1. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. At a time of grieving like this, those who are present, and I, on behalf of our congregation at Grace Lutheran Oak Creek, offer your family and all who were closest to Bev my deepest sympathy. May our Lord who knows your needs, comfort and give you strength to uphold one another. The funeral message for Bev is based off of Romans 8:31, 38-39, which says, “31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The message is entitled, “Is God for Us? Yes! In Christ!”
2. Our text poses some life-changing questions for us to consider. We’re all familiar with some of the basic questions of life: who, what, where, when, how, and why. These questions deal with the basic facts—important, but not always life-changing. Other questions are life-changing: What do you want to do when you grow up? Will you marry me? Then there are the purpose questions: Who am I? Where am I going? What will become of me? What’s my purpose for being here? Finally, there are the faith questions. Jesus asks, “Do you love me?” This question is followed by another: “Do you trust me?” These are the sorts of questions that will change your life, especially your eternal life.
3. For a moment let us join with the apostle Paul and raise his question from Romans 8:31—What, then, shall we say in response to this? We can say, “Thank you, Lord, thank you for Bev.” Thank you for her witness as she faithfully came to worship at Grace Lutheran Church Oak Creek. Thank you for her faithful service to our congregation as she served as a Financial Secretary for many years. Thank you for her service in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the people at Willow Crest Nursing Home in Oak Creek. My first visit with Bev was in the summer of 2020, when my wife and I were visiting Grace after I had just been called to be a Pastor here. I remember asking her what she does at Grace and her having trouble answering that. The reason of course, is because she has done so much at our church and in our community for the sake of her neighbor. Bev served as an Alderman and as a City Clerk for many years on the Oak Creek City Council. She will be deeply missed.
4. The first question Paul raises in our text is simply this: “What then shall we say to these things?” (v 31a). What things? “All things.” Earlier in Romans chapter 8, St. Paul talked about creation and we ourselves suffering the effects of this sin-corrupted world and longing for the glory that’s to be revealed in us. Lots of things aren’t pretty in this fallen world. What then shall we say in the face of those things, including the un-pretty ones? Well, here’s what Paul says to all those things: “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
5. We often quote this verse to encourage people who are suffering like our dear friend Bev. When we tell them that “all things work together for good,” we fail to make clear that it’s God who has power to bring good out of bad—who transforms our Good Fridays into Easter Sundays. God has done that for our dear friend Bev, having given her the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ as her Savior. But, when we say, “all things work together for good,” it sounds as if we believe “all things” to be good—that we’re counting as insignificant the circumstances that caused Bev’s pain. Therefore, “all things work together for good” comes across as if we were saying, “Don’t sweat it—it’s going to be okay.” We shouldn’t be surprised if the sufferer dismisses our good intentions. The real point of the verse is this: “We know that God works in all things.” God isn’t the cause of bad things. We live in a broken world because of sin. God works in all things for our good. That’s good news.
6. To illustrate, the ingredients that go into a cake aren’t very tasty when eaten individually. Flour, sugar, shortening, eggs, salt, baking powder, and spices are not something we want to eat one ingredient at a time. But mix all of these together in just the right proportions and then bake the combined mixture, and you have a delicious treat. Each event in our life is like one ingredient in a cake. It may not seem good by itself, but when mixed by God with other events, it will produce what is good. God causes all things to work together for good. This means we can’t judge the goodness of God’s work until his program is finished. Until God’s recipe for our lives is complete, we dare not judge God’s cooking.
7. The next life-changing question our text asks is “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31b). The question isn’t simply “Who can be against us?” You could answer that one. Cancer, disease, inflation, exhaustion, calamities, earthquakes, hurricanes, you name them. We can easily list our foes. But that’s not the question. The question is “If God is for us, who can be against us?” What the Apostle Paul is really saying is that since God is for us, it really doesn’t matter who’s against us. All our enemies could gang up on us at the same time, but they’re no match for God. Please say these four words with me: God is for us! Maybe we should say those four words every morning as we wake up. This is how God is working all things for good!
8. Now to the question: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32). How far is God willing to go for us? For our beloved friend Bev? God has gone to the extreme limits for us. He didn’t spare his Son Jesus, but sent him to the cross for the love of us to save us from our sins. We shout again, God is for us!
9. St. Paul asks, “Who is to condemn?” (Romans 8:34). We go back to Rom 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” There’s no one to condemn because God is for us. The only one who has the right to condemn is Jesus. He has already answered the question with the offering of his own life. Just think: sitting next to God is the one who died for us. Our defense attorney continues to speak to us. God is for us.
10. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:35a). Paul makes a list in order of increasing intensity. “Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” (Romans 8:35b). Our great God invites us to take another look at his love for us in Jesus. In holy baptism, we die with him to our sin, and we are raised with him. Nothing, “neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39), and since nothing can separate us from Christ Jesus, God is for us—the answer to all life-changing questions. Because nothing can separate us from God, because of his Son’s death and resurrection, we possess all things with him.
11. Before our eyes this morning we see our beloved Bev, who is now absent from the body, but present with the Lord Jesus. But, we remember that Bev was baptized into Jesus and her baptism covered her with Jesus’ righteousness. Bev’s baptism covered her in the death and resurrection of her Savior. Yes, it still hurts to lose her. She’ll be missed. But we shall not grieve as those who have no hope. We won’t be shaking our heads in despair. Why? Because we, like Bev, believe in the invitation of Jesus, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened; and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Mt 11:28–30).
12. Imagine: Because Bev believed our Lord’s invitation, she is now experiencing a whole new world, where there is no more pain, misery, or sorrow, but complete joy, peace, and happiness. So, then, what shall we say in response? God is for us! He sent us his Son! He raised his Son from the dead: And God shall raise and all who believe in him on the day of glory. Thank you, Lord. Amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus until life everlasting. Amen.
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