How The Love Of Christ Transforms Us - [2 Corinthians 5:14–17 Verse by Verse Bible Study]

What happens when someone truly encounters the love of Christ? 
Is the Christian life about behavioral change—or complete transformation? 

In this episode, Dr. Novella Springette offers a verse-by-verse Bible teaching from 2 Corinthians 5:14–17, explaining how the love of Christ does more than inspire believers—it controls us, reorients our lives, and makes us new creations. 

This teaching explores how Christ’s sacrificial love leads believers to: 

• Live no longer for themselves, but for Jesus who died and rose again 
• Experience the death of the old life and the birth of the new 
• See themselves and others from a spiritual, not worldly, perspective 
• Walk in lasting transformation rooted in Scripture 

Drawing from biblical exposition and historical Christian examples, this episode shows that when the love of Christ takes hold of a life, everything changes. 

📖 Scripture Focus: 2 Corinthians 5:14–17
🎙️ Teacher: Dr. Novella Springette

What actually changes when love takes over your life? We open 2 Corinthians 5:14–17 and trace Paul’s radical claim that Christ’s love doesn’t merely inspire us—it compels us, reorders our desires, and makes us new. This is not behavior management; it’s rebirth. We follow that thread through vivid stories: a weeping woman in Luke 7 who pours out perfume and shame at Jesus’ feet, Zacchaeus turning exploitation into restitution, and modern witnesses like Amy Carmichael, David Livingstone, Chief Sekele, and Mrs. Chang whose lives took a costly, unmistakable turn toward mercy and mission.

Together, we unpack how atonement shifts the center of gravity from self to Savior. If Jesus died for all, then those who live no longer live for themselves. That truth becomes a lens: new creation changes how we see God, ourselves, and our neighbors. Prestige, power, and polish no longer set value. We learn to recognize the image of God in unlikely places and to act on it—feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, healing divisions, and making wrongs right. Saul to Paul stands as the masterclass in transformation: a persecutor meeting the risen Christ and emerging as a builder of the church.

We close with prayer, declarations, and blessing—not as theatrics, but as training for the heart. Words of faith set our steps, cancel the old scripts, and tune us to the Shepherd’s voice. If you’re hungry for real change, for a love that controls rather than a sentiment that fades, this conversation will meet you where you are and lead you forward.

If this resonated with you, tap follow, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review so more people can find this message. Then tell us: where have you seen old things pass away and something new begin?

Chapters

• 0:00 What Changes Under Christ’s Love
• 0:08 Beyond Behavior To Deep Renewal
• 0:12 Paul’s Thesis In 2 Corinthians 5
• 0:28 Setting The Big Question
• 0:34 Plan For Verse‑By‑Verse Study
• 0:39 Three Core Points Outlined
• 0:49 Love Of Christ Controls Us
• 1:09 What “Controls” Means In Greek
• 1:49 Luke’s Portrait Of Love In Action
• 2:11 The Woman Who Loved Much
• 3:19 Forgiven Much, Loving Much
• 5:03 Amy Carmichael’s Costly Compassion
• 7:30 Living For Christ Not Self
• 7:44 Jesus Died So We Might Live
• 8:20 Sacrifice And Atonement Background
• 9:03 Zacchaeus Seeks And Finds Mercy
• 10:49 A Public, Costly Repentance
• 11:33 Livingston And Chief Sekele’s Turn
• 12:46 New Creation Changes Our Sight
• 13:15 From Worldly To Spiritual Measures
• 14:06 Saul To Paul: A Total Reversal
• 16:13 Mrs. Chang And A Village Awakened
• 17:18 Old Gone, New Has Come
• 17:58 Prayer, Declarations, And Blessing

