Wise Words for Personal Reflection

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In faith, there is a “gotcha” moment, when Jesus gets you for life. The gotcha moment may take millions of minutes or just one. But when Jesus gets you for life, you begin to live out of Jesus-love. When we present ourselves as “living offerings” to Christ, suddenly questions of what to do and what not to do take on a whole new meaning. Once we are truly sharing our lives with Christ and learning to live in His love, then truly Charitas Christi urget nos; “The love of Christ constrains us.”
It is not the commandments and the laws that control our behavior. It is the presence of the indwelling Christ and Jesus-love that both restrains and releases us. A relational Christ ethic is why Paul said Christians don’t have sex with prostitutes. Since Christ is living His resurrected life in and through you, would you want Jesus to share that purchase of lust with you? Would Jesus treat any woman like a purchase? The commandments are paper handcuffs compared to Jesus’ love strands. It is “the love of Christ” that impels, compels, and propels us – a love that is so captivating we become free to do it all . . . in love, with love, for love.

Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola
(from Jesus Manifesto)