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Article 5: Jesus for Us - The Beauty of Salvation
We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.

Family Devotional for the Week
1 Corinthians 15.1-4 (Read as a Family)

My brother and I loved to get our little dog going. When he was really excited about a stick—yes, a stick—he would hang onto it for dear life. Then we'd test his commitment. My brother and I would pick up the stick, dog attached, and lift him into the air. He was a circus act, hanging by his teeth from a stick. Sometimes we would tire of the stick before our dog would, and let it/him go. Both would drop to the ground, and the dog would run away with it in his mouth, victorious. For a stick.

Paul strongly urges us to hang on for dear life—stand firm—to the Good News of Jesus. And what is it about Jesus that's such Good News? He suffered at the hands of wicked men, but not from weakness. He died, but not in vain. He was buried, but could not be contained by the grave. And by the infinite power of Almighty God, Jesus was raised from the dead.

Hang on to this, says Paul. Don't let go of it. Hang by your teeth when someone tries to take it away. It is that essential. And life in this world is that difficult. People will try to wrestle us away from our faith. Circumstances will challenge it. Emotions will ebb and flow. Hang on.

You'll be glad to know that this is where the metaphor ends. Unlike our dog, you and I aren't hanging on by our own strength and grit. Life in Christ is not a battle of strength, or wits, or a contest to see who can outlast the enemy. He fills us with His Spirit, giving us the power to hang on. He puts people in our lives to encourage us, to shoulder our burdens with us. Best of all, he loves us. All-powerful God chooses to demonstrate his mighty might by tenderly sacrificing what He loved most—His only Son—so that we may live.

That's worth hanging onto.

Talk about as a family:

• Do you ever wonder if Jesus is worth hanging onto? Have you ever let go or wanted to let go? What did that look like?
• What does it mean to stand firm in the Good News?
• What makes it Good News?

Pray together: Lord, we want to hang on! Help us to stand firm in your Good News. Teach us to lean hard into the mighty strength of God, which raised Jesus from the dead!

~Carol Kenyon

Monday
1 Corinthians 15: 1-4

My brother and I loved to get our little dog going. When he was really excited about a stick—yes, a stick—he would hang onto it for dear life. Then we'd test his commitment. My brother and I would pick up the stick, dog attached, and lift him into the air. He was a circus act, hanging by his teeth from a stick. Sometimes we would tire of the stick before our dog would, and let it/him go. Both would drop to the ground, and the dog would run away with it in his mouth, victorious. For a stick.

Paul strongly urges us to hang on for dear life—stand firm—to the Good News of Jesus. Remember our excitement when we first realized what Jesus had done for us? He made Good News out of bad news. He suffered at the hands of wicked men, but not from weakness. He died, but not in vain. He was buried, but could not be contained by the grave. And by the infinite power of Almighty God, Jesus was raised from the dead.

Hang on to this, says Paul. Don't let go of it. Hang by your teeth when someone tries to take it away. It is that essential. And life in this world is that difficult. People will try to wrestle us away from our faith. Circumstances will challenge it. Emotions will ebb and flow. Hang on.

You'll be glad to know that this is where the metaphor ends. Unlike our dog, you and I aren't hanging on by our own sheer determination. Life in Christ is not a battle of strength, or wits, or a contest to see who can outlast the enemy. He fills us with His Spirit, giving us the power to hang on. He puts people in our lives to encourage us, to shoulder our burdens with us. Best of all, he loves us. All-powerful God chooses to demonstrate his mighty might by tenderly sacrificing what He loved most—His only Son—so that we may live.

That's worth hanging onto.

Do you ever wonder if following Jesus is worth hanging on?
Have you ever let go? What did that look like?
What does it mean to stand firm in the Good News?
What makes it Good News?

Lord, we want to hang on! Help us to stand firm in your Good News. Teach us to lean hard into the mighty strength of God, which raised Jesus from the dead!

~Carol Kenyon

Tuesday
2 Corinthians 5:14-17

I still remember the days when I had to hand type my papers for college. No computers, no word processing, no changing fonts, simply typing with little hammers marking a page with ink. I had a typewriter with a special ribbon that was made of "white-out" so I could fix an error if I caught it quickly. But even then, my error was visible if you looked hard enough.

