What Is Your Baptism To You Today?

Trinity V -- June 26, 2005

Romans 6:1b-11

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

Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

If we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin -- because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

What is your baptism to you today? Do you know I had someone suggest that we remove the baptism birthdays out of the church newsletter and leave in the birthdays - so there is more room. Your baptism may have been something you do not remember, but it is to be how your life as a believer is lived every single day. This action by God toward you, is the single event which has the most lasting significance in your life as a believer.

In our Catechism Luther wrote the following: What does such baptizing with water indicate? It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a New Man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.

Do you know where Luther got the information that caused him to pen this understanding and make it part of the most simple basics we are to teach our children? He got it from our text for the morning. You see, he continues in the Catechism:

Where is this written? Saint Paul writes in Romans chapter six: "We were therefore buried with Him through Baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." (Romans 6:4)

This text is talking about two things at the same time. First, it is speaking of the new life of the believer, who died to sin through baptism, and lives in that new life. Second, it talks about the believers’ death with Christ and the new life the believer will enjoy in heaven for eternity because they are in Christ. In both instances, it is about the believer living in their baptism - here in time and hereafter in heaven.

Now, some think that just because they are baptized, they will automatically go to heaven. Oooops! This is a tragic misunderstanding. How many kids have been brought to the font here, their parents thinking that somehow this is some magical formula by which their kids will always be safe and they are now guaranteed heaven. This isn’t true!

Jesus said, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16 ESV) God begins faith with baptism, but many are those who fall away from faith; they no longer believe.

Unfortunately, there are many who have spurned God, despising their baptism, and by their unbelief, are now in danger of losing the very benefits that are the gifts of baptism - forgiveness, eternal life, and salvation - all because they have fallen from faith into unbelief. People spurn God’s Spirit and despise His gifts in a number of different ways.

Of course, we all know the people who have spurned God’s gifts by avoiding them, by not being where God dispenses faith along with forgiveness, eternal life, and salvation. They do so by not coming to church.

No decent parent would ever feed their newborn a first meal and then hope they can survive with no further meals. And yet, there are many who do just that by their absence from the Dining Hall of Christ. They despise the fact that God is the only one who feeds and nourishes faith, and that He does so whenever two or three are gathered in His Name around His Word and His sacrament.

But they have their excuses. They don’t have time: life’s too busy, the kids have too much going on. For eternity, some will ponder that decision - whether or not baseball or salvation should have been their first concern. Work keeps others away, as if there were not multiple services at various times and on different days each week. And, if these are not enough, there are other LCMS congregations they could attend?

Just as a newborn child who is not fed would soon get weak, sick, and possibly die, so too those who have had faith begun in baptism. A person cannot continue in the faith of their baptism if they are not in God’s house where His gifts build faith - soon faith withers and dies if it is not fed.

We need to live in our baptism on a daily basis. Yet, there are those who spurn God’s gift and despise their baptism by the fact that they continue in their sin even knowing it is sin.

Imagine young Johnny, who threw the baseball in the living room and mom gave him the third degree and said, “No TV for a week.” Now, Johnny’d be pretty foolish to be throwing the baseball in the living room again, wouldn’t he?

Yet that is exactly what we like to do. God says, “you have sinned, My Son has paid the price, go and sin no more.” This is daily contrition and repentance, for to repent is to turn away from something. To live in your baptism is to live in daily sorrow over sin, turning from it, and trusting the forgiveness purchased by Christ.

That is God’s message through Paul in our text. Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

So, how come you and I continue to go back do exactly what we know we ought not to be doing? How can we continually go back and do the same sins we confessed and know we ought not to be doing any longer?

Today’s society wants us to believe that some things are no longer sins, so we continue in them, no matter what God’s Word has to say about it. We are tempted by our fleshly desires, and we dismiss the Spirit speaking in our hearts and consciences, even though we know it is right. And the world acts as if it is acceptable to live that way.

You, dear friends, are not to be like the world. You are not to take the cues for your life from the societal standards, but from Christ. Which is why Christ says, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

On your own, you cannot resist temptation. On your own, it is so easy to go along with the crowd and live life like the rest of humanity. But you are different, you have been purchased with a price - the holy precious blood, and the innocent suffering and death of your Savior, Jesus Christ. You were, in fact, baptized into His death and your sinful self was crucified with Him.

Baptized into Christ, you daily remember who claimed you by name, even though He knew your sinfulness. He knew of your sinfulness and cleansed you of it through water and the Word. You daily trust that same word which says, “You are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Daily Christ raises you to live a new life, a life mindful of all that He has done for you.

I awoke this morning, only too mindful of my sinfulness, just as we confessed it - that we sin against Him in thought, word, and deed. That is why we flee to His infinite mercy and seek God’s grace for the sake of Jesus Christ. We flee to Him daily, for He does have mercy, He does grant us remission of all our sins, and it is He who grants us the increase of the knowledge of His will and the strength to be obedient to it.

Today you are gathered in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit - the faith of your baptism brought you here to seek God’s grace in the Face of Christ - your Savior.

Today, Jace Nathanial Schultz has been brought into God’s house. In confidence, his parents believe that God will do for him all that we have heard in our text. They believe that Christ Himself will free him from his sins and give him a new life. Jace himself will be given the faith which trusts Christ at his Word. Let us pray that God will continue to keep Jace, even as He promises - and that he will live in his baptism each and every day of his life.

What is your baptism to you today, and everyday? It is your confidence! You are Christ’s! You daily arise and know of your sinfulness. Your baptism is your confidence that in Christ, all is forgiven. You have been buried with Christ, you shall live with Him. And, as He rose from the dead on the third day, the end of this life also holds no surprises, for you shall also rise with Him.

What is your baptism to you today? I know what it is for me. My baptism is my daily life. It is my name, my life, and my heritage. For I am Todd Jerabek, a child of God who has been called out of this world to live in Christ, now and forever more. By God’s grace, it is the same for you as well. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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