Prepositional Spirituality #1 – Christ for You
I read of a man who uses the Latin words pro nobis for his cell phone password. It means “for us”.
Those two Latin words are emotional for him, because after walking through deep personal pain, true healing came when he learned that God is “for us”.
After his parents’ divorce, he assumed that God didn’t care or that God had given up on him. He finally found hope through those two simple words.
For many years I’ve been drawn to prepositional spirituality. Simple prepositions – for, with, in, among, upon, beyond – help me capture the heart and spirit of the Christian journey.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Even if I were the only person on planet Earth, Jesus would have come, lived, and died for me. His life was poured out on the cross – given for me, in place of me – so I could know that God loves me.
Christ didn’t die for good people, but for ungodly sinners. While I was rejecting God – passively indifferent and actively rebelling against God – Christ spread out his hands of love on the cross and died for me!
Paul celebrated this reality: “I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Christ continues to be for me.
When I call upon God for help, God answers. “By this I will know that God is for me” (Psalm 56:9). Often in darker moments of life I have repeated those last four words as an affirmation of my faith – God. Is. For. Me.
• God – the Creator and Lord of all things.
• Is – now in the present moment.
• For – directing his love, care, strength, encouragement, comfort.
• Me – an action arrow pointing, moving in my direction.
What concerns us, concerns God. God says, “I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor” (Ezekiel 36:9). God cares. He will even bring good out of evil, transforming us.
Indeed, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). Opposition from enemies? Attacks and lies from the devil? A firm “no”. We are justified, accepted, forgiven. No one can condemn us. God is on our side.
In fact, “Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:34).
Start here: Christ is for you.
~ Pastor Dave
