The blessings of Baptism
“He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5b)
It is likely that just about every one of us observes a day each year which we celebrate as our birthday. I say likely because I know that some people get to a point where they’d rather not celebrate how old they are. Nonetheless, each one of us has a date on the calendar when we came into this world and our life began.
So do you know when your spiritual birthday is? For most of us that day is the day we were baptized and became a child of God and an heir of heaven. Just about everyone can tell you their birthday without even thinking about it. But if you were to ask people what day they were baptized on, the vast majority of people would have to go digging for their baptismal certificate and find out what that date is that could rightly be called their spiritual birthday.
When I was teaching children in confirmation class, we would talk about this as we started the set of lessons on baptism. I would ask them what was hanging on the wall in their bedroom and they would eagerly tell me about the posters of music or sports stars which adorned the walls of their bedroom. They would have a proud smile on their face as they talked about how they had medals and trophies from various athletic, musical and other achievements. And then I would ask them if there was anything hanging in their bedroom which was a daily reminder to them that they are a child of God.
A few of them would mention that there was a cross, perhaps which they were given at their baptism, which was hanging somewhere in their bedroom. We would then have a conversation about how none of those other accomplishments or blessings would really matter if they were not a child of God. I would ask them if there was another certificate which should be hanging up there next to the ones which declared them to be a top student, athlete or musician.
It might take a few minutes, but eventually they would realize that their baptismal certificate should be hanging there as a constant reminder of the day their spiritual life began. I would ask the entire class how many of them knew where their baptismal certificate was. You can probably guess what the most common answer was – “I know my mom has it somewhere in the safety deposit box or hidden away somewhere else.”
Our Bible verse for this week reminds us of the blessings of our Baptism which were not just ours on the day water was applied to our forehead in the name of the Triune God, but are still ours each and every day and will carry us to eternal life.
In our Bible verse for this week, Paul writes to Titus and in doing so, reminds each of us of two blessings of Baptism which we carry with us every day.
“saved us through the washing of rebirth” Those words put before us the blessing of Baptism which most people would likely name immediately – in Baptism we are given faith and in that we are made a child of God, have our sins washed away and become and heir of the eternal blessings of heaven.
That is certainly the most prominent and important blessing of Baptism and one which we need to be reminded of every day. Any time I doubt my worth in this world or wonder if that huge sin which I committed can be removed, all I need to do is remember my Baptism and know that even if no one else seems to care for me, I am God’s child and he loves me eternally. When the devil tries to plague my conscience with the troubles and guilt of past sins, I can remember that I am a baptized child of God and God washes away (forgives) every one of my sins just as quickly and easily as a little soap and water washes away the dirt on my hands or face.
So if you don’t know your baptismal date, are you ready to go find your baptismal certificate and be able to remember and celebrate every year the date of your spiritual birthday and all the blessings you received?
“renewal by the Holy Spirit” The second blessing of Baptism which Paul sets before us is very often forgotten, even though it is another blessing which we need every day. Not only does our Baptism give us faith and make us a child of God and give us forgiveness and the hope of heaven. Every day in between my Baptism and the day I reach heaven my Baptism gives me another power which I can’t make it through the day without. My Baptism also gives me the power each day to be renewed in my faith. That means that I am strengthened in my faith, given the power to fight the devil’s temptations and have the strength and willingness to live each day in the way which pleases God.
Even if you don’t want people to know what day you were born or how old you are, please remember the day you can celebrate your spiritual birthday and all the blessings you have through your Baptism!