For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, and therefore 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 was raised again. - 2 Cor 5:14-15
I have heard many times that we have to do good and repay God's grace. This word is too contradictory. If there is repayment, there is no grace. And if there is grace, there is no need of repayment. Thank the Lord that in the whole New Testament we are never told to repay anything. It is true that we Christians ought to have good works. But why should we have good works? Why do we have to suffer for the Lord? Why do we have to bear the shame? Why do we serve the Lord?
As the Lord has dealt with us in love, so we deal with the Lord in love; but there is no thought of a trade here. It is not that God gives me so much and I give back so much in return. Because He has loved me, I cannot help but love Him; because He loved me, He was crucified for me; and because I love Him, for Him I bear the cross willingly. What He has given me has been given freely, and what I am giving Him is also given freely. Today if we work, serve the Lord, suffer reproach, or bear the cross, it is not because we want to pay back His grace—it is because we love Him. The love with which He has loved us has taken hold of us, captured our hearts, and compelled us to serve Him.
“The Bible does not teach Religion; rather, it reveals the living God”
How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
The blood of Christ was shed for the forgiveness of sins (Matt. 26:28), and the new covenant, which is Christ the mediator to God; the only way to God (John 14:6) was brought to completion-consummated (Luke 22:20). His blood accomplished an eternal redemption (deliverance from sin; salvation) for us (Eph. 1:7) and purchased the church for God (Acts 20:28). He owns the Church its His. His blood washes us from our sins (1 John 1:7), purifies our conscience, sanctifies us (set apart, holy, purifies – Heb. 13:12), and speaks something better on our behalf to God (Heb. 12:24). By the blood we enter the Holy of Holies (Christ in our spirit, and He as the mediator to God - Heb.10:19) and overcome Satan the accuser (Rev. 12:10-11).
Therefore, it is precious and better than the blood of goats and bulls that were used in the old covenant times (Heb. 9:12-13). In the old covenant the blood of goats and calves only made propitiation for people’s sin’s, which means to cover sins, not take them away like the blood of Christ does. We must value it highly and should not regard it a common thing, like animal blood that was used in Old Testament times. If we do, we will suffer God’s punishment (Heb. 10:29-31).On the cross Christ offered Himself to God in the human body (10:5, 10) which was under the limitation of time. But He offered Himself through the eternal Spirit, who is of eternity and is not under the limitation of time. Hence, in the eyes of God, Christ as the Lamb of God was slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). His offering of Himself was once for all (7:27), and the redemption consummated through His death is eternal (v. 12), having an eternal effect. The span of His redemption fully covers the span of sin.
The blood of Christ purifies our conscience to serve the living God. To serve the living God requires a blood-purified conscience. To worship in dead religion or to serve any dead thing, anything that is outside God, does not require our conscience to be purified. The conscience is the leading part of our spirit. The living God whom we desire to serve always comes to our spirit (John 4:24) by touching our conscience. He is righteous, holy, and living. Our defiled conscience needs to be purified that we may serve Him in a living way. To worship God in our mind in a religious way does not require this.
Before we received Christ as our Saviour, we were dead in offences and sins (Ephesians 2:1). Dead refers to the deadness of our spirit, which was present throughout our entire being and caused us to lose the function that enables us to contact God. Whatever we did, whether good or bad, was dead works before the living God. The Bible does not teach religion; rather, it reveals the living God (Heb. 3:12; 9:14; 10:31; 12:22). To touch this living God we need to exercise our spirit (4:12) and have a blood-purified conscience in our spirit.
- 2 Cor 5:14-15