LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 66

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words dominate or take over our baptismal identity. Lines have
been drawn. Names have been called. What gets lost in all this
wardrobe shuffling is Christ and His robe. So Paul calls us to go
back to our first identity, to come to the waters humbly and with
no pretensions and drown the filthy rags, claims, titles, labels, and
the names we claim for ourselves and call others so that Christ’s
robe alone be all we boast about.
So who are you wearing? It’s time to see one another for who we
really are. Because we have been clothed with Christ we have been
called to look at each other not with the eyes of the flesh as people
on opposing teams competing for power. That would amount to
treating each other as slaves under the Law under what Paul calls
the “principles of the world,” under the Law that tries to change
things through the power of lording it over others.
Today the waters of Baptism call us to look at each other with the
eyes of the Holy Spirit even when we disagree with each other so
that we can see the robe of Christ on each other. When we see each
other not as slaves but as adopted sons in Christ first, we realize
we are standing before God’s own new forgiven creature on God’s
own holy ground, where Christ’s Spirit dwells. As Paul puts it, “In
Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith, for as many
of you were baptized into Christ have put on Christ … you are all
one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are … heirs
according to the promise” given to Abraham. Baptized into Christ,

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2 0 1 3 C o n v e n t io n P r o c e e d i n g s

we see Christ on us, around us, in us. And then we deal with each
other in truth but also with compassion and charity.
Without that precious robe passed on to us freely by Jesus, we
have nothing worth wearing. But God the Father has put Christ
on each one of you and given His Spirit of holiness to every one
of you. What a gift!
Getting lost in the wardrobe among so many luring labels and
names? Hang on to the sweet name of Christ alone, His robe given
to you in Baptism. Return daily to those waters to pick up that
precious robe. For it is in Baptism that we learn anew who we really
are before God and before one another. Let our Baptism alone be
the daily garment we wear all the time as we deal with each other
in the days, months, and even years ahead.
May God grant it for Jesus’ sake and for the life of our beloved Synod.
En el nombre del Padre, y del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo. Amen.
Notes
1. Baptismal Booklet, 14, in K-W, 374.
2. Large Catechism, Fourth Part: Concerning Baptism, 84–85,
in K-W, 466.

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