Good Morning Friends,
From the earliest days of the church, Christians have remembered those who have died. We still do. We engrave names on gravestones, memorials, and columbarium walls. At the Communion Table we hear Jesus say, “Do this in remembrance of me.” All Souls’ Day reminds us not only to remember those who have gone before us, but also to remember where all of us are going. Churches are filled with sinners who are going to die. So is the world outside the church. Christianity does not offer an escape from death. It offers something far greater: the promise that in Christ, death does not have the last word.
So, How Do You Profess Being a Christian on All Souls’ Day?
Scripture Summaries:
Romans 5:5–11 reminds us that God did not wait for us to become worthy. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Through him we are reconciled to God and given hope.
Romans 6:3–9 tells us that in baptism we are joined to Christ in both his death and resurrection. The old life is dying, and we are called to walk in newness of life. Because Christ lives, death no longer has dominion over him, or ultimately over those who belong to him.
John 6:37–40 gives us Jesus’ extraordinary promise that he will not cast away those who come to him. The Father’s will is that Christ lose none of those given to him but raise them up on the last day.
Daniel 7:13–14 looks beyond death to the coming King: the Son of Man receives an everlasting kingdom that will never pass away.
Message: Many people today are uncertain about belonging to a church. Some describe themselves as spiritual but not religious. Others believe in God but have disconnected themselves from Christian community. And perhaps the church has sometimes given them reasons for doing so. But Jesus did not merely call us to believe something privately. He called us to follow him and bear fruit. What makes an orange tree recognizable? Eventually, oranges. And what makes Christian faith recognizable? Fruit. Love. Grace. Forgiveness. Mercy. Generosity. Reconciliation. Disciples who make other disciples. A little yeast eventually works through the whole loaf. A small flame can light another flame. A disciple who helps another person follow Jesus may begin something whose consequences continue long after that disciple has died. That is Kingdom stuff. All Souls’ Day therefore asks a surprisingly personal question: When my name is finally engraved somewhere, what evidence will remain that I belonged to Jesus?
And So, Perhaps professing Christ is less about having the perfect answer and more about being able to say honestly: “This is who I was. This is what Christ has done in me. And this is who, by his grace, I am becoming.” Our testimony is not that we were good enough. Paul’s testimony is exactly the opposite: while we were sinners, Christ died for us. We have been reconciled by Jesus. We have been forgiven. We are being changed. And even death becomes part of our testimony because the Christian enters death trusting the One who promised: I will raise them up on the last day. That is something worth professing while we still have breath.
Pray that we have a story to tell that honors God. Pray that God’s grace changes us deeply enough that others can see its fruit. Pray for the fact that we make disciples who make disciples, so that our faith continues beyond our own lifetime. Pray that we walk with Jesus in the newness of life, reconciled to God and at peace even in the face of death. Pray that when our earthly lives are remembered, people will see more than a name carved in stone, they see evidence that we belonged to Jesus.
Blessings,
John Lawson
