United Church of God

Letter From Lewis VanAusdle - June 26, 2020

Letter From Lewis VanAusdle

June 26, 2020

27th June 2020

Our Dear Brethren,

"Why do you think God waited so long to call me? Imagine all the time I've wasted when I could have been part of His Church all along!"

This is a question I've heard several times through the years. This question has come from eighty-year-old widows who were newly baptized; it has come from seventy-year-old couples who were, once upon a time, discouraged by the state of the Church and have now returned to the fellowship of their brethren. This question has even come from young adults who wished that they had known God's way of life as they grew up rather than only finding the truth after they had grown to adulthood, after they had made so many wrong choices in life.

Does it matter when a person is called into the truth? Does it matter how many sins a person sinned before they were called by God the Father? How does God view our calling?

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard" (Matthew 20:1). In this parable, Jesus looks at the calling that we receive as if we are being asked to do a job for wages. In this parable we see some people called to this work early in the morning. These people worked a full day. Some were called later, worked only part of the day, and were paid the same wages as the others. In our human minds this seems unfair, but in the eyes of God, He is happy that we answered the call. He is happy to give us what He has promised us.

Our duty is to answer the calling from God and continue forward, seeking His kingdom and His righteousness regardless of when we are called. "Remember now your Creator," wrote wise king Solomon (Ecclesiastes 12:1a). We know that this verse continues seemingly addressing the youth to maintain their connection with God while they are still young. But in this same passage we can all be encouraged to remember our God who has called us right now while we are still alive and breathing, while times are relatively easy still, "before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, 'I have no pleasure in them'" (verse 1b). So does it matter when a person is called into the truth? Not in the eyes of God. The promises from Him are still the same.

What about sin? Does God care how many sins we have sinned before He calls us? "You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin" (Psalm 85:2). When God calls us, He calls us to an opportunity to repent of all of our sins. He doesn't number our sins, even the sins of our past. "You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall desire the work of Your hands. For now You number my steps, but do not watch over my sin" (Job 14:15-16). As long as we truly repent of our sins, "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Once our sins are repented of, they are forgotten by God. What matters at that point, whenever that point is for each of us, is that we continue forward striving to live a sinless life. Some have endured for years and some for only a short while, but all have sinned and need that same repentance.

The truth is a wonderful gift which only God can open our eyes to see. He desires to share the gift of His way of life, of His kingdom, of His forgiveness, with everyone, but not all at once and not all at this time. In the eyes of God, our calling happens at exactly the right moment, at the time that He sees as best for us to be able to answer that call. I am grateful for this fact. It gives me hope for the people in this world who are heartbroken, who are oppressed, who are ignorant of God's love. One day, at the right time, "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14).

Our love is with you,

Lewis VanAusdle

Pastor, United Church of God

NYC, NJ, CT, Malawi, Zimbabwe