiritual life. This is the new birth. This is regeneration, right? The work of the Spirit to bring about in the sinner new life. Verse 6, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin, for he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing that Christ having been raised from the dead dies no more, death no longer has dominion over him. For the death that he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life that he lives, he lives to God. Likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus, our Lord, right? We reckon ourselves to live. Back in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5, verses 14 and 15, those are the ones who live, right? Those who have died in him are the ones, verse 15, who live. In Timothy chapter 2, verse 11, Paul says, for if we died with him, we shall also live with him. Can't get much clearer than that, right? 1 Peter chapter 3, verse 18, for Christ also suffered once for sins the just, for the unjust, substitution, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit. The all for whom Christ died are the all who died in him and are now the all who live for him, who died for them and rose again. The language here can only describe those who are in Christ. No unbeliever can be described this way. No rebel, no enemy of God, no unbeliever can be described this way. Those who are born again by the Spirit of God, those who are united to Christ by justifying faith, those are the ones who die in him and then live in him. I've seen so many times in Scripture, and again we've talked about it this morning, the substitutionary atoning work of Christ is an actual work. It is a definite work, it is a particular work, it is not merely potential, not merely possible. The name, often given to this doctrine, and it is an unfortunate name, is the title, limited atonement. It's a terrible name for this doctrine in the sense that everyone who considers the atonement of Christ limits the atonement in some sense, right? Those who believe that the death of Christ is merely a potential atonement, limit its power, they limit its efficacy, it doesn't actually save anyone. It doesn't actually atone for anyone, just makes atonement possible, makes it potential. They limit the efficacy of the atonement. Those who hold to our particular atonement or a definite atonement, those who believe, the way that the Bible believes, the way that the Bible states, that actual sins are paid for, that actual guilt is dealt with, right? Those who hold that view limit the extent of the atonement to those for whom Christ died. We'll talk about that more in a moment. So then why, if this is the case, why does Paul use the word all? If you're in Romans 6, flip back one page to Romans 5. Why does Paul use the word then all? Romans chapter 5, and look for example at verse 18, one example, it's back to that point again, of federal representation, Christ representing a group of people given to him by the Father, he raises, he dies for, he atones for, he redeems all of them. Look at Romans chapter 5, look at verse 18, therefore as through one man's offense, judgment came to all men, it's all without exception, resulting in condemnation, even so through one man's righteous act, the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. Wait a minute, what's that saying there, right? If you take verse 18 out of context, congratulations, you are a universalist. Everybody's saved, all men, even so through one man's righteous act, the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. All men are justified, and we know that simply is not true, not biblical, very clear, right? Very clearly, not the case, justification does not come to all men, justification comes to those who put their faith and trust in Christ alone. Okay, now this is clarified verse 19, for as by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners, he switches to the word many here, but through one man's disobedience, all were made sinners, right? Everyone born in Adam sinned. But he switches to the word many for this purpose, look at the next clause. So also by one man's obedience, many, not the all now, many will be made righteous. In other words, he's again using language that applies to a corporate solidarity with him. He died for all his own. God knew from eternity past, from before the foundation of the world. God knew those whom he had chosen. God from before the foundation of the world elected sinners to salvation, right? His plan of redemption was carried out to redeem all of those that he had chosen. They all for those whom he intended the work of Christ to redeem and to atone for. He intended to redeem them all, he sent Christ to redeem them all, the work of Christ atoned for them all and all of them are raised in him and all of them Jesus Christ will raise in the last day. Terminate John chapter 10, John chapter 10 and look there at verse 11. John chapter 10, verse 11, so important that when you're going to build a theology from the Bible, you don't wrench passages from their context or make assumptions or presuppositions about the text of Scripture, but that you weigh the whole counsel of God. John chapter 10, verse 11, Jesus says, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life, what? For the sheep. He gives his life for all men, no, for the sheep. But a higherling who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep and flees. The wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The higherling flees because he is a higherling, does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd, the Lord says, and I know my sheep and am known by my own. He's speaking of a specific group, namely the sheep. As the Father knows me, even so I know the Father and I lay down my life for all people. No, I lay down my life for the sheep. I do not lay down my life for the goats. I lay down my life for the sheep and other sheep I have, which are not in this fold, then also I must bring. They will hear my voice and there will be one clock and one shepherd. Look at verse 25, verse 25, Jesus answered them, I told you, you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me, but you do not believe because you are not of my sheep. It's not that you're not of my sheep because you don't believe. That's not what's being said there. You don't believe because you are not of my sheep. As I said to you, verse 27, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. There's certainty. Right? That's a definitive statement. I give them my sheep. