The Holy Trinity May 30-31, 2026
“Let God be God” Genesis 1:1-2:4
Rev. John R. Larson Ascension Lutheran Church Littleton, Colorado
Every once in a while, I have something to say. Today is one of those days. Just your luck, huh? Just make it short, right? Do you want to solve the question about life? Here is how you do it: Let God be God. That is it. It isn’t any more complicated than that. Let God be God and everything else will fall into place.
Genesis 1 is the place for us to start with that great statement that changes life. The opening words in Genesis say, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good.” (Genesis 1:1-4)
Who can do that? Nobody. Except God. And He does it over and over and over again. Water. The sky and the stars. Dry land. Vegetation. All living creatures. Everything. Whatever you can see. Whatever you can’t see. Stuff billions of miles away. Everything. And every time God made something He puffed out His chest and patted Himself on the back. “I’m impressed.” “That came out well.” “Do you think they will like it?” At the conclusion of the sixth day, when everything was made that has been made we read of this, “And God saw everything that he made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)
The Scriptures take a great deal of pride in seeing what God, and God alone, can do.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. (Psalm 19:1-4)
Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Romans 1:19-20)
Let God be God. What does the creation tell us about God? It tells us that God is a genius. He is good. He delights in giving us wonderful things. It tells us that God is in charge. It was with certainty and conviction that God said again and again, “Let there be.”
But let me tell you how dumb we are. Some folks, then and now, don’t want God to be God. He doesn’t fit into their plans. Do you know what the first sin was? Adam and Eve’s sin, right? No. Couldn’t be. It had to be the fall of the devil, Satan, also called “the morning star”. Listen to this from Isaiah 14, “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, in the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:12-14)
Adam and Eve had the same fall as the evil one. When Eve, when having a conversation with the devil said, “God did say, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ The serpent tempted Eve with these cunning words, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:3-4)
Letting God be God? No, it won’t work. He’ll be in charge and we can’t trust Him. Letting God be God? No. He might take away the plans we have for our life.
Letting God be God was not in the heart of the devil. It was not in the heart of Adam and Eve. And it is not in us.
But I still think I have something that needs to be heard. If you want to solve the whole question of life, then God must be God. It is the only way that makes sense. I’m not God. You’re not God. The sooner we come to that wonderful truth the better we will be. But He is God and this God is good.
God has chosen to reveal Himself to us in the most amazing way. He is triune. The Father is God. He is almighty. The creator. The one who takes care of His creation. The Son is God. He has the name of Jesus. Fully God. Fully man. His work is to bring us back to God our Father. The Holy Spirit is God. His work is to bring us to faith and to fill us with strength and might so we can stand with confidence as God’s special person in this world.
Let God be God and let us be His followers. Let God be your God. Trust Him. Rely on Him. Fall into His arms.
Genesis 1 tells us that God created light on the first day of creation. He spoke and light came into being. He does the same today. There is too much darkness in this world. There is too much darkness in our life. But because God is God and we can trust in Him, a simple word from Him removes darkness.
John 1, which tells us of the coming of Jesus sounds like Genesis 1. John did this lookalike on purpose. Listen: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5)
Ever been to Las Vegas? It is a city of light. The Strip. The casinos. The shows. Lights, bright lights, everywhere. But they are artificial. Sometimes we go there hoping it turns life around but it doesn’t always do so. The lights are human created.
Letting God be exactly who He is brings us calm and security. Light, His light, shines in our darkness and brings a brilliant hope. When God speaks His written word, He is doing great things, as well. Scripture says that He made everything by the word of His mouth. Let God be God. Let Him speak His words in Scripture to you.
In the New Testament we read about a servant of a military leader who was paralyzed and suffering. Jesus was on His way to heal him when this centurion, this military leader, had these words, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” (Matthew 8:8) And he was – at that very moment. “Just say the word.” That is what we ask God to do for us. In Mark’s gospel the disciples were in their boat when a storm, vicious and unrelenting, came upon them. They knew they were in trouble. But Jesus had these words spoken to the forces of nature, “Quiet! Be still!” And everything became calm. The disciples said of this, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (See Mark 4:35-41) Jesus was just being who He is – God. And that is enough.
Paul, in his own doxology to God says:
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36)
On this Sunday, of all Sunday’s, let God, in all of His power and majesty and mercy, His love and salvation and promise, be God. And let us be His believers and followers. If God is God and we are His, life is solved. Amen!!
