A Concord Minute: New year, same grace

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that 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 8:37-39 ESV

A blessed New Year to you, dear reader! May 2025 be a year of peace and grace for you as we await our Lord Jesus’ return.

Reflecting on 2024, there is manifold evidence that God might actually not care about His creation, let alone love it. Between hurricanes decimating the Southeast to wars in the Middle East and Eastern Europe to problems back home, where’s this love of God? Where’s the love, God? This column does not blame those who think God hates them. This life would seem to indicate more God’s wrath than His love. Where’s the love, God? What is there to look forward to in 2025? More of the same, God.

Enter St. Paul and Romans 8. As a former seminary professor would say “everything is great in Romans 8.” Really? No, and yes. Two things can happen at the same time. This situation is called living in a tension between two things, especially if they seem at odds.

Paul writes to the Romans (who mind you, were living under an oppressive Emperor in Nero) that essentially nothing will be able to separate Paul and his fellow disciples from the love of God in Christ Jesus their Lord. Paul knows he is going to be killed in Rome for preaching the Gospel. Yet Paul knows that nothing in this life (including death!) will keep him from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Why? How can Paul have such confidence in God no matter what happens to him? Christ has been raised from the dead; the Son of God rules and reigns as Lord over all creation. What is death to Paul? He says elsewhere that to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). Two things are happening for Paul at the same time: his life (and those of the Roman Christians) are about to change dramatically negatively; yet God still loves His people who are in Christ Jesus.

The same is for you. No matter what happens in this life, the love of God is still present in and through His Son, Jesus for you. God does not love outside of His Son. The only way the whole creation knows the Father’s love is in and through the Son born to die and rise. While Jesus’ resurrection might not stop hurricanes, wars, or other problems of life right now, there will be a time when Jesus will return. In the meantime as 2025 begins, it is a new year, but the same grace and love of God in Christ Jesus is yours. Nothing will stop God from loving you in and through Christ Jesus (and what He has done for you). Happy New Year!

The Rev. Matthew Berry is pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Sikeston, Missouri. Based in Sikeston’s Historic North End, Concordia is a member congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), a theologically conservative, biblically sound, Christ-centered church.