Congregation at Prayer

Catechesis Notes for the Week — Baptism and the Life of Confession and Absolution—In Holy Baptism we become Christians.  The Lord gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit and faith.  Our sin is forgiven for Christ’s sake, and we are rescued from eternal death and condemnation. Baptism happens once, but its benefits and privileges endure forever.  Baptized Christians are called to live in their baptism daily.  This means that we are called to daily contrition and repentance for sin that we might return to the promise of our baptism for the forgiveness of sins and the renewal of our faith and life.  This makes confession and absolution not only a regular part of the Christian faith and life, but a glorious return to our baptism wherein God made us His children and clothed us with the righteousness of His Son.  We should learn to believe that Holy Baptism gives us the rights and privileges of children.  In Baptism we are declared to be sons of God through Christ and have the privilege of access to our heavenly Father for Jesus’ sake.  Because of the ongoing struggle with sin, we are tempted to doubt that we are God’s children, that God still loves us, and that it is possible for us to be forgiven.  Baptism declares that it is not only possible to be God’s Children, but that forgiving our sin is His will for us in Christ.  We have the right and privilege to confess our sins daily AND to believe that for Christ’s sake our sin is forgiven and that we rise to newness of life precisely because we have been baptized into Christ and are saved from our sin through faith in Him.

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Catechesis Notes for the Week — He Was Raised for Our Justification —“Christ was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25).  “When I look at my sins, they slay me. Therefore I must look upon Christ, who drew my sins upon Himself and has become a blessing. Now they lie no longer on my conscience but on Christ, and they seek to slay Him.  Let us see, then, how they get on with Him.  They cast Him down and kill Him. O, Lord God, where is now my Christ and my Redeemer? Then God comes and brings Christ forth and makes Him above, and not only alive, but He sets Him in heaven and lets Him rule over all things. Now where is sin? It is on the gibbet. And when I hold on to this and believe it I have a joyful conscience, like Christ, for I am without sin. Now I dare death, the devil, sin, and hell to do me harm. Inasmuch as I am a descendant of Adam they can harm me; I must shortly die. But now that Christ has laid upon Himself my sin, and has died for it, and been slain for it, they can do me no harm, for Christ is too strong for them. They cannot hold Him. He breaks forth and smites them to the ground, and ascends into heaven, binds and fetters sin and sorrow, and rules over them eternally. Therefore I have a good conscience, I am joyful and blessed, and fear those tyrants no longer, for Christ has taken my sin away from me and laid it on Himself.  But they cannot remain on Him.” – Martin Luther

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