His Grace,
His Mission,
His Gifts
His Grace
Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, because of your mercy, because of your truth. Psalm 115:1
We were objects of wrath. We were dead in our sins. Like our neighbors, once we were beholden to idols. And even still, our sinful flesh wants to love and trust false gods: money, family, security, prestige, perfect health. But we are able to give glory to God instead of to idols because of his mercy and his truth. He has saved us from our sins through Christ’s perfect life, innocent suffering and death, victorious resur- rection, and glorious ascension. He has had mercy on us by the washing of rebirth in our baptism. And he preserves us by giving us the Word of God in its truth and purity.
Indeed, through Christ Jesus our Savior, we have received “matchless mercy, forgiveness, and grace!”
None of this was the result of anything we have done! It’s totally his grace!
His Mission
Why should the nations say, “So where is their God now?” In fact, our God is in the heavens, He does everything that pleases him. Psalm 115:2-3
God’s grace in Word and Sacrament totally transforms our lives. As a result, our neighbors mock us. They say that our beliefs aren’t logical or that we don’t follow science. They say that we’re wasting our time or money. They say that we’re hateful and exclusive. They say our hope is naive.
But God has been pleased to give us his forgiveness through Christ Jesus our Savior. And now we have been “sent forth to speak pardon and peace” to our neighbors. Despite their objections and scoffing, God loved them so much that he gave his only Son to save them and to give them peace with God and peace with their neighbors.
That peace is completely missing from their lives. He sends us on his mission to extend his forgiveness and peace to our neighbors.
His Gifts
The heavens are heavens for the LORD, but the earth he gave to the children of Adam. Psalm 115:16
When God created the heavens and the earth, he gave the earth to humans to care for it. He showers each of us with bless- ings: daily food, a job, a home, a vehicle, a peaceful city with police to keep us safe, a system of laws to make our society orderly, talents and abilities, many years of grace during a time of great abundance. God has also put us in relationships, maybe with a spouse, perhaps raising children or helping with grandchildren, within a church, under an employer and a government, providing for employees, honoring parents who may still be alive, and so on. These are all godly vocations because God has called us to them. And he provides everything we need to love and serve those with whom we are in relationships. Best of all, God did not even withhold from us his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. He has provided his holy Word and his Sacraments to deliver forgiveness of sins and the eternal blessing of heaven through Christ. And he promises his presence and his peace.
Our gracious God gives us these things not only for ourselves. He gives them to us so we can steward them and manage them in service to our neighbors. Without him, we would have none of these things. Out of thanksgiving, we offer him his blessings and our lives in service to Jesus and our neighbors.
Through Christ Jesus our Savior, God has “taught our lips to sing glory and praise” and to reflect his praise in our lives by our use of his abundant gifts of time, talent, treasure, and truth.
Next: Learn about the three goals of the campaign