Baptized Into His Death
Faith Development
Saving Grace
Another Look At The Word And The Sacraments
Christ's death and resurrection are intricately interwoven with the death and resurrection of his people. God is a God of grace, who gives us much more than we deserve.
Justice means getting what we deserve.
Mercy means not getting what we deserve.
Grace means getting what we do not deserve.
At death, justice means we get what we deserve. Death is a part of our fallen state. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a).
At death, God's mercy means that we don't get what we deserve. We don't have to pay the wages of sin. Christ, by his death on the cross has taken the punishment for all of us. We deserve punishment. We receive mercy. "... Like the rest [of the disobedient sinners], we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions ..." (Ephesians 2:4-5).
Most important, at death, grace is at work. We get what we do not deserve. Saint Paul puts it this way, "... It is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God -- not of works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Eternal life is a gift of God's grace.
When we die, we receive what we do not deserve -- eternal life. We receive this gift not because we are good, but because God is good. God's goodness is supremely expressed by the action of Christ dying for us on the cross. "... God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
Christians, like other people, die physically, but we have the promise of Christ that we will live again because of what he has done for us. Sarah Williams was a sinner redeemed by the grace of God in Christ. She was a saved sinner. She was a forgiven sinner. She was a saint.
As Saint Paul said, "By Baptism we are buried with Christ in his death so that like him we too might be raised and given new life."
After the funeral at Messiah Church, there was a reception in the Fellowship Hall. Grace, who had sworn that she would never go back to church, was there. "I liked Pastor Jeff's sermon about Sarah," she said to Mary Anderson. "Sarah Williams was a good Christian woman. She was always kind and loving to me."
"Yes, she was one of the best," Mary replied.
"What did the pastor mean by saying that we all are sinners deserving punishment for our sins?"
"Sarah, like all of us, was a sinner. She, like all of us, needed Christ's mercy for forgiveness and grace for eternal life."
"That's hard for me to accept. She was such a good person. Isn't heaven a reward for people like Sarah who are truly good?"
"No. We are saved only by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. None of us deserves heaven. Heaven is not a reward for good people. Heaven is a joyous reunion with God who by grace invites us to come to him."
"Grace?"
"Grace. As the pastor said, 'Grace means getting what we do not deserve.' "
I just don't get it, Grace screamed in her mind. I just don't understand you Christians. You tell us to be good, but then turn around and say that we are not rewarded for being good. God, what's it all about?
Questions For Personal Consideration
And/Or Group Discussion
1.
Why is salvation by grace alone so hard for outsiders to understand?
2.
What would you say to Grace if she raised her questions with you?
3.
What brought Grace to Sarah's funeral service after she vowed never to return to the church?
4.
If you are in a group, discuss justice, mercy, and grace.
5.
Why should we be good if good works are not rewarded in heaven?
Digging Deeper
1.
Read Ephesians 2:4-9. What does this passage mean?
2.
Read Romans 1:16-17. What does this passage mean?
3.
Martin Luther talked of the joyous exchange of Christ's suffering and death for our sins. What does this mean?
4.
Other uses of the term "baptism."
a.
Baptism for the dead. In 1 Corinthians 15:29, Saint Paul uses this confusing and difficult phrase. It may mean being baptized at the graves of martyrs (sacred ground) with the cloud of witnesses around. It may mean "on behalf of" (e.g. being baptized because of the witness of a loved one who has died, thus showing affection and respect for the faith of the one who has died). It may mean "to fill the vacant places in the Church left by those who have died." It probably refers to vicarious Baptism, i.e. being baptized for a person who was under Christian instruction, but died before he or she could be baptized.20
A good principle for exegesis is to interpret difficult passages like this one in the light of clear passages.
b.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Pentecostals use this term to refer to "speaking in tongues." They teach three baptisms: 1) conversion and confession of Christ as Savior, 2) Water baptism to seal your confession, and 3) baptism of the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues). They teach that water baptism does not give the Holy Spirit. Lutherans and other Christians teach that the sacrament of Holy Baptism with water and the word gives the Holy Spirit.
