The Bethany Bullet Sermon Message - Week of January 12, 2020

Sermon: “Watermarked”

Text: Romans 6:1-5

Baptism is passive and promissory.  That is, in Baptism we receive, without any deserving or striving on our behalf.  In Baptism all our Lord has accomplished for us through His perfect life, innocent sacrificial death and victorious Resurrection from the grave became our own.  As St. Paul put it, "All of us who have been into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death....If we have been united with Him in a death like His (through baptism) we will certainly be united with in a resurrection like His."  Romans 6:3&5

Baptism is practiced and participatory.  That is, Baptism calls us to rise to newness of Life in Christ.  Like our Lord's so to our own, as Baptized children of God, are to be lives of trust and love, service and sacrifice, humility and dedication.  As St. Paul puts it, "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

Jesus' own baptism is indicative and analogous of our own.  As He was being baptized the spirit of God fell on Jesus in the form of a dove and the voice of heaven declares that He was God's own beloved Son.  Then that same Spirit led Him into the wilderness, where the devil tempted Him; but Jesus not once favored the adversary's offer nor failed to rely on God's power; in the Word and thus words, "It is written" He stood firm.

While the dove went unnoticed and the decibel level did not register, the same Spirit that fell on Jesus fell in you in Baptism, Jesus identity and victory became your own, and the same voice proclaimed you a beloved child of God.  Baptism is passive and promissory.  That same God calls you His baptized child, to follow Him, journey with His Spirit and rest secure on His Word will traveling through the wilderness.  Baptism is practiced and participatory. 

Unfortunately, while Jesus holiness and righteousness have become our own in Baptism, our original nature yet remains.  Thus the reason on occasion (intermittently? frequently? constantly?) we find ourselves favoring tempting offers and failing to withstand the adversary as God's beloved child with God's all sufficient Word. 

That's why Luther when reflecting upon Baptism's gift and the baptized's life noted that, "Baptism indicates that we should daily drown the old creature in repentance and contrition and daily emerge and rise to live before the Lord’s holiness and righteousness." 

Because, after all:

V  Baptism is passive and promissory - receive that gift anew this and every day!   

V  Baptism is practiced and participatory - rise in the gift this morn and each morn to walk in newness of life!

- Pr. Kevin Kritzer