We Still Have The Kingdom

Psalm 46:1-11 is appointed for the upcoming final Sunday of the Church Year, usually known as Christ the King Sunday. It is also the psalm appointed for Reformation Sunday at the end of October and the psalm upon which Martin Luther based his famous hymn, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." I shall lift up the teachings from Luther's great hymn. Here is how the Psalm begins.

God is our refuge and strength,
   a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
   though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
   though the mountains tremble at its swelling. 

Surely life is filled with turmoil and trouble. I read this morning in the Houston Chronicle about a family wiped out by a careless driver who will most likely be charged with reckless driving and manslaughter. Beyond that comes the news that a loved one has cancer, a hurricane has wrecked havoc on an entire island nation and an upstanding citizen is charged with bribery. Why all this?

The Bible's answer is simple, sharp and clear. We have all sinned and fallen far short of God's commandments. We are under judgment. What could we possibly expect?  But we have hope, for in our time of trouble "God is our refuge and strength."That is, of course, quite puzzling. How can we be under God's judgment and at the same time find Him to be a tested and sure source of refuge and strength?

Luther sorts out this dilemma in the following manner. He points us to Christ. We believers in Christ who sing this psalm must realize that we are no longer at war with God, but with "the old evil foe," Satan and all his demons. By means of guile, deception and other dread spiritual arms they would deprive us of our faith in Christ and devour us with despondency. Against them we can do nothing. As soon as we attempt to fight our spiritual battles alone we lose.

But for us fights the valiant One, whom God Himself elected? Who is this? Jesus Christ it is. He is the Lord of hosts—Hebrew: Sabaoth. He is God and the Son of God. He holds the field for us and will do so forever. He won the victory over sin and death upon the cross. He now pleads for us before the throne of God. Satan can no longer harm us. God has spoken His Word by raising Jesus from the dead. He has accepted the sacrifice of His Son. We can put our trust in this fortress and be unafraid.

So let devils fill the world, all eager to swallow us. We tremble not. We fear no ill. They shall not, they cannot overpower us. Oh, this world's prince may still scowl fierce as he will, lifting up our sin and mocking us with shame. Let him. He can harm us none. He and his rebels are under judgment themselves. They must now flee before the Word, Jesus Christ.

The Word is by our side on the battle field. He has not left us here alone. He is here with His good gifts, the preaching and teaching of His Word and the sacraments administered to us and our children. In them we hear again and again the assurance that we are the forgiven children of God. And so we are secure.

Will we still face trials? Yes we will. That is the lesson of the book of Job, the story of a righteous, God-fearing man whom God permitted to endure grave trials and tests. In Job 2:4-6 we read of how this came to be.

Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face." And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life."

 As you know, murderous thieves and natural disasters were responsible for the deaths of Job's sons and daughters. After that a horrid disease wracked his body. No wonder that his wife urged him to "curse God and die" (Job 2:9).  Yet through it all Job clung to God's Word and promise. Listen to his words.

"Oh that my words were written!
   Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
Oh that with an iron pen and lead
   they were engraved in the rock forever!
For I know that my Redeemer lives,
   and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
   yet in my flesh I shall see God,
whom I shall see for myself,
   and my eyes shall behold, and not another" (Job 19:23-27). 

 God does not tempt us to sin, but He does permit our faith to be tested, sometimes most severely. All this is always and ever for our eternal good. His concern is to produce endurance, character and hope. He wants to teach us that we can only depend upon Jesus for mercy and forgiveness (Romans 5:1-11).

So Dr. Luther can write, "Were they to take our house, goods, honor, child or spouse, though life be wrenched away, they cannot win the day. the Kingdom's ours forever." What a powerful lesson for Christ the King Sunday.