3 Week Series: Christ For Us, With Us, & Through Us
This week, we begin a 3-week commemoration of 175 years of grace for our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Each week will have a unique look at how Jesus has and continues to work for, through and with his church throughout the ages. And in this time and place, we are called to continue this amazing legacy of Christ for us, Christ through us, and Christ with us.
Our synod’s 175th anniversary theme is “Christ Through Us.” That can only be understood properly if we first establish the concept of “Christ For Us” (Christus pro nobis in Latin). Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection were not for his own benefit but specifically for humanity’s salvation. He lived a perfect life, fulfilling God’s law on behalf of sinners, and his death was a substitutionary atonement for our sins. The phrase “for us” underscores the idea that salvation is entirely a gift, granted by God through Christ’s actions, and is not earned by human effort or merit.
“Christ For Us” is central to the Bible’s explanation of justification, where believers are declared righteous before God solely on the basis of Christ’s work, received through faith. Christ’s vicarious suffering and resurrection assure Christians that God’s wrath against sin has been fully satisfied, and through Christ, we are reconciled to God.
In This Sermon
In this conversation, Pastor Titus explores the theme of thankfulness, particularly focusing on the concept that God is inherently FOR humanity. He reflects on biblical stories, such as Noah and Joshua, to illustrate God's unwavering support and love. The sermon emphasizes that God's love is unconditional and that believers can find assurance in their faith. The sermon also celebrates the 175th anniversary of the Wisconsin Synod, highlighting the blessings and growth of the church community over the years.
Our Sermon Text: Romans 5:8-10
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
