The Love of Christ Controls Us

by Tim, Elder

"For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised."
-2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (ESV)

If you were at Chatham’s Thanksgiving Dinner, you heard me express gratefulness to God in how He cared for my parents in allowing their home to sell. Theirs has been a 3 year journey in attempting to part with a home that hit the century mark this year. My parents are in their mid-seventies, and the demands of keeping the home place in shape—maintaining the four-stall garage that was home to my dad’s mechanic business throughout his life, plus maintaining the yard, the garden and the house—has been taking a toll on them. After many false hopes, the Lord brought a couple to look at their home this fall, and the flame of enthusiasm of these buyers could not be extinguished by any of the challenges that occurred as the couples progressed toward the closing date. My parents closed on the sale of their home at the end of October and closed on the purchase of a condominium that has promise to meet their needs not only now, but throughout their coming years.

God has provided wonderfully for my parents. If God had not provided in this manner for their needs, would He be any less gracious? Of course not! God is our Provider!

This is not the whole story regarding my folks, however. My dad has been struggling with Alzheimer’s disease for some number of years now, and the move to the new location has been most difficult for him. You see, my dad grew up in the house that he just sold and has lived in it for almost all of his adult life. That is roughly 75 years in the same location. Leaving his home has caused significant grieving, and my dad’s pain sometimes erupts into raw emotion. In the midst of these difficult times, it is my dad’s love for those close to him that allows him to bring the emotions under control and interact with those who love him.

As I reflect on my dad’s struggle, conflict is fresh in my mind, as our interaction is often characterized with some level of conflict in these days. James says in chapter four of his letter, "What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel..." (James 4:1-2b, ESV). James confidently says that whoever quarrels is at fault—not which person is at fault, but that all who quarrel are at fault.

I’ve enjoyed the adult Sunday school class this fall called "Dialoguing About our Distinctives: Conversations About Dispensationalism, The Holy Spirit and The End Times." It has been very informative, both from an informational perspective and from the perspective of seeing how different views are important to different people. It is evident that potential for conflict exists as we consider the Scriptures and the doctrinal distinctives in our constitution.

It is the elders’ intent to hold fast to Scriptural truth as we continue to discuss changes to the distinctives. We do not know what the end result of our discussion will be, but we continue to trust that He will make that clear.

As my dad has allowed his love for his sons and his wife to hold his emotions in check, it is my prayer that we will continue to struggle together to understand God’s Word and allow His love to constrain us as we continue life in the body, collectively seeking Him and the Peace that only He can provide.