The sacraments – baptism and holy communion – are truly means of grace. Through them we experience God’s grace in unique and surprising ways. Last time I wrote about holy communion. You would think that I’d have done baptism first since it typically comes first in our faith journey. However, there was a method to my madness – even though I didn’t know it myself at the time.
As a baptized people, we have said that we want to belong to the family of God. Or, if we are infants when baptized, those we love want us to belong to the family of God and promise to raise us in a way that will enable us to claim that belonging for ourselves eventually. As with any family, belonging to the family of God comes with certain responsibilities spelled out in our baptismal vows. We promise to:
- “renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of [our] sin;”
- “accept the freedom and power God gives [us] to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves;”
- and “confess Jesus Christ as [our] Savior, put [our] whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as [our] Lord in union with the church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races.”
My goodness, that’s some hard work laid out for us! We could never do it on our own and so to live as baptized persons in this world, we need the nourishing sustenance of holy communion to strengthen us for the journey. That’s why holy communion came first in these articles and maybe even why it comes first in the hymnal!
Our baptism is an outward sign of the grace God is always pouring into our lives – as we need it when we need it, be that preveniently, justifyingly, or sanctifyingly. It is that grace that feeds us in holy communion and empowers us through baptism so that we can fulfill to the best of our abilities the vows we have made.
And so it is that baptism isn’t just a single moment in our lives, a sweet moment of the worship service followed by a family gathering at the local diner. Baptism is to be our way of life every day thereafter. Everything we do as baptized people is done in the grace of God. Now that doesn’t mean we’ll get everything right. What it does mean is that God’s grace will be available to transform even our worst mistakes into blessings if we allow it – and through our baptism, we’ve said we want to allow it.
Still, if we are to live into our baptisms, we need to be intentional about the decisions we make in this life. Will our actions reflect our status as members of God’s family? When I’m at school, will my classmates know by my words and deeds that I accept my status as a child of God? When I’m driving down the street, will other drivers wonder at my patience and respect for the rules of the road? When I’m at work, will my coworkers see that my actions are guided by the ethics and teachings of Christ?
Even things like marriage and death are affected by our baptism. As a baptized member of God’s family, we should understand marriage as a sacred covenant. We should choose our spouse wisely and with God’s guidance. We should honor our spouse in word and deed. We should remain faithful to our spouse in the face of even great temptation. We will want to do these things not just because of our marriage vows but also because of our baptismal vows. We’re able to do these things because of God’s grace working in our life as a baptized member of God’s family.
And when the end of this life comes, our baptism acts as a reminder that because we are a member of God’s family, God will not abandon or desert us. We can peacefully surrender this life and step into the chasm of death knowing that God walks with us and will welcome us into the family home on the other side.
So it is that baptism is the sign of God’s grace present with us and in us from the beginning of this life until its end and even beyond. We are not saved by baptism, but we are reminded by baptism that we have been saved, are being saved, and will finally be saved, made fully whole and healed by God our Father, Christ our Brother, and the Spirit our Sister. That is amazing grace!
Rev. Joyce Day
If you would like to view past editions of Grace for the Journey, follow this link: https://sounddistrictnc.org/category/grace-for-the-journey/