“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved,…” Mark 16:16
What a wonderful promise! It is the promise of salvation, eternal life in heaven, freedom from the powers of sin and death and the ultimate gift of God’s grace! But what good is a promise unless it is believed and received? The promises of God are so powerful because they are claimed and not rejected. They are powerful because they are confidently trusted.
Sadly, many have decided not to claim or trust in the promises of God. Even if they received Baptism when they were a child, many have rejected its gifts through unbelief, or created it to be a “rabbits’ foot” and failed to live out its promise in their life thinking it to be the end of faith rather than the beginning.
Like any gift that is given, it must be accepted, it must be received, otherwise it has no value. But the Lord does not just snatch it away, He leaves the gift available for whoever wants to receive it. It simply needs to be claimed, picked up and received. Accordingly, Luther encouraged all believers to claim their promises of Baptism each and every day the moment one wakes to a new morning. By doing so, a believer reminds themselves of the gifts that are theirs through Christ and it sets the day in a positive direction. When we were Baptized, we were made the Children of God, and as His Children given the promise of an inheritance that is ours now and forevermore!
Know that you are loved!
Peace and Joy,
Pastor Kilian