Saints Now and Forever

based on John 5:24-25

by Pastor Richard Mau

Commemoration of the Faithful Departed – November 2, 2003

Immanuel Lutheran – Des Plaines, Illinois

Today’s Scripture:

Psalm 34:1-9 Isaiah 35:3-10 2 Peter 3:8-14 John 5:24-29

John 5:24-25 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.

Dear Friends in Christ:

Think of the ways you preface and say important things to people. Do you begin with, “Listen Carefully,” or, “This is important.” Maybe it is in a scolding tone, “Do I have to tell you twice?” Jesus does this two times in this passage alone. He begins with, “I tell you the truth,” [v. 24 & 25]. Here are the second and third times in seven verses he says these words. Some of us remember the King James words, “Verily, Verily.” Some translations write, “Truly, Truly.” In the original language it says, “Amen, Amen!” Jesus is saying, “Listen up folks. Get this one right!”

Jesus’ next word is, “Whoever.” In that one word, “whoever” is a great comfort of God’s love, of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Whoever says that the love of Christ is for everyone. There is no one on this earth who can say that Jesus did not come to save him or anyone else. As Jesus’ arms extended wide on that cross, he opens up God’s love for all on this earth who will do one thing. That one thing is, “Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.”

This little phrase early in John’s Gospel opens up to all the secret that people spend so much time trying to fantasize, rationalize, or conjure up in so many ways. This little phrase tells how people get to heaven. This little phrase tells all that it takes to have and to hold eternal life with God. This little phrase tells something important about believers today and of all times. This little phrase is a repetition, telling it a second time, of Jesus’ words to Nicodemus, ”For God so loved that world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life,” [John 3:16].

Jesus puts this possession of eternal life into the present tense. That is what is so important for you to know today. Eternal life does not belong to you because of anything you do. Eternal life does not belong to you because of anything anyone else in this world does for you. Eternal life does belong to, right now, today, this very moment, through believing in the word of God alone. That word of God is:

1. He is almighty. He created all things, including life because God alone is life.

2. God is holy. He is perfect in every way, including his goodness.

3. Each person has sinned and falls short of his glory.

4. He loves you so much he bought you back from your sin.

5. Those who trust in him do have eternal life, now and forever.

Today is the Commemoration of the Faithful departed. It is the day following All Saints Day. There was a congregation that prepared nametags for its members on this week one year. Each nametag began not with Mr., Mrs., or Miss, but Saint. There were people who were uncomfortable with that and refused to wear a nametag that called them “Saint.” And they expressed why. “I’m not good enough.” “I haven’t died yet.” “No one is going to recognize me as a saint.”

Yes, they were right in one aspect. They were no different than any one of us here this morning as we began humbly crying out to God that each one has sinned against him in thought, word, and deed. Think about that for a moment. How has your week gone? Can you put together even a five-minute stretch in which everything you did followed God’s commands perfectly? Then, how about everything you said in those five minutes? Now, how about everything you thought in that very brief moment of time? Now, put together all of those five minute stretches of this week. As a reminder there are twelve in every hour, twenty-four hours in a day, and one hundred sixty-eight hours in a week. That is a total of two thousand sixteen chances to be good for just five minutes. Or was it a total of two thousand sixteen chances at holiness that you totally ruined?

Listen up folks. This is the truth! You are saints! Whoever, and that includes each one of you, hears Jesus’ word and believes God the Father who sent him now possesses his gift of redemption and holiness. God the Father who promised and sent a Savior, his own Son, to buy his people back from their sin, already today has given you eternal life. Jesus is telling you how sure and certain his salvation is.

When sinners know their sins, sincerely repent by coming in true sorrow and trusting God’s mercy, and trusting the holiness he gives in Jesus Christ, that trust is credited to each one as righteousness just as it was to Abraham. This message is repeated in today’s Psalm, in Isaiah, in 2 Peter, and in this passage from John. God has redeemed his people. In Psalm 34, he paid the ransom, the price demanded for his people. Satan wanted nothing other than the death of God. And yes, he got it on Calvary. And yes, that death was overcome that beautiful Sunday morning when God broke the chains that sin and death held. Today, he wants you to know, that in Jesus’ blood and verified in his resurrection you are made holy again, that you are now a saint.

John later records this truth from the Revelation Christ made to him, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb,” [Revelation 7:14].

You have crossed over from death to life. God is life. Only God creates life. Only God gives eternal life. In that simple trust in Jesus’ words to you, you are given that eternal life. When we partake of the bread and wine, Christ unites his whole church, not just this one congregation, but saints of all times and places, as one body with him. When one comes in faith to baptism, even the tiniest of infants, the blood of Christ washes all sins away both now and forever, so each can wear his robe of righteousness and stand not judged before God.

Recently we have heard so much about the process of sainthood as some in the church have long taught it. As nice as those teachings sound, they are no real comfort because they rest on the values and judgment of mortal men alone. Listen again to Jesus’ words, “I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” The, “time is coming” and, “has now come.” It is both in the future and is true today. In Christ alone you have crossed over from death to life. He has saved you from your death in sin to life everlasting with him. In Christ, all who have gone before us, our loved ones and those we never knew, who trusted in Jesus for eternal life, are saints today just as you are a saint today, just as all believers who are yet to come are saints today in the reality of eternity. In that we can rejoice and give thanks for those who have gone before, for each other gathered today, and for those yet to come.

Yes, you are a saint, both today and forever. Amen and Amen.

Amen and Amen.