October 29 & November 1, 2026
Sermon by Pastor Rue
1 John 3:1-3
Festival of All Saints
We are Children of God…Now & Forever!
The Festival of All Saints. It’s a special day in the church year when we remember those Christians who have gone before us, those faithful believers who have finished their earthly journeys and are now enjoying the peace and joy of heaven. For many of us, this day is especially meaningful because the saints we remember aren’t simply names from the distant past. They’re people we knew and loved. They’re husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, grandparents, children, relatives, and dear friends. They’re people who once sat beside us in church, who joined us around the dinner table, who celebrated life’s greatest joys with us and helped us when we were down. And yes, we’re happy that our loved ones who died in faith are in heaven, but we still miss them. We miss their voices, their laughter, their companionship, and all the little things that made them special to us. I’m sure there are moments when we wish we could pick up the phone, call them up, and hear their voice one more time.
One of the reasons All Saints is such a meaningful festival is because we get to think about, remember, and give thanks to God for those Christians who have gone before us, and we get to rejoice that their earthly struggles have come to an end.
But this church festival isn’t simply a day for looking backward. It’s also a day for looking forward. Because remember what this festival is called: All Saints. Not just “Past Saints.” It’s All Saints. And who’s included among all saints? You! One day, our earthly journeys will also come to an end too, and we’ll be reunited with all those believers who have gone before us. And, best of all, we’ll see our Savior face-to-face and enjoy the glorious blessings of heaven forever. What a wonderful future we get to look forward to!
But as much as the festival of All Saints encourages us to focus on our eternal future, it also gives us an opportunity to reflect on our present, because as saints, there’s an incredible blessing that God has already given us, a blessing that defines who we are right here and right now. And it’s a blessing that the apostle John wants us to appreciate in our sermon text today. So, as we celebrate the Festival of All Saints, let’s consider this wonderful truth: we are children of God…now & forever!
Our sermon text comes from the apostle John’s first letter, which he wrote toward the end of the first century. He writes in verse one: “See the kind of love the Father has given us that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are!” I love how John begins this verse. He doesn’t simply make a statement about God’s love and then move on. He practically stops us in our tracks and tells us to look at it! “See the kind of love the Father has given us!” It’s as though John is saying, “Can you believe this? Do you understand what God has done for you? Take a moment and appreciate just how incredible his love really is! Because of his love for you, he has made you his child!” Now, we might not find that statement particularly surprising because we’ve heard it so many times in devotions and sermons and hymns. But consider what John is actually saying: the almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth, the One who rules over the entire universe, has chosen little old you and little old me to be members of his family! And what makes that even more remarkable is that you didn’t do anything to deserve it. The Greek word for “love” here describes a love that is freely given, a love that isn’t earned or deserved. God didn’t look down from heaven and say, “Wow, you’re awesome. So, I choose you!” Quite the opposite! We are sinners who have rebelled against him. We deserve God’s righteous judgment and punishment.
And yet, in his incredible grace, God has brought us into his family. And so, we went from being an object of wrath to an heir of eternal life; from a slave to sin to a child of God. And notice what John says at the end of verse one: “…and that is what we are!” Not what we might be someday. Not what we hope to be if we’re good enough. That’s what we are right now! You are a child of God today! And think about what that means. It means that you belong to God. You have a heavenly Father who loves you, who cares for you, and knows you personally. It means that your life has incredible worth because the almighty God has adopted you into his family.
Of course, not everyone recognizes this wonderful identity. John continues: “The world does not know us, because it did not know him.” (v. 1b) The unbelieving world doesn’t understand what makes Christians so special because it doesn’t recognize the God who has made us his children. And that’s why Christians sometimes find themselves misunderstood, rejected, or even persecuted for their faith. But the world’s opinion doesn’t matter because it doesn’t change who we are. We are children of God, and nothing will ever change that.
And because we belong to God, we have an incredible future waiting for us. Listen to verse two: “Dear friends, we are children of God now, but what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he is revealed we will be like him, and we will see him as he really is.” Notice how John begins this verse by repeating the same wonderful truth. “Dear friends, we are children of God now.” It’s a truth so wonderful, he has to say it again! And then he directs our attention toward the future. John acknowledges that we don’t yet know everything about what our eternal existence will be like. God hasn’t revealed every detail about heaven or what life will be like when Jesus returns. But he has revealed something truly extraordinary. When Jesus returns, “we will be like him!” Now, that doesn’t mean we’ll become gods ourselves. Rather, it means that we’ll be made perfect, just as Jesus is perfect. Think about what that means for us. Right now, our bodies are subject to weakness, sickness, suffering, and death. But when Jesus returns on the Last Day, all of that will change. Our bodies will be raised from the dead and glorified. We will no longer struggle with sinful thoughts or desires. We will no longer experience sickness, suffering, or death. We will be perfectly holy, just as our Savior is holy.
And then John adds another remarkable promise: “And we will see him as he really is.” Can you imagine that? Right now, we only know Jesus through Word & sacrament. Right now, we only know Jesus by faith. But one day, faith will give way to sight. One day, we’ll actually see Jesus face-to-face! We’ll see the one who carried our sins to the cross, and conquered death through his resurrection. And we’ll live in his glorious presence forever.
Brothers and sisters, that’s the future that awaits every child of God! And on this Festival of All Saints, we’re reminded that for those believers who have gone before u, that is their present. That’s what they have now. Their earthly struggles are over. Their souls are free from sin and suffering. They are enjoying the peace and perfection of heaven as they await the glorious resurrection of their bodies on the Last Day. And through faith in Jesus, one day, that will be us too…because we are children of God. That is what we are, now and forever. We are children of God.
But here’s something we need to consider. If being a child of God is such an incredible blessing, and if we have such a glorious future waiting for us, why, then, do we sometimes live as though those things hardly matter? Why do we allow so many other things to define who we are? Think about how you would answer this simple question: “Who are you?” You might say, “I’m a husband,” or “I’m a wife.” “I’m a father,” or “I’m a mother.” Maybe you’d identify yourself as a grandparent, a student, a teacher, a farmer, or a business owner. And there’s nothing wrong with those things. In fact, many of those identities are wonderful blessings from God. But the problem comes when we allow those earthly identities to become more important than our identity as children of God. Because when that happens, we begin looking to the things of this world for our ultimate purpose, security, and happiness. And sooner or later, those things will disappoint us. Think about it: If your entire identity is wrapped up in your career, what happens when you lose your job or reach retirement? If your identity is built around your accomplishments, what happens when you fail or discover that you can no longer do the things you once could? If your sense of worth depends upon your health, your appearance, or your independence, what happens when age or illness begins taking those things away? And perhaps most painfully, if your entire identity is wrapped up in your relationships with the people you love, what happens when death ends those relationships? When our identity is built entirely around earthly things, it’s easy to fall into hopelessness and despair because those things don’t last.
But there’s an even greater problem. When we allow earthly things to define us, we’re often revealing just how little we appreciate the incredible grace God has shown us. Our heavenly Father has given us the greatest identity imaginable, child of God, and yet we sometimes treat it as though it’s the least important thing about us; we treat it as an afterthought. We become so consumed with the things of this world that we neglect God’s Word, we take his promises for granted, and we forget about the eternal home he has prepared for us. That just goes to show how we don’t naturally love God above all things, and that we certainly don’t always live like the saints he has called us to be. And if our eternal future depended upon how faithfully we lived as God’s children, we’d have no reason for hope whatsoever.
But thanks be to God, our salvation doesn’t depend upon how well we’ve lived as his children. It depends upon what his Son has done for us. And that brings us back to the beautiful words with which John began our sermon text: “See the kind of love the Father has given us that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are!” Dear Christian friends, your greatest identity isn’t something you’ve achieved. It’s something God has graciously given you. You are a recipient of God’s love, therefore you are a child of God, and it’s all because of Jesus. And what did Jesus do? Jesus, the eternal Son of God, willingly became one of us. He took on human flesh, he lived under God’s law, and he perfectly obeyed every commandment that you and I have broken. And then, in the greatest demonstration of love this world has ever seen, Jesus went to the cross. There, he took upon himself the punishment our sins deserved. He suffered the wrath of God in our place, he shed his precious blood to wash away every sin. And when Jesus rose triumphantly from the grave on Easter morning, he proved that sin had been paid for, death had been defeated, and eternal life had been won.
That’s why you can call yourself a child of God! Not because you’re such a wonderful person, and certainly not because you’ve earned your place in God’s family. But because Jesus has earned it for you. And through the waters of Holy Baptism, God has brought you into his family. What incredible grace!
And so, because it’s all about what God has done, our identity as a child of God doesn’t disappear when your earthly circumstances change. When your health begins to fail, you’re still God’s child. When you lose your job, struggle financially, or experience disappointment, you’re still God’s child. When you grow older and you can no longer do the things you once enjoyed, you’re still God’s child. And when death takes away someone you love, you’re still God’s child.
Today, we remember the Christians who have gone before us, not because they were perfect people, but because they too were (and still are) children of God. They struggled with sin just as we do. They experienced doubts, disappointments, and hardships just as we do. And like us, they needed God’s forgiveness every single day. But they trusted in Jesus. And now, they’re enjoying the presence of their Savior in heaven. And one day, when Jesus returns, their bodies will rise from the grave, glorified and perfected, never to experience death again. And through faith in Jesus, that same glorious future belongs to you! One day, every tear will be wiped away. Every sorrow will come to an end. Every weakness will disappear. And every painful reminder of sin will be gone forever. One day, you’ll see Jesus face-to-face, and you’ll be reunited with all those believers who have gone before you. And what a glorious reunion that will be! That’s the future God has promised you.
And because that future is certain, you can live with confidence and joy right now. So, dear brothers and sisters, live like you know you’re going to heaven! In other words, live like a child of God! Don’t allow the things of this world to determine your worth or steal your hope. Remember who you are. You’re a dearly loved child of the almighty God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ and destined for eternal glory. And because you know where you’re going, let that glorious future shape the way you live today. Live like a saint! Love your neighbor, even when loving isn’t easy. Forgive those who have hurt you, just as Christ has forgiven you. Serve others with humility and compassion. Stand firm in God’s Word, even when the world rejects what you believe. And when you stumble and fall into sin, return to your Savior in repentance, trusting that his mercy and forgiveness are always sufficient.
On this celebration of All Saints, remember the saints who have gone before you, rejoice in the wonderful future that awaits you, but also remember what you are now. By the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, we are children of God, both now and forever! Amen.