Pastoral Letter: A Call to Faith, Hope, Love, and Prayer
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:3).
We are living in tumultuous times. This year has been crazy, confused, stressful, frustrating. I am sure you can add your own series of adjectives to describe this year and our current situation. Take a moment to pause and identify your feelings and how you have been experiencing this year. Acknowledge them, and then lift them up and give them over to the Lord.
I myself have experienced a whole range of feelings and still do. Besides what I already listed above, I have experienced disappointment, concern, anxiety, pain, and hurt. I am concerned about believers' spiritual health as we are being bombarded from all sides with all kinds of temptations. I experience hurt and pain when I see the anger, hatred, rage, and conflict that consume people, the unloving attitudes, words, and actions shown. And it especially hurts when you saw these among Christians. As Christians believe lies and participate in the spreading of lies, I fear that we are no longer a people of truth, a people with sound, sober mind, judgment, and wisdom.
It did not help that this was also an election year. The election came and went. And sadly, the tensions, conflict, divisions, lies, hatred, and anger continue.
And now, the pandemic, COVID, has hit home. Some of our church family are sick and tested positive for the virus. Several have been exposed, and some of our vulnerable members are at risk.
As I said before, we are in a raging storm. Naturally, we are anxious, worried, and concerned. Some may even be fearful. Others may push through with determination. We may experience all kinds of feelings about this situation. There may even be anger, blame, or guilt. However, there should be no finger-pointing or guilt. This pandemic would eventually hit close to home. It is not a question of if but when. It could have come into our community in a multitude of ways, even with the best of precautions. So, please let there be no blaming and feelings of guilt.
Now, like never before, we should fix our eyes, our minds, our hearts, our faith, and our hope on our Sovereign Lord. Our “help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” (Ps 121)
This is the time for us to renew and reaffirm our faith in the only true, living Triune God—God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ, God the Holy Spirit. This is the time to remind ourselves who our God is. He is the all-powerful Creator of the whole universe and everything in it. He is the Sovereign Lord who rules over his entire creation, who holds everything in his hands, every breath, every heartbeat. He is our Savior who justified us, made us righteous, and reconciled us with Himself. He is our Healer, who heals our physical, emotional, and spiritual ailments. He is our Sanctifier, who is making us holy like Him. He is our coming King, who will return to restore his rule over his renewed creation.
The Lord is our Shepherd. We “shall not want. He makes us lie down in green pastures. He leads us beside still waters. He restores our soul. He leads us in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, for you are with us; your rod and your staff, they comfort us.” (Ps. 23:1-4). This Lord is alive and real. He is with us, living in us.
But as we refocus our faith and hope in our God, we must also reaffirm and remind ourselves of who we are. When we talk about who God is, we speak at the same time about who we are because our identity is intimately linked and intricately connected to God in Jesus Christ.
God is the Creator. We are created in God’s image. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Gen. 1:27) We are God’s handiwork, works of art. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)
God is the Sovereign Lord and Ruler of the universe. We are kings, rulers, appointed by God to rule over his creation, and represent Him to the world, called as his ambassadors. “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’” (Gen. 1:28)
Christ is our High Priest. We are a royal priesthood. “… you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Pet. 2:9) We present and represent God to the world, and we bring the world to Him. We intercede for the world with Him. We stand in the gap for the world. We are called to be a blessing for the nations. We are also prophets who pursue and speak God’s truth to the world and one another.
The Lord is our Shepherd. He is the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for us. We are his flock, his sheep. We know Him, and we follow Him. (John 10:1-21)
This is who we are. All these identities are true and real. They were made possible by Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection saved us from God’s righteous judgment and punishment, from eternal death. Jesus gave us a new life, the eternal kingdom life. Therefore, we are saved sinners.
Also, because of Jesus Christ, we are children of God. We have been adopted into God’s family. “In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will … you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household…” (Eph. 1:5; 2:19) We are sons and daughters of God!
We are kingdom citizens! In Jesus Christ, God’s kingdom has come, has broken into the world. God’s kingdom is real, present, and here. His kingdom has come, is coming, and will come. His kingdom will be finally restored and fulfilled in the new creation. That is the truth. That is our firm and sure hope. If we should die before he returns, we have this sure knowledge, faith, and hope that we will be resurrected into the new, eternal kingdom life. We will enter his kingdom of glory and be with Him forever.
