The Everyday Powers of C.H.R.I.S.T. by Anthony Sweat

 

The Everyday Powers of C.H.R.I.S.T.

 

“I need thee ev’ry hour, Most gracious Lord”

(Hymns no. 98)

 

 

I clearly recall hearing the musical number, “I Need Thee Every Hour” (Hymns, no. 98) be sung when I was a teenage boy, sitting in my hometown LDS chapel.   I also clearly remember the somewhat unsettling thought that came to my mind when pondering the message of that hymn—of my need for Jesus every hour.

I need thee ev’ry hour, Most gracious Lord…

“Not EVERY hour,” I reasoned.

I need thee, oh, I need thee…

“Well, I will need Jesus when I die and need to be resurrected.  And I know I need Jesus when I sin and want to be forgiven of my sins.  But sin and death doesn’t mean I need Jesus every HOUR of every day. Why would I need the Atonement every hour?”

The question of my youth wasn’t—and isn’t for most disciples of Christ—the simple, “Why do we need Jesus’ Atonement?” That, I think, is strongly understood by most Latter-day Saints, and was clearly understood by me in my youth.  But the question of why I would need Jesus’ Atonement every hour of my life, especially in the non-sin/repentance contexts of everyday life, and how that is made possible, weren’t so obvious to me then, nor are the overtly obvious to many believers today.  Most Latter-day saints tend to associate the direct application of Jesus’ Atonement to sin and/or death. President Boyd K. Packed said, “For some reason, we think the Atonement of Christ applies only at the end of mortal life to redemption from the Fall, from spiritual death. It is much more than that. It is an ever-present power to call upon in everyday life….The Atonement has practical, personal everyday value.”

Aside from forgiveness and resurrection, what practical, personal, everyday value does the Atonement of Christ offer?  For example, how does the Atonement help somebody who just got divorced? What about someone who just got denied to graduate school?  What about the person dealing with infertility?  How does the Atonement relate to those to whom nobody relates—those who are outcasts and not in any real circle of family or friends?  What about the person who is falsely accused or wrongly charged? How does the Atonement help the person who is unfairly treated? What does the Atonement do for someone who suffers daily from painful childhood memories? What payments can the Atonement bring to someone who was blindly robbed of life savings in a fraudulent investment scheme? What everyday power does the Atonement offer to someone with everyday back pain, or chronic fatigue, or chronic depression?  How does the Atonement help the great-grandmother isolated in a senior care center? What does the Atonement do for the parent with a demanding special-needs child? What does the Atonement do for someone who can’t control their violent temper? Where does the Atonement come into effect not the sinner, but the sinned against, such as a person who has been devastated by an unfaithful spouse?  And—let’s not overlook this small segment of saints—what does the Atonement do for the rare for whom “all is well”—the small segment of saints who are currently blessed with a good family and marriage, friends, personal health, comfortable living circumstances, and not involved in major sin? How can Jesus Atonement give an ever-present power in everyday life for the everyday person?  That is where the real questions are, and I believe, real answers may be found.

Elder Russell M. Nelson said, “Each day, ours is the challenge to access the power of the Atonement.”  As I have studied and searched the scriptures for insights to this challenge I have been drawn to the various examples that display Jesus’ divine grace in operation—varied situations, stories, and teachings where someone was somehow assisted by the powers of Christ.  There are scriptures of people being raised from the dead and being forgiven of sin (sin and death).  But there are also scriptures of people being healed from sickness (mentally and physically).  Tears of sorrow are turned to tears of celebration.  The hopeless are somehow given hope.  Wrongs are made right.  People are given divine protection and guidance.  Needs are met. Comfort provided.  There are examples of people being given power to do good works they otherwise couldn’t have done themselves: Joseph Smith translating, Nephi bursting bands, Moses parting the Sea.  There were also examples of people, such as Paul, Peter, Alma the Younger, and the people of Mosiah, having their very natures and dispositions changed.  The everyday powers of Christ spill out in the lives of God’s children in story after story throughout the scriptures, and thus can and do stream into the everyday lives of God’s children today.

Right now I am currently working on a book that attempts to synthesize and discuss what these various everyday powers of the Atonement are, what they look like, and how to possibly access them, which is where you (dear blog reader) may come in.  One of the truths I discuss is that “Christ” isn’t a name, it’s a title (Greek for “anointed”)—a title that implies his anointed, everyday power.  C.H.R.I.S.T. can actually be viewed and used as an acronym to teach and remind us of his ever-present, daily powers:

Cleansing power—Jesus has the power to cleanse us and make us pure.

Healing power—Jesus has the power to heal us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Restoring power—Jesus has the power to make right (at-one) all the wrongs of mortality.

Identifying power—Jesus has the power to understand, empathize with, and guide us.

Strengthening power—Jesus has the power to give us strength beyond our natural ability.

Transforming power—Jesus has the power to change our very dispositions and natures.

(Here is a PDF of the acronym picture above)  Everyday power of C.H.R.I.S.T.

To better help readers understand how some of these powers not just theoretically work, but currently are at work, I am looking for some real life examples of others’ everyday experiences with the Atonement, and as many as possible.  Consider the following questions:

• When and how have you been blessed by Jesus’ ability to empathize with you and understand what you are going through?
• When and how have you felt the Atonement of Christ heal you, physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually?
• What has been your experience with being cleansed from sin by Christ?
• When have you been given specific, inspired instructions or directions from God to overcome and/or meet your needs?
• How has your belief in the concept of divine restoration (where God will correct the wrongs of mortality) influenced your everyday actions?
• How has the gift of hope through the Atonement of Christ helped you deal with the inequities and unfairness of life?
• When have you been strengthened by Christ to do good works you otherwise would not have been able to perform without his help?
• In what ways and how has the Atonement of Jesus Christ changed your attitude, desires, disposition, or character—literally transformed you?

 

I would be honored and privileged to read and learn from your insights and experiences that might contribute to helping improve the content of this book.  If you have something you would be willing to share in response to any of these questions (or ones similar) please click here (www.anthonysweat.com/contact) to contact me and share your experience.  Any experience that ends up being used will have the identities and circumstances (places, dates, etc.) changed to protect person’s identities and provide anonymity. In advance I deeply thank anyone who is willing to share.

It is my belief that the Savior’s divine Atonement has something to offer everyone, every day, every hour.  The Atonement of Jesus Christ is gratefully there for all of us who are stained by sin and long to be spotless.  But it is also for the hurt who are holding out for healing; it is for those who have faith in a God that is fair, but who innocently suffer in a world that is often isn’t; it is for the burdened believer who seeks strength to meet the daily challenges of life; for the person who thinks that nobody understands their singular situation, but wishes someone would; it is for those who yearn for personal transformation and for their character to be more like Christ’s; it is for each of us who, in our unique situations, need the Atonement and Jesus’ divine grace this very hour, and every coming hour.