“I am the Almighty God,
Walk before Me, and be thou perfect”. Gen.17,1.
That was God’s Word for Abraham long ago, when God called and made a covenant with this man and promised “I will greatly increase your numbers”. V.2
We celebrate Veteran’s Day on November 11, which is Armistice, recalling the treaty signed in 1918 to end World War I.
Yet today we think of the Ft. Hood disaster, and the many words describing that event, and we wonder whether there is really any peace left, or any hope for peace. We are exposed to so many stories of horror, of murders, of rapes, of carnage, that we are under constant stress. The result is worry, heartburn, high blood pressure, are all increasing.
Before we give way to despair, remember what St. Paul once wrote to anxious people? “Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Romans 12,2. This reminded them to make sure they understood what happens when Jesus Christ enters the picture.
Because when we lose sight of this fact, that “Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief”. 1 Tim.1,15. we can easily get overwhelmed with things happening over which we have no control.
But remember, Jesus DID come, lived here, died, and was buried, then rose again. And this is what paid for the sins we do, the sins we did, and the burdens we carry. All is forgiven, and we are declared righteous before God. St. Paul said it well. “By grace are ye saved, that no of yourselves, it is a Gift of God, not of (your) works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2, 8.9.
So the Word of God spoken to Abraham is filled with rich meaning for us. This God, the Almighty One, planned all this because He loved us. He made this promise to Adam and Eve after they sinned. “I will put enmity between you (the serpent), and the woman, between your seed and Her seed, He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” Genesis 3,15. The first Messianic Promise.
That is what gives us the courage to live “always as Unto Him”. The Large Catechism puts our situation like this:
“I believe there is on earth a little holy flock, a community of saints under one head, Christ. It is called together by the Holy Spirit in one faith. I belong to this body. I was brought to it by the Holy Spirit in Baptism, and by hearing the Word; I am kept in it by using the Sacraments and hearing the Word of God . . .until the last day, the holy Spirit remains with this Body”. Large Catechism p.61
GPD 11/11/09
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