Maybe that's why I love the "undo" button in my current word processor. If I make what seems like a fatal error, all I have to do is hit the "undo" button and its as though it never happened! Sometimes I wish life were that way! Wouldn't it be amazing if we could hit the "undo" button in our lives? Think about some of the things that you regret you have said or done, imagine being able to wipe it clean.

The Bible makes it clear that because of our sin we are guilty before a Holy God. It says, "The wage (or penalty) of sin is death" Romans 3:23. We have all committed a "fatal error" with the sin in our lives, and there is nothing that I, in my power, can do to cover it with "white-out." Sometimes this it what it feels like when we get caught in the trap of trying to live a good life to somehow gain God's favor.

That's how I used to live my life. I would try to "white-out" my sin by going to church or doing good. It doesn't work! But there is good news. God has given us a type of "undo" button, more accurately it is a "new creation" button. I remember when I was 20 years old and a friend helped me find this button. I put my faith and trust in Jesus alone, in his death on the cross for my sins. I gave up using "white-out" and began a life surrendered to Jesus. The old has gone, the new is here!

Have you discovered the "new creation" button through faith in Jesus? Can you imagine what life would be like if Jesus had not died for our sin? Get rid of the "white-out" and thank God today for his perfect provision for you.

~John Secrest

Wednesday
1 Corinthians 1:18

Can you remember when it was your turn to share for show and tell? It was stressful. How could you possibly choose? In your mind the sky was the limit. You'd bring your dog, your grandfather's arrowheads, your autographed picture of the semi-pro figure skater that says "Keep working hard and you can be the Ice Queen someday!" You'd line up all your stuff on your bed wishing you could bring it all. After minutes of agonizing over having to choose, you make your pick.

As you stood in front of your whole class you'd smile ear to ear. Ready to gloat and share why your item was so magnificent, why everyone wishes they had one like yours. And naturally, you'd see the responses of oohs and aahhs. Then there were the head tilts. The giggles and snickers. Kids watching who were mean and just plain didn't understand why you chose that item. They'd call you names and try to make you feel foolish for bringing your show and tell item. How could they not love your show and tell item? Were you the foolish one for sharing something so special?
The powerful message of the cross becomes our show and tell for the rest of our lives.

The message of the cross is deeply powerful to us. We don't see the cross as another symbol of execution for the criminals of society. We don't see it as a shaming post for the outcast. To historians and unbelievers, it's just another form of the electric chair. To us it's glorious freedom. The message of the cross to us is powerfully, cosmically heroic. We look at the cross and see the hero Jesus working out a battle to overcome brokenness and sin. We now recall our lives before the impact of the cross and see deep transformational change. The message of the cross is a marvelous one to us. It changed everything us, the tired weary human. It is anything but foolish. It becomes magnificent. Now everyday becomes adult show and tell. The greatest living story ever told and written by God himself propels us to share. Now we go into the world with our hearts beating with excitement and nervousness readying ourselves for show and tell. Capturing a childlike excitement that doesn't have to disappear in us no matter the reaction the world may have to us. We can boldly share with the rest of the world because our lives become living proof that Jesus work on the cross is real. The cross changes from foolish to brilliant. Death to resurrection. Despair to hope and life.

~Perry Hawkins

Thursday
Ephesians 2:14-16

I don't often talk about this, but it was hard growing up as a bi-racial person. For those of you who don't know me, I am the product of a Chinese-Sri Lankan marriage. Growing up in Singapore, they had many names for people like me – the one I probably remember most was "kopi susu", which in the Malay language means "coffee with milk." And so growing up, you learn to cope by developing a thicker outer skin, but in reality there were many times I did not feel accepted by either ethnic group, simply because I was "mixed".

The Old Testament emphasizes the Jewish story – the people of Israel were called by God to be His holy and special people. Jesus was a Jew, but He communicated that God's call was far bigger, deeper and wider to be confined to just the Jewish people. It was an invitation to the entire world to enter His kingdom and become His children. That was God's intention from the very beginning! When we respond to God's call, we become God's "chosen people", God's "royal priesthood" and "holy nation", no matter what our color of skin, background or language we speak. (1 Pet 2:9) That's the beauty of the church of Jesus Christ!

