Shepherd of the Springs
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

"The Secret Lives of the Saints"

From the First Lesson of the Day: Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?" [Revelation 7.13]

From the Epistle: See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God, and so we are. [1 John 3.1]

From the Holy Gospel: "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake." [Matthew 5.11]

On this 24^th Sunday after Trinity, we transfer from November 1 the Feast of All Saints. All Saints Day is a venerable feast day on the historic Western Church calendar. It marks the lives of faith evidenced in the saints. But this is not a focus on a certain number or collection of saints. This is a focus on all the saints of all time and place. Hence, we have the name "All Saints Day!"

But then, on the 2^nd of November, the Western Church observes "All Souls Day." Now, what is the difference between the day we move from yesterday to today and the day that would otherwise be observed on November 2? All Saints observes the nature of what God gives and creates within sinful human beings, namely the nature and stature of forgiven and perfected sinners, thus made saints. All Souls day observes that all Christians continue, in this present life, to be encumbered with the same sinful nature as those who are not Christians, and in addition it observes the fact that Christians often suffer for the faith, waiting for God’s release from suffering and for Christ’s Return.

In other words, All Souls Day notes that Christians appear to be just in the same condition and in the same circumstances as the rest of fallen mankind, and All Saints Day notes that, despite what is true about our human conditions, Christians are already God’s Saints, and that truth about us is what God makes evident from time to time and in differing ways within different Christians. All Saints Day celebrates, in truth, though beyond what human eyes now can see, "The Secret Lives of the Saints."

I.

When you are asked to think of the "secret lives of the saints," you may well think about the fact that God’s saints still harbor inward sin and evil, as we see also in ourselves when we experience those honest moments of repentance and confession. But the secret lives of the saints are not those inward evidences of sin. Rather, the secret lives of the saints – the secret life of each of us here today – is the reality of who you are in Christ, already – though it does not yet appear so to others or even to ourselves!

St. John invites you to take a peek at this true, though secret, life that you now possess, as he writes, "See what kind of love the Father has given to us!" Here, St. John is not asking you to take a peek at what kind of love the Father has concerning you – which is an amazing, perfect, and complete love for you. Such is the case, indeed. But St. John points to a different joyous reality: See what kind of love the Father has GIVEN TO us! This is not a simple a reality about God – this gift is a reality about you! St. John says, "take a peek at THIS reality about yourself!" There is a love that has been given to you! A reality that God has established in and about you! "See what kind of love the Father has given to you!"

And what is THAT love, the love that the Father in heaven has given to you? Here it is: "That we should be called the children of God!" The kind of love that God has given to you is that He turns you into children of God. He selects and makes you His dear son, His dear daughter!

How does He do that? He does it by declaration! He declares that you are His children! Entirely out of the love that is in God for you, the Heavenly Father chooses to call you His children! And in the power of God’s Word, what He chooses to call is what He declares! His Word creates what it declares. So, St. John concludes: "And so we are!" And so you are!

II.

This new life, the life of being God’s children, is not something that is always and clearly visible to you, let alone visible to anyone else about you! Indeed, this new life IS "The Secret Lives of the Saints." Thus, St. John further explains, "Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who thus hopes in Him – who in this way of thinking hopes in Christ – purifies himself (or herself – by the privilege and gift of confession and repentance) as He (God in Christ) is pure.

This reality, these secret lives of the saints, is not only an amazing thing to us, in this world! It also is an amazing thing to the hosts in heaven. St. John, in the First Lesson of the Day, writes concerning a glorious vision of heavenly worship that was given to him. Note it well! For here you see that heavenly worship is liturgical worship! It is not aimed at the individual and his or her feelings – it is aimed at the whole body of Christ, in one motion, rendering onto God the glory of His Name with the thanks of the whole host for forgiveness, life, and salvation!

"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages – NOTE: there are no cultural differences taking place here! – standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a (SINGLE) loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!"

Having been given this vision, John is now given a pop quiz to make sure he’s getting what he is seeing. One of the Four Elders asks: "Who are these that you see?" And St. John ducks the question: "Sir, you know!" – you tell me! And so he does: These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation – the tribulation of living in a sinful world, and with a sinful nature, struggling to live in and for God: "They have washed their robes and made them white!" Made them pure and sinless in what? By what? In and by the blood of the Lamb! In and by faith in that blood, to cover every spot and sin! The behavior that occupies Christians in this fallen life, day by day and moment by moment! These are the ones among those in heaven! You are, by confession and repentance, also among those who are coming out of the great tribulation and into the great and glories halls of heaven! This is your true life as saints – And yet, it is a hidden life in this world, a secret life in this world.

III.

Meanwhile, on earth, things are different! The hidden remains all-too-hidden, and what is visible is all too not like heaven. Not only do Christians struggle within themselves in this present life, it seems that the devil is working overtime to make you see and experience the very fallenness of everyday life, as St. Matthew quotes your Savior’s words: "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account!"

Yes, Satan and his minions are busy, making sure that you feel as those your life as a saint is failure. Not to worry, St Matthew says! Rather, "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you!" This attack from the devil is nothing new! You are in good company! Outwardly, this is hard to grasp – but inwardly, the Word of God gives you the comfort of God’s promises for and about you. Your inner, secret life is your eternal life. Now, you have the down-payment in God’s gift of faith in His promises. But soon, the secret life will become the joyful life of all the saints, forever!