“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope…” (1 Peter 1)

            For many of us believers, baptism was our beginning. Baptism is that precious washing of water connected to the promises of God's Word which wash away our sin. As the disciples began their ministry with the forgiveness of sins, our relationship with God began with a new birth into a new relationship with God through the same forgiveness poured out in baptism. So it’s really a tragedy and a great sin against God when we neglect the daily encouragement of our baptisms. Perhaps it’s partly due to age: we were too young to remember being baptized. But more likely is that it’s plain old neglect. Remembering our baptisms falls into the same category of other things we plan on getting to like reading our Bibles more frequently and spending more time in personal prayer. No Christian denies their importance but do they make the time? We even have the audacity to hold up the blessings of God as an excuse to neglect God: my job, my family. 

You and I cannot bring anything to the table which pleases God. Our own deeds are tainted with sin. So let’s dispense with any pretend piety, or make-believe Christianity, and come to God as beggars, looking for help. Might I remind you of the waters of baptism? It is only when we see the reality of our sin that we can appreciate the reality of forgiveness. And today, while it is still today, let us worship God with a true heart, remembering that in our baptisms we are declared forgiven.

We didn’t earn it, we didn’t want it, we didn’t have any say in the matter—we were just declared to be forgiven. It was all purely based on the authority of Christ. That same authority which sent out disciples to enlighten the heathen, has empowered baptism so that we are something which we could never be on our own: disciples of Christ. Here at font we are connected to the work of Christ which is to say that we are connected to the death of Christ, that Christ’s death as payment for sin is as good as if you died to pay for your own sin. Yes, in baptism you died. And in baptism you rose again. As surely as Christ rose to live, you and I were born again into a new life with God. Gone are the days of angering God. Gone is the night of unbelief. We live in light. Now life really, truly, begins.

Have you been baptized? If not, contact a Christian congregation in your area. Or contact our pastors (see "contact us" at the top of the page), we'd love to help.