Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Eternal Blessings Received In Holy Baptism

"Therefore every Christian has enough in baptism to learn and to practise all his life. For he has always enough to do to believe firmly what baptism promises and brings, viz. victory over death and the devil, forgiveness of sin, the grace of God, the entire Christ and the Holy Ghost with his gifts. In short, it is so transcendent that if timid nature consider it, it might well doubt whether it could be true. For only consider, if there were somewhere a physician who understood the art of saving men from dying, or, if they died, of restoring them to life, so that they would live for ever, how the world would pour in money like snow and rain, so that because of the throng of the rich no one could find access! But here in baptism there is brought free to every one's door such a treasure and such medicine as utterly destroys death and preserves all men alive." Luther's Large Catechism.

This is the doctrine of the Apostolic Lutheran Church of America, and is received by those who are in the Truth. Those who reject the blessings which God brings to the sinner in the sacrament of Holy Baptism, must necessarily hold instead to some work which they bring to God in order to win His favor. This is a self-righteous condition, and such, after offering their chiefest work to God, must go to their house unjustified and damned, while the sinner who can but plead for mercy goes to his house justified.