Summary
Living for Him: The Christian's Whole-Life Calling
"For the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all, and therefore all have died. And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who died and was raised on their behalf" 2 Corinthians 5:14-15. These verses anchor a vision of the Christian life in which every moment, every task, and every relationship belongs to Christ. The word translated "controls" or "urges on" pictures a pressure that builds within and is released in action—the love of Christ working its way out into a life lived for Him.
At the heart of this is the substitutionary atonement: Christ died in place of and for the benefit of sinners. On the cross He took our sin upon Himself, paid its debt, and bore the wrath that should have fallen on us, so that we could be reconciled to God. Because one died for all, "therefore all have died"—every person in the world is connected to the death of Christ, and every sin has been atoned for. This is the objective justification of the world, received personally by the gift of faith, which God works through Word and Sacrament.
The cross then produces a clear consequence: those who live should "no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them." This was Paul's own confession—"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" Philippians 1:21—and earlier, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" Galatians 2:20. The Christian's whole life, after conversion, becomes an offering meant to bring glory to God.
A common temptation here is to compartmentalize the faith—to confine our walk with Christ to Sunday morning, to private devotions, or to specific acts of service, while the rest of life is treated as ordinary or our own. Scripture warns against laziness in many places (Proverbs 6:6; Proverbs 10:18; Proverbs 13:4; Proverbs 20:4; Proverbs 26:13-15), and a subtle form of laziness is letting our discipleship sit in narrow lanes rather than embracing the whole of life. This is different from genuine rest, which Jesus Himself models and commands (Mark 4:38; Mark 6:31; John 4:6). Rest renews us for service; spiritual laziness avoids it.
The illustration of John Newton catches the spirit of this teaching: were he to shine shoes, he would have the shiniest shoes in the village—because he would do it for Christ. Pastor Samuel Chadwick recalled how, as a boy, he hated the chore of polishing his father's boots until he asked himself, "What would these boots look like if they were on Jesus' feet?" From that moment, he saw the whole of life as an offering for Christ. Do the dishes for Christ. Mow the lawn for Christ. File the papers for Christ. Speak kindly to the clerk for Christ. Encourage the coworker for Christ.
This way of living is not an attempt to earn salvation, purchase forgiveness, or impress God. Salvation has already been earned by Jesus; the baptized are already clothed in His righteousness, and God's regard for His children could not be more favorable. Rather, the cross frees us to see all of life with new eyes—as a vehicle of glory to the One who died and was raised for us. That is the heart of the matter, drawn out in "For Him" 4-6-25: it is all about Him.
Video citations
- "For Him" 4-6-25 — Would you open your Bibles, please, with me to second Corinthians the fifth chapter. If you're using a few edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that on page 159. Second Corinthians the…