The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1909, Page 18

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18

The Lutheran Pioneer.

In order to redeem us from sin and its punish-
ment, God’s own Son became man, took upon Him-
self our sins, and bore the curse and the wrath which
we deserved. Being “obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross,” He endured in our stead the
- greatest agony, the most bitter sufferings, the most
cruel and shameful death.

Jesus on the cross! What does it mean? Tor
us! For me and for thee! That is what it means.
“All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have
turned every one to his own way; and the Lord
hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all,” says the
prophet. “He hath made Him to be sin for us,
who knew no sin, that we might be made the right-
eousness of God in Him,” says the apostle.

Jesus dying on the tree,
Means that wrath deserved by me

Has descended on His head,
And that He has died instead.

Jesus dying on the tree,
Means eternal life for me,
Since for me the Savior died
And God’s justice satisfied.

Of Holy Baptism.

III. Wuatr Dors Barrism Give or Prorrr?

Luther answers this question thus: “It works
forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the
devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe
this, as the words and promises of God declare.”

That which Christ has procured for the whole
world by His holy, precious blood and His innocent
suffering ond death, Baptism imputes to the in-
dividual. Gal. 3, 26. 27 the apostle writes: “Ye
are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as have been baptized into
Christ have put on Christ.” Here we are told that
they who are baptized have entered into so close
a relation with Christ that they, so to speak, are
clothed with Him as with a garment. God no
longer sees them, but only Christ. They that are
baptized have become partakers of Christ’s merits
and can say: z

Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress,
"Midst flaming worlds in these arrayed

F With joy shall I lift up my head.

Jesus’ merits and righteousness are appropriated
by us in Baptism. Now, in the Second Article we
already learned that Jesus purchased, won, and re-
deemed us from sin, death, and the power of the

devil. Christ has redeemed us from sin; hence
Baptism works forgiveness of sin. Peter tells his
hearers on Pentecost: “Repent, and be baptized,
every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for
the remission of sins,” Acts 2, 38. Ananias also
says to Saul, Acts 22, 16: “Arise, and be baptized,
and wash away thy sins.” As water cleanses the
body of uneleanness, so Baptism, which is the water
comprehended in God’s command and connected
with God’s word, washes away the filth of sin. Bap-
tism, indeed, does not remove sin itself, neither
original nor actual sin, but works the forgiveness
of sin; it removes the guilé of our sins, that is,
God is induced not to charge our sins against us.

But if Baptism works forgiveness of sins, it -

also delivers from death. The wages of sin is death,
and death is followed by judgment. But he that
has forgiveness of sins does not enter into judgment
and need, therefore, not fear death. “The sting of
death is sin; and the strength of sin is the Law.”
Since we have forgiveness of sin, since the Law
cannot condemn us, death has lost all its terrors,
and we may exultantly cry, “O death, where is thy
sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

So Baptism has also delivered us from the devil.
Through the devil sin and death came into the
world. He that sins is of the devil and in the
devil’s power —he is the devil’s subject and slave.
Every man by nature is.born in sin, and hence is
also born into the devil’s kingdom. But when
Christ came, He destroyed the works of the devil;
He broke the shackles of sin and death, and thus
gained for us freedom from the thraldom of Satan.
We are united with Christ by Baptism, which grants
us forgiveness of sin and redemption from death,
and which, therefore, likewise delivers us from the
power of darkness and brings us into the kingdom
of Christ, Col. 1, 12—14.

He that has forgiveness of sins and is delivered
from death and the devil has eternal salvation;
hence, Baptism gives cternal salvation.
Himself tells us, “He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved,” Mark 16, 16. And Peter also says
that Baptism saves us, 1 Pet. 3, 20. 21.

Great, indeed, are the gifts of Baptism! For-
giveness of sins, deliverance from death and the
devil, and eternal salvation: in these glorious gifts
does baptismal grace consist. ‘These precious gifts
are offered everyone that is baptized. But do all
receive these treasures? Alas! no. God will com-
pel no one to accept His grace, and therefore these
gifts come into the possession of those who appro-

Christ _