This reaffirmation of our faith and hope, who our God is, and who we are, this faith and hope make us strong and courageous during this storm and tumultuous times. This God is with us always. Therefore, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
In this life, in this broken and sinful world, we will suffer. We will experience pain, hurt, disappointments, loss, sickness, and death. But we will not lose faith or hope. We know who our God is. We know who we are. We are God’s people bought dearly with his suffering, pain, blood, and death on a cross. We belong to Him!
Therefore, we will not give in to fear, anxiety, anger, or hatred. We will not be fearful of this virus, the outcome of the election, or whatever the future holds. Our God, through his Holy Spirit, did not give us a spirit of fear (timidity/cowardice), but He gives us a spirit of power and love and a sound mind (self-discipline/self-control/sound judgment) (2 Tim. 1:7).
This text has been repeated so many times during this year that it might sound and might have become a cliche. But this is no cliche. This is God’s Word, and this is true. Believe this. Accept this promise and gift from God. Ask and allow the Holy Spirit to remove the spirit of fear, anxiety, and worry in you. He will because He is God, and this is his promise, and He is faithful to his promises.
Then ask Him for the power, love, and sound mind (self-control). Submit to the rule and power of the Holy Spirit. Walk in step with the Spirit daily, and you will have the power to face this storm. You will have love to love all others, even your enemies. You will have sound judgment and self-control to discern and listen to the truth and make wise decisions to do the right things.
So in this storm, let us have faith. Let us stand firm in our hope. Let us be strong and courageous. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus. Let us step out of our boats and walk on water with Jesus. Remember, we are wave-walkers, not fearful boat-riders cowering in the comfort of our boats.
The Holy Spirit gave us a sober mind, sound judgment, self-control, self-discipline. So, let us put aside our personal viewpoints about this pandemic and virus. Let us stop playing politics with people’s health and lives. Let us not try to be experts in areas we are not. This is a time for humility. This is a time to die to self. Let us stop worshipping the idols of our personal rights, needs, and comforts. Let us stop idolizing self and being so self-focused and self-centered. Let us have the mind, heart, and attitude of Christ. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” (Phi. 2:3-8)
We are in this storm together. Let us take hands, stand, and work together. We are one in Christ. Let us make visible and real our unity as the body of Christ. We are first and foremost kingdom citizens, not Americans, South Africans, British, Korean, Republican, Democrat, black or white. We bow the knee to one Lord only, Jesus Christ, and our first allegiance is to Him alone.
We are God’s people, chosen by God Himself to be a blessing to the nations. As God’s people, we exist to reveal the presence of God’s reign and demonstrate his kingdom to the world. As God’s people, we are called and sent to proclaim, reveal, and show God’s love to the world. We are called and sent to continue the ministry and mission of Jesus Christ in the world. We are his witnesses. We are the salt of the earth. We are the light of the world. We are disciples and disciple-makers. There is no other option, no other mission for us. Wherever you are, whatever you do, is God’s love and kingdom coming there through you? That is your calling and mission.
Therefore, we must love as Jesus loved and commanded us to love. We must “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)
We must love everyone, including our enemies, with this self-giving, dying-to-self, sacrificial love, not only in words but also in actions and deeds. “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. … Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt. 5:44-45,48) Love never fails. Love conquers all.
We are children of God, and therefore, we are peacemakers. In this post-election time, we love others by building bridges by making peace. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Mt. 5:9)
Let us love, be one, and make peace. Let us all together seek to obey and practice the following instructions from God’s Word:
“Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col. 3:11-17)
As we experience this storm, let us make prayer our first priority and task. Let us make extra time for prayer, and if you can fast, fast. Let us repent from any wrong attitudes, anger, hatred, pride, or greed. Let us pray for love and unity in our church family. Let us pray for a love explosion in our church family that will overflow out into our community. Let us pray for healing for all who are sick, whether from this virus or something else. Some are battling cancer and other illnesses; let’s pray for them. Let us pray for the protection of all, especially for the vulnerable. Let us pray for our nation, for healing, for peace, for reconciliation. Let us pray for God’s people in our land, for repentance, love, unity, and a revival through a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Let us believe, hope, and love. Let us recommit ourselves to prayer. Because “we are not our own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ” (The Heidelberg Catechism). Because we belong to our Lord we should love others as He loves them. Because we belong to the Prince of Peace, we should make peace as He has made peace.
May the LORD bless you and keep you.
May the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
May the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Amen
In Christ’s Name,
Pieter