But even more than this, the Bible tells us that Jesus set "aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations." Now this doesn't mean that God's laws no longer apply to us. Rather, Jesus by His death on the cross paved the way for us to be reconciled to God by becoming our all-sufficient and perfect sacrifice for our sins, allowing us to draw near to God. Our sins were standing in the way like a "barrier" between God and us. But the Bible tells us that God demolished the dividing wall that existed between us and Him. Such is the love of our amazing God! But we have to act on it.

We may know this and acknowledge this intellectually as correct, but are there areas of your life where you may treat others differently, even subconsciously because of the way they look or sound? Or are there any areas of your life that are separating you from God? I encourage you to submit these areas to God and ask His Holy Spirit to empower you to change.

~Walter Alexander

Friday
Romans 3:25-26

It is summer of 2000 and Jeanne and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary with a trip to the Holy lands and Oberammergau, Germany – the home of the "Passion Play". This play is put on every 10 years to depict the last week of Christ's life.

The climax of the play is a scene when Christ is nailed to the cross and then raised up before you for 45 minutes while the scenes below continue. Finally as the concluding act, Christ is taken off the cross, placed in the tomb and resurrected to be with His father in Heaven. For me, my understanding of Christ's death for my sins became implanted more deeply in my mind and my heart was pierced. I felt the emotion as if I had personally been at Calvary.

Throughout the Bible, Old and New Testament, we are taught about the need for a lamb, and in this case "The Lamb" to be sacrificed once and for all for our sins. In Romans 3:25-26, We read that Jesus Christ was our representative and substitute who shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. From there we know that His atoning death and victorious resurrection is our only grounds for salvation – eternal life with God in Heaven.

As you go about your week, take time out to remember Jesus, what he accomplished on the cross and thank Him for his redeeming love – the gift of salvation/eternal life. Then take a moment to pray for others who do not know Jesus this way or tell them the Good News story that they too may come to the saving knowledge of Jesus.

~Bill Mead

Saturday
John 14:6

As a young man, soon after I had finished my university studies, I worked at a "Three Par Golf Course" for a summer. There were a number of men in their late fifties and sixties, who came every evening to play the lighted course. I would usually be a part of their group in the Café at the end of their round and would listen to them talking about the various aspects of their lives, their marriages, families and professions. One theme remained consistent on every occasion: how unsatisfied they were with how their lives had turned out! They were unhappy in their jobs, in their marriages and within themselves. At the end of the summer, I made myself a promise, that I would not let myself finish my life in the same way! I had to find an answer to my life's meaning and purpose. How could I be genuinely happy? You know, "life's big questions!" I decided not to interview with any company and tie myself down anywhere until I found an answer to my quest.

That December, something amazing had happened to my sister. She was different. She was happy. She had a different attitude towards others and herself. I asked her to explain herself! She told me that she had become a Christian and that Jesus had completely changed her life and her life direction! I immediately told her that I wanted to know more and she put me in touch with a Christian friend, Josh, who shared with me over a long dinner one evening, how I could come to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I knew that my life was going nowhere in particular. That I felt so restless and unhappy inside. One of the key verses Josh shared with me that evening was John 14:6. He made clear that Jesus was the one, who would show me the "way" and give my life clear direction and purpose; that Jesus was the "truth" and had answers to the questions of life meaning and purpose; that Jesus was the "life" and the one, who could replace my inner unrest and emptiness with his love, joy and peace.

That night I prayed a simple prayer, confessing my sin and asking God for forgiveness; recognizing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; and, then inviting him to come into my life and make me new. He did all of that and my life has never been the same! I am now in that age range of the men at the golf course I knew many years ago, but "my story" is a different one: Because I have found Christ and committed myself to him, I have also found and experienced the answers to the "big questions of life": Jesus is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. Where are you on that Journey?
Take some time in your group to share your life stories and where you are in your quest to find answers to the "big questions of life's meaning and purpose." Look at John 1:12 and discuss what it means to "receive Him."

Lord Jesus, thank you that you are the Way, the Truth and the Life and that we can know you in a personal way and experience the "abundant life" you have promised us

~Roger Bosch