All Saints Day
1 Thessalonians 3:12 May the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all men, just as we also do for you; 13 so that He may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.
Introduction
This morning as we come celebrating All Saints Day, it is important for us to remember that All Saints Day, like every other major feast of the Church Calendar, is intended to focus our attention on some major aspect of the redemption that Christ has provided. As such, like every feast of the Church Calendar, it is drawn from Scripture and drives us back to Scripture.
So, this morning I have two questions: first, what is the major aspect of redemption to which All Saints Day points? And second, how does Scripture intend this major aspect of redemption to minister to us right now today?
I. Background
First, we need a little background: traditionally, from very early on, God’s people remembered famous saints (believers FN#1), who God used in significant, well-known ways for the furtherance of His Kingdom FN#2. However, All Saints Day was implemented to focus more locally, on loved ones, family members, and on all the countless unheralded believers who have died in the faith FN#3. As such, All Saints Day brought before the Church’s eyes two central teaching of Scripture, two central aspects of redemption that are true of all believers (living and dead; famous and less well-known):
A] First, All Saints Day is grounded on and draws attention to the absolute security, which all believers have in Christ. Scripture assures us that all who believe are incorporated into the one same Body of Christ and therefore are given the entirety of the salvation that Christ has accomplished for His people FN#4
Romans 10:13 “Everyone who calls upon the name of the LORD will be saved.”
Simply put, All Saints Day underscores the oneness of the Body of Christ and the oneness of our Salvation. As such, All Saints Day and everything it celebrates is grounded on the absolute security that belongs to every single believer (living and dead; famous and less known).
B] The second central teaching to which All Saints Day points is Scripture’s promise regarding the continuous, uninterrupted, and eternal nature of our security.
Romans 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.
Importance: notice at once the relevance/comfort: Scripture’s assurance not only speaks to me about my life right now; it also speaks directly to/about those who have died in the faith. Nothing shall separate them from the presence of Christ or the salvation (new life) that He has accomplished.
However, that said, our security is not ambiguous or open-ended. Instead, it is definite. Therefore, it is no surprise that a central focus of All Saints Day is Scripture’s assurance about the certain future, outcome, and fullness of the salvation that Christ has given to every single believer (living and dead; famous and less known).
Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption (I Cor 15:19-20; I Jn 3:2; 2 Cor 3:18).
Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
In fact, All Saints Day (like most of the major feasts of the Church Calendar) has a vigil/eve (All Saints Eve: AKA- All Hollows Eve; AKA- Halloween). Notice then, in each case, the idea behind the eve is that the believer is so excited about what God has promised, that he can’t sleep. Instead, he stays awake watching for and anticipating the fulfillment of what God has promised. So, that said, what promise are we eagerly watching for on All Saints Eve? Simply put, on All Saints Eve, we are eagerly awaiting Christ’s return; and with Him the resurrection of all believers (including our loved ones- Jn 6:39); as well as the fulness of the Salvation and Kingdom that Christ has accomplished.
John 6:39 “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.
Bottom line: All Saints Day celebrates the unwavering security that all believers have in Christ. As such, it looks for the return of Christ, the resurrection of all believers, and the fullness of the Salvation that is ours in Him.
II. How then does Scripture intend the assurance Celebrated by All Saints Day to minister to me right now today?
A] First, All Saints Day gives great assurance and comfort regarding our loved ones who have died in the faith (as well as for ourselves).
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies (I Thes 5:9-10)
Revelation 7:14 “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 “For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; (I Thes 4:15-18)
B] Second, Scripture intends the assurance and future celebrated by All Saints Day to directly shape/determine the currant trajectory of my life, priorities, and actions FN#5.
2 Peter 3:10 The day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God
Bottom line: All Saints Day renews my focus on the security that belongs to all believers in Christ. At the same time, it also looks with anticipation to Christ’s return and the fulness of the salvation that is already ours in Christ. As such, All Saints Day underscore both the comfort and the instruction that Scripture intends our security to provide.
Footnotes
1] It is important that we begin by making sure that we understand our terms correctly. In Scripture, the term “saint” does not describe super righteous, glow in the dark people. Instead, it simply means believer (thus, Good morning and welcome on this All Believers Day). However, “saint” as Scripture uses it, tells us more about the believer than just the designation “believer”. In Scripture, “saint” specifically describes believers as those who have been sealed, set apart, and irrevocably marked as God’s possession.
2] It should be noted that originally the remembrance of saints and martyrs was never an act of extra-biblical superstition. That is, its purpose was never to designate “patron saints” for certain activities; nor was it to pray to departed believers for their assistance (we have access to the very throne of God). Instead, its focus was exclusively on the examples of those who had gone before us that we might learn from those examples and imitate them in our own day (the very thing that Scripture call us to do- Heb 12:1-2).
It is this ancient and original purpose which is reflected and presented by your prayerbook. Listen to the collect for All Saints Day
Grant us grace so to follow thy blessed Saints in all virtuous and godly living
Notice the same focus in all the collects for individual saints. For example, the collect for the remembrance of St. John the Baptist (who is remembered on June 24th)
ALMIGHTY God, by whose providence thy servant John Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of thy Son our Saviour by preaching repentance;* Make us so to follow his doctrine and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and after his example constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth’s sake; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
3] Importance: the promises of Scripture are not just for the superstars of the Faith. Instead, what God promises, He promises to all His people. Notice then, the addition of All Saints Day served as an important theological and devotional balance. First, it allowed the church to remember and give thanks for the examples of those who were dear to them. Second, it underscored the fact that there are no second-class citizens in God’s Kingdom. Instead, the same Kingdom, grace, and assurance that was given to the great heroes of the faith, is the exact same that is given to every single believer. Thus, our loved ones may be less known to man, but they are not less known or less cherished by God. In turn, while the scope of their call may be more limited, their faithfulness and service is no less precious to God. Notice the result: such a reminder provides us who celebrate great comfort for our loved ones who have passes on as well as great assurance for our own work and future.
4] In other words, everyone who turns to Christ for salvation and forgiveness is washed, included in the one people of God, and therefore given the fullness of all that God promises His people. Salvation is not a tiered membership plan. It is the whole deal given to the whole people
5] What we see in II Peter is indicative of the whole of Scripture. God never reveals the future simply to give you information about what other people will go through in some far-off distant time that has nothing to do with you. Instead, whenever God reveals something about the future, He does so in light of His people’s current walk and current mission. Notice then, in our passage from II Peter, immediately after telling us something about the future, Scripture turns and asks you, how then should you live. In other words, if the world and all of its false securities have no future, then why would you invest in them. Instead, we are to pursue with our lives the very things (the very future) that God is already unfolding in our lives.
So, the next time you see someone treating an aspect of God’s disclosure about the future as if it were some sensationalized entertainment for us to wildly speculate about; rest assured, they’ve got it wrong. In fact, they have utterly missed the whole point of the passage.