Rev. Peter J. Haugen
St. Paul Evangelical
Lutheran Church
“I thank my God always concerning you,” St. Paul says to the Corinthian Christians. Why? Because of “the Grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:4). The Grace of God has come to them through the Word of God, which did not return void, but which accomplished His Purpose. It created for God a people of His own, Holy to Himself.
This Church of God is the “Saints by Calling,” the Saints who have been called (1 Corinthians 1:2). “God is Faithful, through whom”—through this Faithful God—“through whom you were called into Fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9). St. Peter describes it this way: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great Mercy has caused us to be born again to a Living Hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).
In the midst of all our ongoing struggles and difficulties and divisions, it is more important than ever that we understand where our identity is found. Our identity is not found in political institutions. Our salvation, our help does not come from the right man, the right party, the governing authorities. God works through them, certainly, but they are not the source of our help, our comfort, our salvation, our hope, our peace. Neither is a mask… or no mask. Neither is the economy. Neither is being spared illness. All of these things that cause us such fear, such struggle, such anxiety, such anger, and everything else — our identity, our foundation, is not found in these things.
We have been called into fellowship with Jesus Christ. This Man, God of God, Light of light, very God of very God — This Jesus has made Himself our brother. We have been called not by our own will, not by the will of our neighbor, not by our choice to be on the right side of every issue, but by God into that fellowship with Jesus. God Himself has caused us to be born again. And that God who clothed Himself with our flesh, that God who forsook Himself on the cross, that God who bled forgiveness and life from His hands and His feet and His side — that God is not about to abandon us, is not about to forget us, in our current crises.
We Christians have peace with God in Jesus Christ. We have sureness and certainty of our place before Him, of our fellowship with Him because He is Himself the one who has called us. He is Himself the one who has chosen us. He is Himself the one who has caused us to be born again. And He Himself will be, He Himself is our help, is our comfort, is our salvation, is our hope, is our peace. So be at peace, dear brothers and sisters. God has overcome the world. The world cannot overcome us who are chosen by Him. Amen.