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:03

What actually changes when someone encounters the love of Christ? Is it just behavior or does something deeper happen? In 2 Corinthians 5, 14 to 17, Paul says Christ's love doesn't just inspire us, it controls us, leads us to live for Jesus and redefines us, making us completely new. Today, we're exploring what happens when Jesus' love takes over. In today's podcast, we'll conduct a verse-by-verse analysis of the scripture. We will also carefully and thoroughly explain and illustrate the main points of this passage, which are as follows. One, Jesus' love is what controls us. Two, Jesus died for all so that we could live for him. Three, we see differently because we are now new creations. Let's take a close look at the very first point, which is Jesus' love is what controls us. Before Paul tells us what changed or what died or what becomes new, he names the driving force behind it all. Paul emphatically states in verse 14, for the love of Christ controls us. The Greek word that is used here means to compel or constrain. And it means that the person is held fast in the sense that the person is a prisoner. Paul is here providing the grand rationale for everything that he does. The truth that Jesus came and died so that Paul could have eternal life is what provides the impetus for everything that Paul does. In the Gospel of Luke, the Apostle Luke provides an outstanding example of how love can fuel one's actions. In Luke 7, the Apostle Luke, who was a physician and a close companion of the Apostle Paul, tells us the story of a woman anointing Jesus. This story about the woman anointing Jesus is only found here in Luke. Mary, the sister of Lazarus, also anointed Jesus, but that was a distinctly different anointing that took place close to Jesus' crucifixion. The scriptures said that the woman learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisees' house and made her way to see Jesus. This could not possibly have been her first meeting with Jesus because upon hearing where Jesus was, she instantly and urgently journeyed to see Jesus. Her determination to see Jesus implies that she had already been touched by the hand of the master, Jesus. This woman brought an alabaster jar of perfume with her. The expression that Luke uses to describe her is a woman who had lived a sinful life. This expression is as clear as it could possibly be in stating exactly what kind of life she had previously lived. In the presence of everyone who was gathered at this banquet, the woman poured expensive perfume on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. The Pharisee who was holding the banquet in Jesus' honor obviously held the woman in low regard. After her foot washing actions, Luke notes that the Pharisee taught to himself that if Jesus was really a prophet, he would have known who was touching him and what kind of woman she was, that she was a sinner. Thereby implying that Jesus as a holy man of God should have rejected this woman's worship based on her past actions. This woman walked into a room where everyone probably knew her past and not in a good way. She ignored the negative atmosphere and came to see Jesus with tears, perfume, and worship. Jesus gave the reason for her actions in one simple sentence. She loved much because she was forgiven much. This woman's public washing of Jesus' feet in the presence of those who most likely despise her was enforced. Jesus' love was the catalyst. Another excellent example of someone whose actions were influenced entirely by the love of Jesus Christ is Amy Carmichael. Amy was raised in a deeply religious family. She learned about the love of Jesus from an early age. While living in Belfast Island in the late 1800s, Amy started working among the despised Shorleys. These women were called Shorlies because they genuinely could not afford a hat and wrapped their heads with shawls instead. From as young as 10 years old, these women labored for 12 hours in the mills to produce Irish linen, Irish rope, and Irish shirts. These items were among the best quality in the world, but they were affordable because the labor that produced them, these women, was not well paid. Amy was touched by the plight of these women. She organized to use a hall at Rosemary Street Presbyterian Church to conduct Bible study and prayer so that these women could learn about Jesus. However, a significant number of the church members of this prestigious church were displeased when they heard that the riffraff of Belfast would be used in the hall. These well-to-do church members were at a loss as to why Amy wanted to spend time with the Shorleys. Didn't she know that they smelt bad and had lice and fleas? The church members protested against these meetings being held in the church's hall to such an extent that Amy asked God to supply her with her own building to hold these meetings, which he did. Many of these surleys, having been touched by the hand of God at these meetings, changed their lives completely. It was love that compelled Amy to ignore the advice of her family friends and offer God's grace to these women who needed to hear about a Savior who loved them and died so that they could have life everlasting. When Christ's love becomes the reason we live, we no longer live for ourselves. We give our all to Jesus. This brings us to a second point. Jesus died for all so that we could live for him. The Apostle Paul, writing to the church at Corinth, penned these words, 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. Paul is speaking about