Justice means getting what we deserve.
Mercy means not getting what we deserve.
Grace means getting what we do not deserve.
At death, justice means we get what we deserve. Death is a part of our fallen state. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a).
At death, God's mercy means that we don't get what we deserve. We don't have to pay the wages of sin. Christ, by his death on the cross has taken the punishment for all of us. We deserve punishment. We receive mercy. "... Like the rest [of the disobedient sinners], we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions ..." (Ephesians 2:4-5).
Most important, at death, grace is at work. We get what we do not deserve. Saint Paul puts it this way, "... It is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God -- not of works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Eternal life is a gift of God's grace.
When we die, we receive what we do not deserve -- eternal life. We receive this gift not because we are good, but because God is good. God's goodness is supremely expressed by the action of Christ dying for us on the cross. "... God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
Christians, like other people, die physically, but we have the promise of Christ that we will live again because of what he has done for us. Sarah Williams was a sinner redeemed by the grace of God in Christ. She was a saved sinner. She was a forgiven sinner. She was a saint.
As Saint Paul said, "By Baptism we are buried with Christ in his death so that like him we too might be raised and given new life."
After the funeral at Messiah Church, there was a reception in the Fellowship Hall. Grace, who had sworn that she would never go back to church, was there. "I liked Pastor Jeff's sermon about Sarah," she said to Mary Anderson. "Sarah Williams was a good Christian woman. She was always kind and loving to me."
"Yes, she was one of the best," Mary replied.
"What did the pastor mean by saying that we all are sinners deserving punishment for our sins?"
"Sarah, like all of us, was a sinner. She, like all of us, needed Christ's mercy for forgiveness and grace for eternal life."
"That's hard for me to accept. She was such a good person. Isn't heaven a reward for people like Sarah who are truly good?"
"No. We are saved only by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. None of us deserves heaven. Heaven is not a reward for good people. Heaven is a joyous reunion with God who by grace invites us to come to him."
"Grace?"
"Grace. As the pastor said, 'Grace means getting what we do not deserve.' "
I just don't get it, Grace screamed in her mind. I just don't understand you Christians. You tell us to be good, but then turn around and say that we are not rewarded for being good. God, what's it all about?
Questions For Personal Consideration
And/Or Group Discussion
1.
Why is salvation by grace alone so hard for outsiders to understand?
2.
What would you say to Grace if she raised her questions with you?
3.
What brought Grace to Sarah's funeral service after she vowed never to return to the church?
4.
If you are in a group, discuss justice, mercy, and grace.
5.
Why should we be good if good works are not rewarded in heaven?
Digging Deeper
1.
Read Ephesians 2:4-9. What does this passage mean?
2.
Read Romans 1:16-17. What does this passage mean?
3.
Martin Luther talked of the joyous exchange of Christ's suffering and death for our sins. What does this mean?
4.
Other uses of the term "baptism."
a.
Baptism for the dead. In 1 Corinthians 15:29, Saint Paul uses this confusing and difficult phrase. It may mean being baptized at the graves of martyrs (sacred ground) with the cloud of witnesses around. It may mean "on behalf of" (e.g. being baptized because of the witness of a loved one who has died, thus showing affection and respect for the faith of the one who has died). It may mean "to fill the vacant places in the Church left by those who have died." It probably refers to vicarious Baptism, i.e. being baptized for a person who was under Christian instruction, but died before he or she could be baptized.20
A good principle for exegesis is to interpret difficult passages like this one in the light of clear passages.
b.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Pentecostals use this term to refer to "speaking in tongues." They teach three baptisms: 1) conversion and confession of Christ as Savior, 2) Water baptism to seal your confession, and 3) baptism of the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues). They teach that water baptism does not give the Holy Spirit. Lutherans and other Christians teach that the sacrament of Holy Baptism with water and the word gives the Holy Spirit.
