Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Acts 2:38-39 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."
BAPTISM, THE VISIBLE GOSPEL
The word through which the Spirit worked on the day of Pentecost was also accompanied by the sacrament of baptism. Here the Spirit was working in a more visible way. The water of baptism was for the people a water of cleansing which served to purify them in God's eyes. It was not an outward act by which they could somehow show their loyalty to God. This ceremony was intimately connected with God's word of forgiveness--which was given as His gift to them. "Be baptized ... for the forgiveness of your sins."
The sins of the people were sent away as far as the east from the west. They received Christ's own robe of righteousness. They were brought into God's family of believers. The Holy Spirit entered into the hearts of these new Christians (men, women, and children), putting them in touch with God.
This is how the Spirit builds His Church. It is created through word and sacrament. When the apostles went out on their missionary journeys, they did not win souls by saying, "The church here in Antioch will have a great nursery for the kids! The church here in Philadelphia will be a real force for social change in the community! The church here in Ephesus will have a great praise band and some door prizes!" None of this. When the apostles went out, they preached Christ crucified and risen. They preached repentance and faith. They made use of baptism as the Lord had directed them.
You may not have silver and gold to give to others (Peter did not), but you have Christ's word of forgiveness to give, and you have baptism, a visible expression of that word. What a privilege it is for us to be able to handle God's grace up close!