Jesus' dying for the sin of the world in this passage. In the Old Testament, offerings and sacrifices took place in the temple daily. The sin offering, the atonement for sins, was a major sacrifice. This sacrifice would bring humans into harmony with God. Through the sin offering, the sacrificial animal's death, and the shedding of the animal's blood, replaced the shedding of blood and the death of the sinner in God's eyes. Jesus died in mankind's place in the same manner that the death of the sin sacrifice took the place of the death of the supplicant in the Old Testament. The book of Revelation tells us that for every nation, tribe, and tongue, Jesus has paid the blood price for us all. It was love that led Jesus to die for mankind, so that in return we'd live not for ourselves but for Jesus. In the Gospel of Luke, the Apostle Luke, a physician and constant companion of the Apostle Paul, tells the story of how Zacchaeus, having come into contact with the love of Jesus, no longer lived for himself but lived to honor Jesus. It is only here in the book of Luke that the Greek words that are used to identify Zacchaeus as a chief tax collector are to be found in the entire New Testament. These words indicate that Zacchaeus, as a chief tax collector, not only collected taxes, but other tax collectors also reported to him. Luke states that Zacchaeus was wealthy. The fact that Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector potentially explains why Zacchaeus was rich, as he probably received a cut of everything that his on the lens collected. As chief tax collector, Zacchaeus supervised the entire lucrative tax district of Jericho. Jericho was one of the three main Palestinian tax officers. The other two were Caesarea and Capernaum. Zacchaeus was at the top of the food chain when it came to tax collection. However, being a tax collector meant that one became an outcast and was despised by other Jews. The Jews were under Roman rule and had to submit to Roman laws and customs. This included paying taxes to Rome, a practice that was extremely unpopular. Rome would hire locals to collect taxes for its imperial budget. To become a tax collector, one would bid to collect taxes on behalf of Rome. The Romans awarded the contract to the highest bidder. The tax collector would then collect the taxes, pay the Romans what was promised, and keep the rest. As a result, tax collectors taxed their neighbors at unbelievably high rates and gave Rome the promised amount and kept the excess for themselves. There was no court one could go to and complain. The fellow Jews just had to pay, as the tax collectors had the force of Roman law and soldiers behind them. Tax collectors were looked down on as being amongst the lowest of the law in Jewish society. Along with tanners, donkey drivers, and bath attendants, they occupy the bottom of the barrel position in society. It was presumed that only people who are morally deficient would assume such a role. They were regarded as being the moral equivalents of thieves and murders by their fellow Jews. Tax collectors could not attend the synagogue or serve as a judge or witness in a court case. Their families also shared in the disgrace. Zacchaeus was not just a tax collector, but the chief tax collector. Jesus was passing by where Zacchaeus lived in Jericho, and Zacchaeus was determined to see Jesus for himself. Zacchaeus wanted an intervention, a touch from God. Zacchaeus was short and could not see past the crowd to get a glimpse of Jesus. Additionally, the crowd was not overly fond of Zacchaeus, so they certainly were not going to do him any favors and allow him to pass through and come to the front where he would have been able to see Jesus better. Zacchaeus did not just sit there and complain that he could not see Jesus. He got up and did something about it. Zacchaeus' solution was to start off running so that he could get in front of the crowd. Zacchaeus then decided to climb a sycamore tree. The Sycamore tree that is described here grows up to 50 feet in height. Its defining feature is its broad, low branches. The fact that these branches were close to the ground made it easy for Zacchaeus to hold on to these branches and then climb up into the tree. The epistle to the Hebrews tells us that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Jesus saw Zacchaeus because Zacchaeus was genuinely seeking Jesus. Jesus called Zacchaeus by name. When Jesus calls someone by name, something is about to happen. Jesus said to Zacchaeus, today, Zacchaeus, I must spend time at your house. This is the only time in the New Testament that Jesus invites himself to someone's house. The Greek word that is used here for must implies divine necessity. It is the same word that Jesus used in Matthew to explain to the disciples that he must suffer, be crucified, and rise again. Zacchaeus came down out of the three immediately, in the same manner that he set off running so that he could see Jesus. At Jesus' command, he specifically obeyed and came down. If Zacchaeus had put off obeying Jesus, the opportunity to be with Jesus would never have presented itself again. As Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem to be crucified, Zacchaeus welcomed Jesus into his home and his heart gladly. After eating with Jesus, Zacchaeus then publicly stood up and told everyone gathered there without being prompted that he was going to give half of his possessions to the poor. Furthermore, anyone he had robbed, he was not just going to give them back what he had stolen. He was going to restore to them four times