Particularizing

"… do not destroy the one for whom Christ died" (Romans 14:15).

I am, unfortunately, the kind of person who tends to need a personal appeal in order to join a cause. I say this to my shame.

For example, if there is an announcement at church that there will be a churchwide fundraising car wash and that we should all consider participating, I am not so likely to sign up. If, on the other hand, someone phones me and says, "Hey Andrée, it would be so cool if you came to the car wash with us," the personal touch will stir my heart and make me feel wanted. (This must drive pastors nuts.)

The verse above in Romans struck me because it is the only one I can think of, off the top of my head, that says Christ died for a single individual. I can think of scads of passages that say Christ died for humanity, and for man, and for us, and for sinners, and, famously, for the world:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

"… Christ died for our sins …" (1 Corinthians 15:3).

"… he laid down his life for us …" (1 John 3:16).

"… Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous …" (1 Peter 3:18).

Here we see that God loves " the world." That's good, but my fleshly mind always imagines that love being diluted by about 8 billion parts before it trickles down to me. (I am not trying to be irreverent here; I am disclosing the shameful and half-conscious weaknesses of my mind.)

But I love the thought that in Romans 14:15, the Lord takes umbrage with anyone who by any cause does something that would tend to "destroy the one for whom Christ died." This is a very particular love after all. God loves that one individual very much. Christ died, not for the masses, but for that one man. Do not trifle with that man or you will have Christ to deal with.