“To live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil.1:21).
Lord Jesus, few of us would disagree with Paul’s statement, but what does it really mean? Why are you singularly worthy of our passionate adoration, deepest trust, and whole-life service? Here’s a 7-Pack of glorious reasons.
Us In Christ: Jesus you are our “righteousness, holiness, and redemption” (1 Cor.1:30), which means you are 100% of our salvation. To be “in Christ” is to be, period.
Christ In Us: Because you live in us we are certain of heaven—the “hope of glory” (Col.1:27). Because you live in us, one Day we will be completely like you, because you are changing us incrementally but most surely.
Christ Above Us: Jesus, this is our sanity and freedom. It doesn’t mean you are “way up there,” but way up there on the only throne that really matters—ruling over kings and crises, eternal election and “mid-term elections,” the evil that vexes us and the joys that thrill us.
Christ For Us: Knowing you are for us, who or what can be against us (Rom.8:31)? You defeated the devil and death at your first coming, now you constantly pray and advocate for us, and you have set an expiration date on ALL the bad and broken stuff. Hallelujah and thank you.
Christ With Us: Though we sometimes feel really alone in, we aren’t. We will have plenty of challenges and heartaches till you return, but we will never experience a Jesus-absent day, sorrow, or pain.
Christ Under Us: You aren’t merely a safety net for when we fall (and we do); you are the rock on which we stand—our sure foundation for today and forever. Everything else is sinking sand.
Christ Towards Us: Jesus, you aren’t “merely” returning one Day to finish making all things new; you’re coming back as our joyful, impassioned, loving Bridegroom. Our future and forever are 10,000 times better than we can hope of imagine. Thank you times a gazillion and So VERY Amen.