as much. Zacchaeus had passed from death to life. Zacchaeus, having come in contact with the love of Jesus, was no longer living for himself. He was living for Jesus. David Livingston, in his accounts of his time in Africa, tells us the story of a chief who also started living for Jesus and changed completely. David Livingston was the first European missionary to explore the interior of Africa. He started doing so in 1841. David was a trained doctor, so when he first visited a tribe or ventured inland and met the local African people, he would spend time ministering to their medical needs. He would also take the opportunity to learn as much as he possibly could about the village culture. And then whenever he was able to do so, David would also tell the people about God's love. When David visited Chief Sekele's village, the chief's son was dying of the sentry. David was able to give the chief's son medicine and proceeded to treat the son for a period of time until he became healthy again. This won Chief Sekele's trust. David had a translation of the Bible that was in the chief's dialect, and David gifted the chief with his Bible. The chief was very intelligent, and within two days he had mastered the alphabet for his language, and within six weeks he was reading the Bible on his own. Chief Sekele also spent time with David studying the Bible together. Having read through the Bible several times, Chief Sekele decided to become a Christian. However, there was an issue that needed to be overcome. Chief Sekele had five wives who all depended on him for support. As a Christian, Chief Sekele knew that having more than one wife was wrong. The chief was determined to live for Jesus. Despite the blowback and uproar from the villagers, the chief divorced his latest wives, gave them clothes and money, and sent them back to their families. The chief became baptized and lived out his life as a Christian. After becoming a Christian, Chief Sekele's old self died. His encounter with Jesus caused him to live for Jesus. When something dies, it makes room for something completely new. This brings us to a third point, which is we see differently because we are new creations. Paul writing to the church in Corinth penned these words, so from now on, we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here. The Greek expression that is used here for according to the flesh means that one uses worldly measures to assess people. These worldly standards may be wealth, physical beauty, political influence or power. These benchmarks reflect the mindset of people who are living according to the world standards. The Apostle Paul is admitting here that he once used worldly standards in judging who. Jesus is. Paul states that he no longer uses the yardstick of the world to evaluate people. He now regards people from a completely different perspective, that is from a spiritual viewpoint. The Apostle Paul was once the greatest enemy of the Christian church. His name was then Saul. Saul was convinced that Jesus was a charlatan and blasphemer, nothing more than an ordinary con artist. Saul believed that Jesus deserved to be crucified and that Christians were just promulgating a false religion. As a result, Saul went about persecuting Christians. He was the chief terrorist of the Christians. If Saul found out you were a Christian, he would come to your home and drag you off to prison. Saul routinely threatened to kill the disciples of the Lord. Saul facilated the death of the first martyr of the Christian church, Stephen, by hauling the clothes of those who were stoning him to death. In the flesh, Paul saw Jesus as someone who had managed to delude a number of people. However, Saul had an encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. As Saul was making his way to Damascus to kill more Christians, a light from heaven drove Saul to his knees and blinded him physically. A voice asked, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? When he asked, Who are you, Lord? The response was, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Arise up and enter into the city, and you will be told what you must do. Saul went to the home of Judas and waited there for Ananias to come and restore his sight by laying hands on him. Ananias didn't want to go when God told him to go and minister to Saul. Ananias reminded the Lord of what a terrible person Saul had been where the Christian church was concerned. God informed Ananias that he had called Saul and that Saul would proclaim the name of Jesus to Gentiles, kings, and the people of Israel. God gave Saul a new name, Paul. When he was alive, the Apostle Paul raised the dead, started churches, cast out demons, healed the sick, and was used of God tremendously. The Apostle Paul wrote 14 of the 27 books of the New Testament. 