Congratulations! Happy anniversary! These well-wishes are heartfelt expressions from friends and family, usually directed toward those celebrating a wonderful occasion. From wedding anniversary to anniversary of service to anniversary of being cancer-free, anniversary days hold special meaning to those who are involved.
Yesterday at Christ Lutheran we celebrated a very special anniversary--40 years of Christian education! What a blessed milestone for us to celebrate together! And what a privilege to share the joy of the Gospel message with so many before us and those yet to come. Anniversaries are always exciting to celebrate.
Today I want to turn our attention to another kind of anniversary--the anniversary of an even more momentous occasion. This is the anniversary of our baptisms. Do you remember your baptism day? For many of us, we were just tiny babies, maybe only days, weeks, or months old. Others of us can be lucky enough to remember the special day. No matter the situation, the anniversary of our baptism is a special day, and should be celebrated.
In fact, the Bible tells us that each day we celebrate our baptism with the daily drowning of the sinful Adam that lives inside of us. When we wake up in the morning, we are clean and new. We don't have to wash the sins away again--that was done one time only. Long ago, on the cross of Calvary, Jesus washed our sins away with his own blood. He gave his life for you and me, that we could live NEW lives every day. And through our baptisms, he gave us faith and the robe of righteousness he won. With the application of the water and the speaking of God's Word, the blessings of baptism come directly to us. Not only can we start each day anew, but one day we will live in the perfection of heaven, completely rid of that old Adam.
Yes, our baptism anniversary is certainly something special to celebrate. If you don't know when your exact baptism anniversary is, talk to your parent or your pastor to find out. Then--celebrate with me the joy of being washed. Happy anniversary!
Yesterday at Christ Lutheran we celebrated a very special anniversary--40 years of Christian education! What a blessed milestone for us to celebrate together! And what a privilege to share the joy of the Gospel message with so many before us and those yet to come. Anniversaries are always exciting to celebrate.
Today I want to turn our attention to another kind of anniversary--the anniversary of an even more momentous occasion. This is the anniversary of our baptisms. Do you remember your baptism day? For many of us, we were just tiny babies, maybe only days, weeks, or months old. Others of us can be lucky enough to remember the special day. No matter the situation, the anniversary of our baptism is a special day, and should be celebrated.
In fact, the Bible tells us that each day we celebrate our baptism with the daily drowning of the sinful Adam that lives inside of us. When we wake up in the morning, we are clean and new. We don't have to wash the sins away again--that was done one time only. Long ago, on the cross of Calvary, Jesus washed our sins away with his own blood. He gave his life for you and me, that we could live NEW lives every day. And through our baptisms, he gave us faith and the robe of righteousness he won. With the application of the water and the speaking of God's Word, the blessings of baptism come directly to us. Not only can we start each day anew, but one day we will live in the perfection of heaven, completely rid of that old Adam.
Yes, our baptism anniversary is certainly something special to celebrate. If you don't know when your exact baptism anniversary is, talk to your parent or your pastor to find out. Then--celebrate with me the joy of being washed. Happy anniversary!