On January 7, 2007, the Sunday has a dual emphasis of being the 1st Sunday after the Epiphany and the Baptism of our Lord. The three assigned readings from the Revised Lutheran Lectionary are Isaiah 43:1-7 (Israel has been redeemed); Romans 6:1-11 (Baptized into His death) and Luke 3:15-22 (John’s baptism of Jesus). For our deliberation we have chosen Romans 6:4 “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death.”
The problem facing every religion in the world is how to get right with God Who demands obedience to His demands. Some religions respond with the view that God does not demand perfect obedience but only better behavior. Others respond by suggesting that working off your sins by sacrifices and offerings will get God on your side. Then there are those religions that actually propose that you become perfect, if not by your own ability, at least with a little help from God.
Only Christianity teaches that God not only demands perfect obedience and perfect motivation but that there is NO HELP that God can possibly give you. For declaring that God can give you some help, assumes that the unbeliever can make use of the help God provides to fulfill the Law’s demands. That is impossible.
So how does Christianity reveal to us the solution to our problem? Salvation is neither merited nor earned. It is a free gift provided by a God of mercy and grace. And how does He provide it? He does so by simply transferring to the ungodly what Christ the godly did at the cross and resurrection. At the cross Jesus took upon Himself the punishment you and I deserved. At the resurrection, it became crystal clear that Jesus had indeed finished the task for which He was sent by the Father.
Now, as unbelievable as it sounds, God has decided in His infinite wisdom to transfer all the benefits Christ won for us by simple water. But it is not simple water but water connected to the Word of God. And not just any Word but the Word of promise from Matthew 28 that disciples are created by being baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit!
From God’s viewpoint–which is the only one that counts–the forgiveness of sins which Christ won for us in His death and resurrection are now received by us in the waters of holy baptism. It is as though our own bodies were buried with Christ having suffered the hell He experienced on the cross with the words, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Having received the gift of the forgiveness of sins and the robe of righteousness in this glorious exchange, we have His assurance that we have been adopted into the family of God. Now that’s a means of salvation that cannot be found in any other religion in the world which, of course, are all man-made and demon-inspired.
Name:Tom Baker
Thank you Pastor Baker. I use your comments in preparing for my bible class in our Senior Center in Big Spring, TX. Ned Crandall
It was this whole idea of baptism being a gift from God that turned the corner and opened up more the richness of the Gospel for me in my own life. For years under SB doctrine baptism was not a gift but a terror to me, when I first heard of it as a gift TO ME, God’s name ON ME, that changed everything. Then baptism became not a club the devil used to try to destroy me with, how do I know I had faith or such to receive the “badge” of baptism, but rather a weapon against him. It’s very clever how the devil has set up a devise concerning baptism among Christians. I told my wife, “It’s one thing to note Rome’s wrong idea concerning baptism and correcting that, quiet another to formulate a doctrine which is not biblical/Gospel so much as it is against Rome. This is the error of our former denomination and many. They are not formulating a doctrine of baptism that is Gospel but simply against Rome and by doing so they loose much.” It occurred to me one day, having been a former SB, that Rome and “believers only” are in common on baptism. The thing I used to hear and say myself would be something like, “Of course we don’t trust in baptism, we don’t trust in a man’s work.” It occurred to me that’s simply affirming what Rome teaches about baptism, that it is a man’s work. The main difference between say SB (and the like) and Rome is in the administration of the work, but in both camps it remains a “man’s working”. It shows itself in yet another parallel, another point I never thought of before. In my former denominational affiliation we would say, “We don’t trust in our baptism, not trusting in man’s works, but Roman Catholics do trust in their baptism.” But occurred to me that is the BIGGEST error ever. Roman Catholic DON’T trust in their baptism any more than “believers only”. I told my wife, “don’t you see, that’s why the entire system of works developed in RCC…they really don’t derive assurance from their baptism. It’s merely a beginning work among many and the parallel in “believers only” is exactly the same minus the infants. That’s why assurance is never had and rededications, rebaptisms, aisle walking forever, repraying the prayer, promise keepers and a plethora of ‘protestant’ works develop among many in that thinking like I myself did so much. Neither Rome or believers only trust in their baptism because fundamentally it is viewed as a “man’s” work and not a gift FROM God, a giving of His name.” The response that even I use to give and believe as true about Roman Catholics “believing” in their baptism is completely off base, they don’t and that’s why everything else for comfort, which never comes, develops and surfaces. It’s a tragedy really. The devil fundamentally has given the same error in both camps, a version of “hath God really said” about baptism. And by doing so turns many from this wonderful Gospel in the water. It is of course right to reject all works, but baptism is not man’s work, there’s the “hath God really said (this is my Name given to you”. But it is right to trust in baptism as it is the name of God and the Gospel and much much more of that very gift. But it is so very true what Luther said reason cannot see or accept that for reason ALWAYS seeks out something “to do”, only faith via seeing the Gospel in the Sacrament can see and live off of it.
Blessed is the name of Christ Jesus,
Larry KY
Thanks for your comment Ned and your copy of “Seduction of Extremes” is being mailed Monday.
Larry, once more you have provided another example of how keeping Law and Gospel straight makes a big difference in how baptism applies to our lives. To a great degree, decision theology and Roman Catholic theology are two sides of the same coin as both finally find their true assurance not in the promises connected to baptism but in their changed life.
Larry,
Coming from an evangelical non denominational background, I have seen exactly what you have talked about. Isn’t it ironic that “decision theology” is rife with man’s work? Something that a lot of people claim they are trying to get away from? Yet faith has been formulated and methodized into a work. It is almost as if modern evangelicalism is an “egocentric” religion.
Tom,
I am new to the whole podcasting world and even though your show is not on the radio around here (we only get Moody Bible Radio), I will continue to listen to Issue Etc. and Law & Gospel on my MP3 player at work. Thank you for a wonderful show.
“Only Christianity teaches that God not only demands perfect obedience and perfect motivation but that there is NO HELP that God can possibly give you.”
Thanks, Tom. I borrowed that “radical”
statement for my opening line in last Sunday’s sermon.
Kirk, Gospel Outreach of Portland
The primary mission of Jesus was not to help us become saved but to save us. He is not an Example to help save ourselves; He is a Savior Who does all the work without any help from us.