LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 73

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Convention Sermon
❼ “Baptized for Mercy!”
Titus 3:4–8 • Tuesday Midday

By the Rev. Alexey Streltsov, rector of Lutheran Theological Seminary
in the Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church
65th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod | July 23, 2013

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior
appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in
righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of
regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on
us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His
grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The
saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that
those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves
to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

G

race to you and peace from God our Father and from
our Lord Jesus Christ.

We Lutherans are fond of saying from what we are saved.
And in his epistle to the bishop Titus, the apostle Paul names
particular sins and sinful attitudes characterizing our depravity.
This is the condition we find ourselves in as poor sinful beings.
And the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23).

However, by the mercy of our Lord, we have been brought from
death to life (John 5:24), from darkness to light (1 Peter 2:9). This
was and is not of ourselves, lest anyone should boast (Eph. 2:9).
“Works done by us in righteousness” are as useful for our salvation
as a bankruptcy statement in a supermarket.
We are saved by mercy, which is not just a figure of speech. These
are not merely abstract categories we are talking about. When we
speak of Baptism, we speak of Christ. And when we speak of Christ
extending mercy to us, we speak of Baptism. Our text contains a
clear trinitarian and Christological confession: God our Savior
is Jesus Christ our Savior. And so this “our Savior” showed us
philanthropy. How? He was made man, and He took upon Himself
what we deserved. And it was surely not a reward for the “works
done by us in righteousness.” Rather, it was punishment for all of
our foolishness, disobedience, being led astray, enslavement to
passions and pleasures, malice, envy, and hatred. It all fell on Christ.
And in return, what Christ won on the cross, that is, forgiveness
of sins and life eternal, He freely administers to us in the “washing
of regeneration.”
“Washing of regeneration”: this is translated in Russian Bibles as
banya, that is, “sauna” of regeneration. (If you have never been to a
Russian sauna, then come to Russia and try this unique experience
for yourselves.) Plenty of water. Plenty of grace and mercy. God
always gives us more than what we deserve or what we can even
think of. No one approaching Baptism ever walks away unwashed.
C o n v e n t io n se r m o n s

This Baptism then manifests itself in our life, which becomes a life
of baptismal confession, which is the way it should be. However,
it is easier said than done, especially when hardships come. Then
what once seemed certain and sure suddenly can no longer provide.
How can I continue to behave like a baptized child of God contrary
to what my senses tell me, contrary to what my human experience
advises, contrary to what the fallen world around me wants to throw
at me? “Curse God and die,” says my old Adamic mind to me.
“Praise God and live through suffering and death,” my baptismal
faith keeps telling me.
The beauty of the Christian life is that it is essentially a life lived
for others; it is a life manifesting mercy. To be sure, our mercy is
a consequence of Baptism. Having freely received mercy, we then
show it to others. And in this way, our baptismal life becomes a
true expression of gratitude to God for our salvation, and Baptism
remains for us a continuously present reality.
Thus our mercy is only possible because of “His own mercy,” which
is clearly manifested in Baptism.
We Lutherans are fond of saying from what we are saved. But
every once in a while it is good and profitable to say for what we
are saved—and not just say it, but also live it out. It is good because
the apostle instructs us about it. We are saved so that we may
“devote [ourselves] to good works. These things are excellent and
profitable for people.”
In this way, being saved by baptismal mercy (expressed in the
“washing of regeneration”) leads to our being baptized for mercy.
As Christ lived His life for others, so our calling is likewise to be
merciful to others and in this way stay firm in Baptism, which has
forever united us with Jesus.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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