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Let us firmly hold on to the confession of our hope, without wavering, for He who makes the promise is faithful.

Alleluia! IHS Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

᛭ INI ᛭

Your Lord IHS Christ is faithful, Velma. He’s faithful to you also Shelly and Don. He’s faithful to all of you here. He’s faithful to Eldor, too. And because grief reminds of grief, one funeral may put a previous funeral in the back of your mind or just under the surface of your heart, He’s faithful to Dana, too. The Lord IHS Christ is faithful to all those you’ve loved who died in Him, that is, died with faith, confidence, and hope in Him.

Paul talks about this in 1 Thessalonians 4: “If we believe that IHS died and rose, so also we believe that God the Father will bring with Him those who sleep in IHS.” And there’s the reason that we “do not grieve, like others do who have no hope.” There’s the reason we “firmly hold on to the confession of our hope, without wavering.” There we see how faithful “He who makes the promise is.”

It doesn’t have to do with how firmly we hold the confession of our faith. It doesn’t have to do with our faith. It doesn’t have to do with how little we grieve or how much. It doesn’t have to do with how well you’re holding it together today, or how good of a Christian you may or may not be according to our own standards. It has everything to do with “He who makes the promise.” And tells you a very specific promise that the LORD IHS made and kept. He died, and He rose, came back to life.

Christ isn’t just a promise maker but a promise keeper, just like His Father. “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” “I lay down My life that I may take it back again. This command I have received from My Father.” (Jn 10) And that’s exactly what Christ did: He laid down His life for His sheep. He bore the sins of His sheep in His own body on the tree, by His stripes we are healed, forgiven. And on the Third Day He came back to life. “He who makes the promise is faithful.”

We need Him to be faithful, for the sin dwelling in our flesh and the sins we commit daily and much. “The wages of sin is death.” (Rom 6) Casket and grave, even the pain of a stubbed toe and or things like allergies, are a constant reminder of this truth about each and everyone of us, that things in this world aren’t as God created them to be, that we aren’t as God created us to be, that we are, in fact, sinners, that we, in fact, will die, that, in fact, “the wages of sin is death.”

Afflictions come not as punishments for specific sins. But, as Christ says, “That the works of God should be revealed.“ (Jn 9) In fact, He uses them “to conform us to the image of His Son.” (Rom 8) Indeed, “the Lord will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies. For He does not afflict willingly, Nor grieve the children of men.” (Lam 3) For, when it comes to “wages of sin” being “death,” “this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ IHS came into the world to save sinners.” (1Tim 1) Which then means, yes, “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ IHS our Lord,” “who died for you and gave His life as a ransom for you,” and was “raised for your justification,” (Rom 4) your innocent verdict, and your eternal life.

The Lord gives many good gifts in this life. Eldor’s obituary, like all Christian obituaries, barely scratches the surface of all that the Triune God did in the lives of His saints. There are many more things that He gave to His saints. Many more things that He did for them. Many more things that He did through them. Many more things that Eldor was permitted both to give and to receive.

There are, of course, many more things that we would’ve like to have done or would’ve wanted to do in the future. “A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” (Prov 19) The LORD doesn’t order the lives of the faithful according to our plans. He orders our life according to his promises. A life ordered according to Holy Baptism, which, as Christ says through Peter, “saves you” (1Pet 3), even at 15 days old like Eldor. A life ordered according to His Word, not only taught at confirmation, but Christ’s Word heard weekly in Preaching and “sung in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” A life ordered according to receiving Christ’s body and blood in the Sacrament. The blessing of Communion’s forgiveness is an eternal one, and one received the day before Eldor died: “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life and I will resurrect him on the Last Day.” (Jn 6)

Let us firmly hold on to the confession of our hope, without wavering, for He who makes the promise is faithful. He is faithful. More faithful than’s almost believable. It would be unbelievable had Christ not said it and done it! He laid down His life and three days later took it back again. If He’s faithful with that, He’s faithful with all the rest—with His promises made in Baptism, Absolution, and His Body and blood. Our hope, our confidence, our faith is in Him alone, who died and rose again for us.

It’s not a matter of holding firmly on to Him, but His holding firmly on to us. He holds on to you the whole way. From font, to everyday of your life, and even down into death and the grave. “Even there His hand leads you, and His right hand holds on to you.” (Ps 139) For there’s “no can [that] can snatch you out of [His] hand.” Let us firmly hold on to the confession of our hope, without wavering, for He who makes the promise is faithful.

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord IHS Christ. He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it. (1Thess 5)

Alleluia! IHS Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

᛭ INI ᛭