13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.REFLECTIONSWritten by Ken Wong Have you ever been inspired by a generous act? You may have heard of Lt. Michael P. Murphy who inspired the "Murph Workout" (100 Pull-ups. 200 Push-ups, 300 Squats, 1 mile Run). But before the "Murph Workout" was named in his honour, he received the Medal of Honor for bravely sacrificing himself in battle in Afghanistan so that he could call in help to save his own friends. We are right to be inspired by acts of heroism and sacrifice like this.But do you realise we were caught up in a real-life story of our own? We were caught in a predicament so dire and hopeless, only supernatural intervention could save us. We were dead in our sins, meaning we were in open disobedience against God and the consequence of that was death. But thank God for his mercy. Jesus didn't just save friends but open enemies, and he made us right with God and made us alive again. Unlike Lt. Murphy who was caught in an unfortunate place, Jesus put Himself in harm's way when he had no obligation to do so. On the cross Jesus suffered the punishment that we justly deserved. And on the cross he spectacularly disarmed the powers that used to hold sway over us and removed the burden of guilt that separated us from God. As believers now we have a newfound Spirit who gives us new desires and helps us to live for God (Romans 8:5).Just as it is right to honour Lt. Murphy, it is even more fitting to honour Jesus for what he has done for us on the cross. Let us keep honouring Jesus' sacrifice with thanksgiving in our hearts and with lives that glorify his name. ABOUT THE AUTHORKen is a member of our Fairfield Evening Congregation.