by Kala Loptien

The Baptismal Appeal

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking the Sound Cloud link.

“Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 3: 21 English Standard Version

Our daughter was baptized one year ago, shortly after she joined our family. We talked about it this week and celebrated. My mind traveled back to the days leading up to that beautiful day. We did our best to prep her. She was most concerned and curious about the water. There was excitement and a little apprehension about what we called, “God’s water,” since she knew it would be applied to her head. Most people in our family were baptized as infants, so we don’t have memories of our baptisms. Our little girl remembers it well (especially that Chaplain Mills was who God used to baptize her).

Many of us are not able to recall the moment when that glorious, sanctified water cleansed us by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. But, praise God we have that blessed assurance that the Holy Spirit has been at work ever since. For He was right there in Word and water. We find comfort knowing God’s name abides in that water — whether you were five days, five years or fifty years old. As The Lutheran Confessions explain, “What God institutes and commands cannot be an empty thing. Although it is performed by human hands, it is still truly God’s own work. God himself stakes His honor, His power and His might on it.”

Through that baptism, we are saved, having the assurance that God truly and fully forgives us because of Jesus. Nothing can remove this holy, righteous covering. I stumbled upon a Luther-ism in the Book of Concord that I hope can be a comfort to you like it is me. When we feel the weight of the world; when we are afflicted by our sins and the lies of shame, we Christians should say, “But I am baptized!” May we remember and celebrate the gift and the promise therein. Amen.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO