Has Your Baptism Made a Difference?
1 Peter 4:7-14
May 12, 2024 anno Domini
Has your baptism made any difference in your life? Has your faith? Has the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus affected you? It should.
In Romans, chapter 6, St. Paul talks about baptism, and he begins with a question, “What shall we say then?” He could have asked, “How then shall we live as baptized Christians?” He then asks another question, “Shall we go on sinning that grace might abound?” He answers with the strongest negative in the Greek language – mae genoita. Heck no. By no means. Never. Then He gives the reason, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? … if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”
St. Paul’s argument is this. If Christ died for your sin and in your baptism His death for sin becomes your death, then you shouldn’t chum around with sin anymore. You shouldn’t invite sin for sleepovers and set a place for it at the family table. Don’t let sin into the marriage bed and whatever you do don’t teach your children to sin. That leads to a completely different kind of baptism – one with a millstone around your neck at the bottom of the sea.
Enough of Paul. The text is from St. Peter and sermon time is precious. St. Peter’s letter is wet with baptism. He wants his readers to stay wet in the midst of fiery trials. Christianity was an illicit religion in the Roman Empire. Emperor Nero would soon start his pogrom against the Christians, murdering and torturing men, women, and children for confessing the name of Christ. Would your baptism make a difference then? If going to church or confessing Jesus was a crime, would you hide your baptism? Or live in it?
Peter says live in it because the end of all things is at hand. Today Camden was born again, born a second time in baptism so he can have a good end. Without baptism his end would be nothing but suffering, death, and hell. David told us in this morning’s Psalm, “Behold I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me.” That’s you. That’s me. We’re born sinful and sinners die. The end of sinners is away and apart from God. But in baptism you’re born again, born from above. You are baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection therefore you have died to sin and been raised in Christ to a new life, a new way of life, a never ending life.
A different end awaits you. You’re going to see God face to face and He’s going to have His Father’s smile on when you see Him. You’re going to see Jesus coming on the clouds just as the disciples saw Him go into heaven on Ascension. This world is going up in flames in case you haven’t watched the news. It is a place of hate and violence and rebellion against God, and if you are not born again, if you are not baptized, then you will find yourself right at home in the thick of it, hating and fighting for some little personal victory that won’t last. But that is not your end as a baptized Christian. Your blessed end is near either when Jesus takes you to Himself in death or when He comes for you on the last day.
With that end in mind – how then shall you live? Not like the world.
Be self-controlled and sober-minded. One pastor simply said “be sane and sober.” Those who do not know Christ are filled with crazy ideas – that a man can be a woman so he can finally win at sports. That a child can be an animal and the school district must accommodate that with litter boxes. That humans can save a planet when we’ve never been able to stop a single flood, hurricane, or tornado. That the death of an unborn child will make a woman’s life better. Once the world realizes it isn’t God and has no power it gets drunk or drugs itself into feeling good. Perhaps the worst drug of all is technology – escape into your screen, find a different reality where you can be someone. Not so you. You are baptized. You have a worth that no one in the world can give you. The Father in heaven loves you. What’s your value to Him? He gave a perfectly good Son, His only Son over to death for your sins, and raised Him again so you would know it, believe it, and trust it. You are His Son, His daughter, through your baptism into Christ. Don’t let this crazy world get to you. Don’t escape into a bottle or a screen. You are baptized.
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Peter is talking to Christians about Christians. He is talking to us about the way we deal with each other. He is not saying we should overlook gross, obvious sins. Right before the text He says the time is over sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties and lawless idolatry. Those sins are dealt with by repentance and forgiveness. Here Peter is talking about the family of Christ, the congregation, your own house. Suppose you have a child who doesn’t pick up his room, ever. It’s a daily battle. This is what Peter is saying. Do not assassinate your child’s character by berating him. You are lazy. You don’t care about all the work I do around the house. I make the meals and wash the clothes and you can’t even pick up your room. You’re worthless. You’ll never amount to anything. It happens in your home. It happens in the church. It’s happened over how the coffee is made and where the offering plates are placed. Every pastor has his weaknesses, so does every member. You and I have our everyday sins, not willful, not gross, not faith destroying sins, but annoying, regular, bothersome sins. You can either point out everyone else’s faults and inflict wounds in the family of Christ or you can love. Love covers a multitude of sins.
Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. This is not a Bible verse that somehow defends an open border. This again is directed to the church, the congregation. This is your family. You love it when your family gathers at your table, except for maybe that weird uncle or your aunt who drinks way too much. What do you do for family? You share what you have, you sacrifice, you help them, pray for them, house them in tough times. Think about inviting someone over from Redeemer that you don’t know for a meal or a backyard fire. Remember you’re baptized into this family and this family lasts forever.
Finally, Peter instructs you to use your gifts for God and your neighbor. God gives different gifts to different people. First, He made each of us either male or female and each of those sexes comes with unique gifts. Men are stronger to defend and protect and provide. Women can give birth and are gifted with nurture. The Bible doesn’t believe in equity. It believes in a diversity of gifts given by God. Some of you were granted the knowledge and wisdom to make a lot of money. Others are great organizers. Some have creativity. Others are hard workers. Some, not me, have winsome personalities that can influence. Whatever God has given you this is what you are to do with it – use it for God’s glory (that means according to His Word) and use it to serve your neighbor. God is your Father through your baptism into Christ. All you have is from Him and He has put you in a family, so serve your Father by serving your family.
If your baptism makes a difference in your life, you’re going to be different, probably downright weird. You’re going to act like your brother Christ and speak the truth like your Father. Don’t be surprised that your baptism sets you apart from the world. Don’t be surprised when you go through fiery trials or when the world thinks that killing you is a service to God. Those who don’t believe in God hate those who do, as they hated Christ. So rejoice when you share Christ’s sufferings. It simply means you look like your Brother and talk like your Father. Christ is being revealed through your life because you bear His name. You are Christian, you are baptized, and you are blessed. Act like it. In the name of Jesus. Amen.