2,000 years later, the Christian church is still living by the words of the Apostle Paul. This former enemy of the Christian church became a completely new creature, having been touched by the hand of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. Jonathan Gufforth served as a missionary in China in the early 1900s. He tells the story of a similar transformation taking place in one of the villages where he ministered. Mrs. Chang lived in a village where many people gradually gaining faith in Christ. Mrs. Chang was furious at people abandoning the old gods and showed her displeasure openly. Mrs. Chang went about making life as miserable as she could for the Christians in the village. As she was one of the older people in the village and well respected, people were afraid to show their faith. Rosalyn, Jonathan's wife, decided to go and spend time speaking with Mrs. Chang. Fortunately, Mrs. Chang welcomed Roslyn into her home. Rosalind noted that Mrs. Chang was impressed with the pictures of gods that she had pinned on the walls of her board. Rosalind told Mrs. Chang that she could draw someone just as lifelike as these drawings so as to prove that the paper drawings of the gods had no power. Mrs. Chang was shocked when Rosalind drew a realistic picture of a person that emulated the picture she had on her walls. Mrs. Chang asked for the picture and kept it. Rosalind continued to witness to her. Rosalind told her husband that she believed that Mrs. Chang was just a lonely old woman who was waiting to die. Mrs. Chang even had her coffin already built and stationed outside her bedroom door. As the missionaries continued to witness to Mrs. Chang, she too decided to become a Christian. Upon accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, Mrs. Chang changed completely. Mrs. Chang had two homes. She rented a second one at a very reasonable rate to the church so that they could start a school. Every Sunday she would serve tea to the women who were conducting Bible studies between services. She even gave away her coffin to the pastor, who used it as a Bible and hymn book stand. Mrs. Chang saw matters differently. As she had come in contact with the true and living God, Mrs. Chang became a brand new person. Being a new creation doesn't just change what we do, it changes how we see ourselves and others. The love of Christ didn't just fix us, it redefines us. In conclusion, 2 Corinthians 5, 14 to 7 reminds us that Christianity isn't about becoming better people. It's about becoming new people, controlled by a love that changes everything. The love of Christ doesn't just inspire us, it controls us. Throughout Scripture, when people encounter the love of Christ, something dies and something new begins. And when it does, the old is gone and the new has come and we are never the same. Is the love of Christ truly motivating the way we live currently? Before you go, if this message spoke to you, like this podcast and subscribe so you don't miss what God is doing here at Catch on Fire Podcast. If you're ready for real change, take a moment right now to pray with me. Jesus, I give you my life. Lead me, forgive me, and make me new. If you pray that, welcome to the family. Follow along, stay connected, and let's walk this walk together. Join me as we confess words of life over all of our lives. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are still holding on to God's unchanging hand. We are still in God's holy plan. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are living holy lives as God requires. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, giving clothes to those in need, ministering to the sick and visiting those in prison. And we are doing so to the least of those among us, as when we do so, we are ministering to Jesus. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we have received healing, as by his stripes we are healed. From the crown of our head to the soles of our feet, all of our bodily organs are working correctly. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that God is ordering our steps, that all weapons that are formed against us have been utterly and completely destroyed, and every tongue that is rising against us in judgment is condemned. We declare in decree in the name of Jesus that all generational curses are canceled. Anything that runs in our ancestral bloodline that is not of God has no power over us, our children and our grandchildren, and is eliminated forever right now. We declare in the Queen the name of Jesus that angels are watching over and keeping our family, our children, our grandchildren, our loved ones safe. We declare in decree in the name of Jesus that every negative word that has been and is being spoken over our lives and that of our family, children, grandchildren, and loved ones is cancelled and sent back to the pit from whence it came. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are the head and not the tail. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are not and will never be ashamed. Our enemies have not and never will triumph over us. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that anything that is not of God that has been dispatched to hinder our blessings, our progress, and our well-being is immediately destroyed. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are financially in line with God's word, and as such we are lenders and not borrowers. As a result, all of our debts have been paid and are forgiven. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that the enemy of our souls has no authority over our finances and our funds, and that we are good stewards of the money that God has placed in our keeping. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus in the area of business and our carriers, that just as Isaac reaped a hundredfold, the blessings of Abraham are falling on us, and we are reaping a hundredfold from whatever we put our hands to. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are living under an open heaven in every area of our lives. Blessings are falling on us, our family and our loved ones. These blessings are being manifested in our lives, in the spiritual and in the physical. Let's repeat the 23rd Psalm together. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restored my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. Amen.