Sin Didn't Win :: 2 Corinthians 5:17 :: Funeral of Rachel Lynn Peuster

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[Introduction]

Dear Jim, Jane, Laura, and David ... dear brothers and sisters in Christ ... 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Rachel Lynn Peuster was given life by her creator and was born on December 1, 1955, the child of Clarence Walter and Lois Jean Peuster. She received the gift of Holy Baptism on December 31, 1955 at Peace Lutheran Church in Slater, Missouri, and became a child of God. Washed and cleansed with the Water and Word, God gave her new life, eternal life, as Paul teaches us with no uncertain terms in Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Titus. On March 22, 1970, she publicly confessed her faith in Christ. And we know that all who confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart God raised him from the dead will be saved. Rachel regularly received and was nourished by the precious gift of the Lord’s life-giving body and blood for the forgiveness of her sins. She looked forward to the Divine Service, where God delivered to her the forgiveness of sins, and therefore, eternal life. 

Gifted with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faith, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23), Rachel became a special education school teacher. She loved gardening and quilting and giving. She was among the most selfless and thankful people I’ve ever met. Then on Tuesday morning, June 10, 2025, God blessed Rachel Lynn Peuster with a holy death. But ...

SIN DIDN’T WIN

I.

Dear brothers and sisters, when we confirm our faith in the Lutheran Church, it is very common to receive confirmation verse ... one to proclaim our faith. Some of us get to choose our own ... a favorite verse that sticks with us. Some of us have it chosen for us by our pastor. It’s always interesting how these verses become guides for our lives. My pastor chose for me 1 John 1:9 ... God who is faithful and just to forgive your sins and cleanse you of all unrighteousness. Rachel ... she was given an entire hymn ... number 783 in your service book ... number 400 in The Lutheran Hymnal, with which she grew up. When you listen to Take My Life and Let It Be ... you can see how Rachel definitely took it to heart ... knowing sin wouldn’t win. 

II.

Take my life and let it be / Consecrated Lord, to Thee;

Take my moments and my days / Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands and let them move / At the impulse of Thy love;

Take my feet and let them be / Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing / Always, only for my King;

Take my lips and let them be / Filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold / Not a mite would I withhold;

Take my intellect and use / Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it Thine / It shall be no longer mine;

Take my heart, it is Thine own / It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour / At Thy feet its treasure store;

Take myself, and I will be / Ever, only, all for Thee. (LSB 783)

III.

Do we sometimes fall short of these qualities? 

Oh, yes! We all struggle in body, mind, and soul. But brothers and sisters in Christ, sin can’t win. It can’t win ... and doesn’t win ... because our Lord Jesus Christ ... the only wise God ... who humbled himself ... taking on the form of not just a servant, but a slave ... paid the price of all sin for all time in all the world. Jesus carried all of Rachel’s sin ... your sin, my sin, the world’s sin ... to the cross. Jesus who himself knew no sin ... who was born without sin and lived without sin ... because he is God with Us ... Immanuel ... ensured that all sin was punished on his cross. Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, as Peter preaches (1 Pt 3:18). Sin didn’t win because it died with the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, just as God promised (Rm 6:23). Now he abides with us.

But because God is also righteous and just ... Holy, Holy, Holy ... as we just sang, Jesus who had no sin of his own was raised from the dead. ... He is now risen! ... And now that all who believe in him ... like Rachel ... will not perish but will have eternal life. For God did not send Jesus into the world to condemn the world, but to save it from sin (Jn 3:17). 

IV.

The world would indeed be a better place if there were more people lived life like Rachel in her confirmation hymn. Then they, too ... will say in that day, give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaiming that his name is exalted (Isa 12). 

You can now do this because sin didn’t win. 

Now hear Paul’s proclamation from 2 Corinthians 5, which is part of the foundation of Rachel’s hymn ... if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that when God was in Christ he was reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning their trespasses against them, but entrusting to us the word of reconciliation. 

[Conclusion]

Rachel Lynn Peuster allowed herself to be continually reminded of this ... these promises of God. She knew that He would never leave her or forsake her. She knew that He died. She knew that eternal life was hers on account of the resurrection. She knew he promised to give his inheritance to her. And it won’t win against any of you who call upon the saving name of our Lord and Savior. Because sin didn’t win ... in Jesus’ name. Amen.


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