Global Methodist Church Catechism: O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus. How God reconciles us in Christ.
Each Wednesday we will be exploring a question and answer from the GMC summary of our faith called the Catechism.
How does God reconcile us in Christ?
God reconciles us to Himself through the death of Christ on the Cross.
Romans 5:6-11
“And I am Proud to be an American, were at least I know I’m free, and I won’t forget the men who died, and gave that right to me.” I remember this song being sung in the 7th inning stretch in New York after 9/11. With gusto, fans not only sang, but waved flags, sung the national anthem in pregame, and a time of Patriotism that hasn’t been seen for a while was not only in New York, but the whole country. I don’t comment on politics, but let’s be real on the principle of the song: People died so others might have life.
Most Christian traditions recognize that man has a sin problem. Many ways are offered in each tradition to express faith in Christ and be reconciled to Him. In the Methodist Tradition, some Protestant and even Catholic tradition all have an increased focus on one question: How does God reconcile sinners? The answer is in Romans 5:8 when Paul writes the mighty line of Christian faith that “God demonstrated His own love towards us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” To that end, traditions such as Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are installed in the Christian year for the named traditions above to provide the stark reminder: someone had to die so someone else could have life.
One hymn writer was overwhelmed at this prospect. What would cause someone to die on the cross for a sinner and a wretch such as himself? His answer is one of the finest hymns written for the church. He states and sings that what caused the cross was
“O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loves us, ever loves us,
changeth never, nevermore!
How He watcheth o'er His loved ones,
died to call them all His own;
how for them He intercedeth,
watches over them from the throne.”1
Do you want that kind of love? Are you lacking the love the Bible and Hymn writers write about? Do you need a forgiveness today that lasts? Could I send my own children to die for sinful, horrible people? In Christ, God saw you, sinner and all, and came anyway to die because he loved you. The modern response for such love is “speechless.” The Bible’s response to Christs death on the Cross is even better: “What then shall we say?”-Romans 8:31.
Questions: 1. What would your life be like if Christ didn’t die on the cross? Would you be who you are today?
No matter what happens, in Christ, you are somebody to Him. Does this change your outlook on life? Why or why not?
“O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus” https://hymnary.org/text/o_the_deep_deep_love_of_jesus