"Baptism brings about forgiveness of sins, redeems from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe it, as the words and promise of God declare."
Yesterday I talked about two of the three ways a sacrament is defined according to Luther. There is an earthly element (water) and it is a command of Christ. (Matthew 28:19) Today we learn about it's benefits. Baptism brings about "forgiveness of sins, redeems from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation." The gift of God's grace is poured out upon us when we are baptized, bringing with it the promise of new life in the present, and eternal life forever. Today's devotion brings the baptismal life into the here and now. Because, in the waters of baptism, we are given new life, we seek to bring that new life to a broken world. The author writes, "God has poured out divine love upon us so that with every step we take, that love sloshes on those around us." What a great image that is! The waters of baptism are not to be neatly confined in the font, but to spill over upon those around us. The next time I do a baptism, I don't think I'll worry so much about water spilling on the floor. It should be "sloshing" around, moving out into the world. Today, think about ways the waters of baptism once poured upon you, might overflow in love to those you meet.
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