Devotions From Steadfast Lutherans

One baptism...

Sing loudly: I am baptized into Christ!

Baptism has washed you in this newness of life and set you apart, sanctified in Christ's holiness.

Your life depends on your baptism because your baptism depends on Jesus!

Jesus' resurrection is your resurrection.

You are clothed in Christ!

Christ does not hold out on you. He did not hold out on this poor woman. Your Jesus has given you the very words to pray in these times: “but deliver us from evil.” And He does. Not because of any worthiness of you, but of His own divine love and mercy. As dogs we beg, but we are lifted from our groveling on the floor like children, lifted to see Jesus face to face. Christ does not give to the dogs His blessings, He gives them to you. Many are His gifts.

God’s own child, I gladly say it. I am baptized into Christ. Amen.

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:22)

Don’t only look at the water. Listen. Listen to God’s command. God’s command might seem silly, it might seem stupid, but remember this. If God commanded something great, you’d do it. And now, Christ commands something very simple for all the nations. Thanks be to God for this simple command, that we might be washed and be clean!

Thanks be to God, for the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s Word!

When God's Word is combined with water, God gets to the heart of the matter: He gets to our hearts and makes them new.

The Holy Spirit gives life. In the beginning, He gave form to the water. Now, the Holy Spirit uses water as His way of killing a sinner and creating a saint.

Baptism cannot just be plain water. God commanded it and attached His Word to it!

Christians in the book of Acts were baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, just as we were!

God made us alive together with Christ!

Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word. Amen.

You are baptized (if you aren’t go talk to a Lutheran pastor). That is more valuable than anything else in your life. There is no amount of wealth, pleasure, influence, bodily health, governmental favor, or any other thing of this life that can compare to it. God grant that you treasure it, that your hearts may be found in such a treasure, trusting in God’s promises in baptism this Lent

This year, gather the household around the Word and these short devotions. Learn to treasure the gift of God that we have in Baptism. 

O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, You graciously have kept me Each night and day ‘gainst ev’ry host And heard this sinner’s earnest plea. Forgive my sins where I’ve done wrong, Angelic guards send, hear my song! Let Satan have no power o’er me! (Original PJC 2020, modeled after Luther’s Evening Prayer and TLH 260). Amen.