Dear Saints,
You may not know; but, before I became a pastor, I was an electrical engineer. As an engineer, English classes weren’t my strength. Then I went to seminary … I learned more about English taking Greek and Hebrew than I ever learned in my few English classes. So … here’s a short English grammar lesson. A “present tense” verb indicates an “action in process or a current state of being.” It’s not something that takes place later on … or that took place a long time ago.
God uses the “present tense” frequently. That shouldn’t be a surprise. Those who analyze languages note the “present tense” is the most frequently used verb tense. And this “present-ness” should give us great comfort as we read God’s Word … especially as we celebrate “All Saints Day.” The Lutheran definition of “saint” is “believers on earth and in heaven.” “Saints” include not just the faithful departed, living in eternity with our heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ – but also all, this side of heaven, who believe in Him.
God’s Word tells us, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are … Beloved, we are God's children now.” (1 John 3:1-2) Using the “present tense” God tells us the current state of being for anyone who believes in Jesus – “child of God.” That’s what we are … right now … God has adopted each of us as His children. As His children, we’re also saints … now. This isn’t a future we’ll someday have; it’s a “present tense” reality for all who believe in Jesus Christ. Being saints now though doesn’t mean we’re perfect in any way. In fact, we’re also “sinners.” But, by the grace of God, “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) All who believe in Him are also currently, presently “forgiven sinners.”
These are words of comfort for all of us who believe in God’s promises. Jesus teaches us in His Sermon on the Mount, not only are we sainted children of God, but we’re also blessed. In the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), Jesus uses the “present tense” to tell us, “Blessed are …” He doesn’t say, “Blessed will be …” or “If you do these things, blessed are …” He simply says, “Blessed are …” His disciples, living in the “present tense” know they’re God’s blessed children. However, living in the present, that might not seem to be the reality as we see so much suffering and pain caused by sin all around us. But it won’t always be that way. While we are, in fact, God’s children now … blessed now … there’s more to come.
John writes, “What we will be has not yet appeared … we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2) With all the saints who’ve gone before us, we too will join with them before the throne of God in His eternal presence (Revelation 7:15). So, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.” (Matthew 5:12) That, fellow saints, is our “present reality” as we long to be with Him and all the saints!
In Christ,
Pastor Jim