psa 116v12 The Overwhelming Obligations of Love

THE OVERWHELMING OBLIGATIONS OF LOVE

"What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?” .....Psalm 116:12

As believers, we are no longer under the bondage of the law. The legal fears and terrors of the law have no power with us. Never, in all the New Testament, is a believer admonished to do anything because it is written in the law. Paul's language could not be clearer-"The law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient."

But our freedom from the law does not mean that we are without responsibility, obligation, constraint. Paul looked upon himself as the bond-slave of Jesus Christ. We who believe are divorced from Moses. But we are married to Christ. And with marriage comes commitment, responsibility, and a certain form of bondage. Yes, we are in bondage to Christ. Ours is a deliberate, willful, voluntary bondage. Our hearts are bound to Christ by cords of love. "The love of Christ constraineth us." This bondage of love is the greatest freedom imaginable.

Now let me reason with you who love the Lord. Surely the motives of love are stronger than any produced by the fear of the law. Think of all the Lord's benefits toward you. Who can count the small dust of God's favors toward us? Just to think of God's daily, temporal mercies of providence is overwhelming. But we have experienced the love, mercy, and grace of God in Christ! God gave us his Son! He chose us to be his own. We are redeemed by the blood of Christ and clothed with his righteousness! God the Holy Spirit gave us life, led us to Christ, and dwells in our hearts. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be." Behold with wonder God's superabundant grace toward us!

Surely the consideration of the Lord's benefits toward us will inspire in a loving heart a sense of overwhelming obligation. Out of love to our Savior and God we ask, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?" What gift can I bring to my Redeemer? How can I prove the sincerity of my love? How can I show the depth of my gratitude? I will give myself whole-heartedly to my God and Savior, Jesus Christ, heart, soul, mind, and being. Whatever I am, whatever I possess, it belongs to Christ. My time, my property, my talents, my labor all are his. That is the least that I can do. "Lord, Here am I." Use thy servant for thy glory, however you see fit.