CD - The Power of Baptism - Titus 3:4-7

Just as salvation is not achieved by human effort, so neither are the blessings of baptism brought about by such effort. The power of baptism does not lie in our doing something, nor does it lie in the water. The power of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, we might add here, is in the Word of God and in faith in that Word. Remember, certainty of heaven comes outside ourselves, from God’s Word. If we had to be certain of heaven in ourselves we would never have that certainty, because we are uncertain people. Certainty comes from outside ourselves. It is by grace through faith in Jesus that we have heaven and we learn of this grace through God’s Word. Therefore, the power of baptism, which brings the blessings talked about in our last devotion, comes also by grace through faith in the Word of God. As our Bible reading for today tells us, this baptism brings the Holy Spirit into our hearts. He works faith in us.

A good example of the power of Baptism lies in our checking system. A blank check is worthless, only a piece of paper, even if it is filled out to the order of someone and has an amount written, but, if I sign the check, and have the money in the bank to cover the check, it is worth the amount it says. If the recipient of the check, however, does not believe I am able to cover the check and throws it away, it is worth nothing. If the person does believe and cashes the check, it is worth the amount stated. The same is true of baptism. The check of baptism is written out, and the “money” (Jesus holy, precious, blood) is in the bank. In other words, God has made His promise and He can and does back it up. Without our believing and not cashing the check of baptism, it is worth nothing to us, because this is gift refusal. Thus, it is faith in God’s Words that are the power that bring about the blessings of Baptism, faith which the Holy Spirit gives and works in our hearts.

One more word on verse seven of our Bible reading. The verse says that we have the hope of eternal life. This word hope is not the hope we know today. When we think of hope today, we think of an uncertain event which might happen. This hope, as given in the original Greek, is a certainty. It would be better if, instead of saying we have the hope of eternal life, we said we have the certainty of eternal life. I hope that, by grace through faith, you, too, have the certainty of eternal life in heaven. Daily, remember your baptism, and, daily, remember your certainty of heaven.

Dear Lord, forgive me when I have doubts, doubts about my faith, doubts about Your forgiveness. Help me to daily remember my baptism as well as to daily read Your Word through which I have the external confidence of my salvation for Jesus’ sake. Amen.