From the Pulpit: Fake it ‘til you make it
Last week we celebrated Halloween. In the church, the day after Halloween is always All Saints Day. I know we celebrate it on the Sunday following, but the actual day is the day after Halloween. Halloween is the celebration of the dead and All Saints has traditionally been the church’s celebration of those who have passed away in the Lord.
It makes me think of another church day that is preceded by a secular celebration, Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is always the day before Ash Wednesday. Both Halloween and Mardi Gras we wear masks. We don’t want to be recognized in our sin. Then after Mardi Gras, a day of inhibitions and over-indulgence, we have a day of repentance and forgiveness. After the scary day of death, Halloween, and defiance of its hold over our life, we have a day reminding us that death has no power over us anymore because of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
These two sides of the same coin is the life we lead now until Jesus comes again. We wear a mask in our lives all the time so that no one will see our true selves. Even in our closest relationships we fear that if the other person really heard all our thoughts and knew everything about us, they would reject us. We even lie to ourselves, ignoring or justifying our thoughts and actions even though we feel guilty for having or doing them. So, we fake it. We wear a mask to hide our true selves and we hope that someday we will meet someone who will be forgiving and we might get to experience a moment of relief from our guilt. We fake it ‘til we make it.
That time has come. You have made it. God knows all you think and sees all you do and He still loves you and forgives you. Hebrews 4:13 says, “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” That is scarier than Halloween! But Jesus tells us in Mark 2:17, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
So, it is you He is looking for, it is you that He came to save. He came to die on the cross so that you can be relieved from all your guilt. He has made you a saint with His death and resurrection. So, on All Saints day, we celebrate not just those who have died in the Lord but all those who believe in the Lord. John 3:16 is the most well-known verse in the Bible, which means 3:17 often gets forgotten. Jesus says in verse 17, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” Belief in Jesus’ gift of salvation means you have forgiveness for all your sins and will have eternal life with Him. He is the one you have been looking for and here is your moment of relief from all your guilt. He did NOT fake it so that you could make it. You are forgiven. That is the best side of the coin. Amen.
