Congregation at Prayer

Catechesis Notes for the Week — Let Him Deny Himself — This week’s verse is Jesus’ call to the baptismal life: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). “Self-denial is central to faith in Christ, and such self-denial is the denial that a person’s own good works can in any way save him. It is God who works ‘daily contrition and repentance’ in us through His Word of Law and Gospel, so that we deny ourselves and our own righteousness and cling by faith to Christ alone for salvation. ‘Daily contrition and repentance’ is painful to us because it involves the killing of the flesh with all the appetites and desires of the Old Adam. As Christ suffered and died for our sin, so we who are joined to Christ by Baptism into His death die daily to self that we might walk in the new life of faith in Christ. The Law continually kills—crushing all our religious hypocrisy, self-righteousness, and pride; and the Gospel continually makes us alive—reviving repentant faith, comforting the troubled conscience, and giving us the strength to live in the freedom and joy of Christ’s forgiveness.” [Excerpt from Lutheran Catechesis: Catechist Edition, p. 230b]CP240128

Catechesis Notes for the Week — Baptism Places Us in Christ – “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation…” Holy Baptism places us IN Christ! This means that we are joined to Him. His death for sin has become our death for sin. His atonement for sin is our atonement. His righteousness covers our sin. His resurrection has become our own. By His forgiveness, life, and salvation we are a NEW creation. The old life of sin and death has passed away. In Christ we are a NEW creation. This means that you are a new man or woman, holy and righteous. God looks upon you and you are spotless, without sin! Christ has taken it all away and declared you righteous. It means that you are a new man and a new woman, a new husband and a new wife, a new father and a new mother because the old things have passed away with all their frailty, sin, and corruption, and all things have become new! You are a new creation in Christ! This is the gift of our Baptism and what it means to be “IN Christ!”

CP240121

Catechesis Notes for the Week — Holy Baptism: The Sacrament of Salvation! “Jesus defines Holy Baptism as the new birth of water and the Spirit. This new birth is the miracle of faith in Christ. The Holy Sprit gives birth to faith in Christ through the seed of the Word of God that is implanted in the water. Faith in Christ and Holy Baptism are inseparable linked together as necessary for salvation. To say that Baptism is necessary for salvation is to say that Christ Jesus is necessary for salvation because He alone suffered and died for our sins, and He is the salvation given to us by the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. We cannot enter the kingdom of God apart from faith in Christ. “To be born” spiritually, therefore, is to be given the gift of faith in Christ. This gift of faith is born of water and the Spirit—Holy Baptism. Through the Word of God in Baptism, the Holy Spirit promises salvation in Christ and gives the gift of faith. Our sinful flesh can produce only sin and unbelief. But the Holy Spirit creates faith and declares us righteous for Jesus’ sake. This is why the Holy Spirit is called ‘the Lord and giver of life.” [Excerpt from Lutheran Catechesis: Catechist Edition, p. 220a]CP240114

Catechesis Notes for the Week — The Seventh Petition — “Rescue us from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation.” When we pray the Seventh Petition, “but deliver us from evil,” we might be tempted to conclude that we are asking that “evil” never rear its head in our lives. This misses the mark. Evil will come into our lives in the form of Satan’s attacks upon our “body and soul, possessions and reputation.” Holy Scripture makes this clear. We will not be spared from being attacked. God wills that the attacks of evil against us serve the cause of faith. “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you shall glorify Me.” Therefore, in the Seventh Petition we are asking that God would preserve our faith in Christ when we are assaulted by the Evil One, and teach us to commend ourselves—body, soul, and spirit, with all that we are and have—into His gracious keeping. The Word of our Lord teaches us that He will not forsake His own. If He allows evil to enter into our lives, then He does so for His good purposes and for the exercise of faith in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. This petition promises the Christian: “God will not allow the Evil One or any adversity to overwhelm you.” By this petition He invites you to trust this promise and to call upon Him in your need. In this way faith in Christ is active.

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