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. Neither shall anyone stach them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, when did the Lord give them to him before the foundation of the world? When were their names written in the Lamb's book of life from before the foundation of the world? When was this gift made from the Father to the Son of a people for his name before the foundation of the world? Right? My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to stach them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. Put back a couple of pages. John chapter 6, John chapter 6, look there beginning at verse 35, verse 35, Jesus said to them, John chapter 6, verse 35, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger. He who believes in me shall never thirst. You could say, couldn't you, verse 35, whoever comes to me, whoever comes to me shall never hunger. Whoever believes in me, you could say that, couldn't you? Well, never thirst. Who are those that come to him? Who are those that hunger and thirst for him? Verse 36, but I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me, there's the all, all of who, all of his sheep. Who's the all pertaining to? All those for whom Christ died. Who are the all? Who's the all here? All those that the Father has given to the Son, the group of his elects, right? This is all those who are united in Christ by faith. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me, I will by no means cast out, for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. This is the will of the Father who sent me, that of all he has given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. There is nothing merely potential about that, right? Not a possibility. It is a certainty. All that the Father gives me, all of them will come. All that the Father gives me, I will give them eternal life. All that the Father gives me of all of them, none of them will perish, right? Every one of them, I will raise up at the last day. This is definite, you see? This is the will of him who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day. Back in 2 Corinthians 5, this is definite atonement. This is particular atonement, actual atoning work for actual sins to redeem actual people, who were born actual sinners, and the Lord in his grace and in his mercy redeemed them to himself to actually live eternally and praise him and worship him forever in heaven. The means of this is the penal substitutionary atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is a particular atonement, there's much more that can be said. Fourthly, I want you to consider with me from verses 14 and 15, the mark. The mark then that identifies those for whom he died. Verse 14, for the love of Christ compels us because we judged us that if one died for all, then all died, and he died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again. The mark that identifies all those for whom he died is this mark. Those for whom he died no longer live for themselves. They live for him who died for them and rose again. Titus chapter 2 verse 13 Paul says there we look for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us with the purpose that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people zealous for good works. You see the purpose of our redemption, the intention of the atoning work of Christ. This is the mark of all those for whom Christ died. He took our punishment. He paid the penalty that we owed. He broke the power of sin in our lives so that we would turn from living for ourselves and live exclusively for him who died for us and was raised from the dead for us. We are to walk in newness of life. That's the mark of the Christian. It bears noting that if you do not have this identifying mark, it means that you have never been united to him in his death. If you aren't living for him, then you haven't died in him. You see, I have been bought with a price. I am not my own. If you profess the name of Christ and you don't obey him, you don't live for him, your faith is not expressed in obedience to Christ. Your faith is not expressed in the means of grace and prayer to him in reading his word and just heart, soul, love for the Lord Jesus Christ. If the Lord Jesus Christ is not your delight and he's not your prized possession, so to speak, he's not your treasure and you simply haven't died in him. Luke 14, if mother or father, if wife, children, your work in this world, if your priorities in this world, your comfort, leisure in this world is more important to you than the Lord Jesus Christ, you don't have this identifying mark, you haven't died in him. If you aren't living for him, you haven't died in him. Those who have been atoned for by the Lord Jesus Christ, those for whom he died, those who have put their faith in Christ and trust in Christ, those who have been united to him by faith are those who have died to sin and self and now live heart, soul, mind and strength for him who died for them and rose again. Brother and sister, this is a compelling reason, is it not, for why we should abandon ourselves in this life to him and serve him faithfully, fervently, zealously, lay down your life. I must lay down my life to serve him, to preach the gospel. We persuade men. Why? Because we fear the Lord. We fear the Lord, but we love him, we love the Lord and we love his church. We are compelled to live for Christ because we fear the Lord, because of our fear of the Lord. We are compelled to live for Christ by my love for the Lord, my love for his church. Certainly the Lord has changed your heart if he's changed it and you love the Lord church. I have been compelled, constrained, controlled, if you will, by Christ's love for me if I'm in him. And that compelling motivation should drive us, heart, soul, mind and strength to live for him. Amen. Let's pray. Let's take a few moments and examine your ministry in his name. Your ministry to the lost, your ministry to God's people in this church. Have you lost sight of the love of God in Christ? Have you meditated lately upon what Christ has done there for you if you're in him? If you're here today and you've never turned to Christ, consider the awful weight of your sin and Christ bids you come. He bids me as his ambassador. He bids other ambassadors, my brothers and sisters here, to implore you on his behalf be reconciled to God. Go before the Lord, cry out for mercy and pray that the Lord would save you. Let's pray together. When you are done praying, you are dismissed.