What is Proxy?
Proxy is youth group at MHC|WS and is centered on Jesus Christ and His Gospel. Proxy in West Seattle meets primarily through community groups in various homes, times, and locations throughout the week, while meeting collectively the first Wednesday of each month at the churches building to corporately worship Christ with our lives. For more information or to get involved email westseattleyouth@marshillchurch.org.
Why Proxy?
Proxy [prok’see] noun
- A person authorized to act as the substitute for another.
2. An ally who can be relied upon to speak or act in one’s behalf.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, humbled himself and came into a fallen and utterly dark world inhabited by people he created, people who had rebelled against their loving Creator. He lived a perfectly righteous life, always following the will of God, always selflessly loving others, always revealing the character of God through words and actions. Jesus lived the life we are called to live but do not. If we follow Jesus in faith, we receive his righteousness. In this way, Jesus is our Proxy.
“For our sake [God] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21
In turning our backs on God, we are all guilty of treason against our loving Father. This is a dreadfully serious offense – an offense that carries a penalty of death. In his death on the cross, Jesus took upon himself the past, present, and future sins of the whole world. He endured the torture we should endure and died the death we should die, but, as we become followers of Jesus in faith, he takes our punishment upon himself. In this way, Jesus is our Proxy.
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.” – 1 Peter 3:18
As we follow Jesus, we begin to love what he loves, want what he wants, and act the way he acts. Like Jesus, we yearn for those who do not know him to come to him in faith. In response to that desire, we love others authentically – humbly serving them, living life with them, and introducing Jesus to them. In this way, Jesus is other people’s Proxy through us.
“As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” – John 17:18
