Pastor Dan Eddy
1 Peter 3:15-17
Defending Your
Baptismal Faith
8-8-10
American atheists lined up to be "de-baptized"
in a ritual using a hair dryer, according to the July 16th broadcast
of the ABC-TV late-night news program Nightline.
Leading atheist Edwin Kagin blasted (turn
on hair dryer) his fellow non-believers with the hair dryer to symbolically
dry up the holy water sprinkled on their heads at their baptism.
Kagin believes parents are wrong to baptize their children before they are
able to make their own choices, even slamming some religious education as "child abuse." He said the
blast of hot air was a way for adults to undo what their parents had done.
Kagin wore a monk's robe and said a few mock-Latin phrases before inviting
those wishing to be de-baptized to "come
forward now and receive the spirit of hot air that taketh away the stigma and
taketh away the remnants of the stain of baptismal water."
It is clear from Kagin’s actions that he denies his baptism and all that he
received: Christ’s love of forgiveness from his sins, his power over death, and
the eternal life given to him by faith through the water and the Word.
Unfortunately thousands upon thousands of people baptized in the
Satan would love nothing better than to take away what was given to Ethan Isbrandt
this morning or you at your baptism…not because he wants it. He can never have
this gift. He can never be saved from eternal condemnation. So, he wants to
make sure Ethan and all of you don’t either.
This is why it is
important to be prepared to give a good defense for why you believe in Jesus
Christ. That’s one of the things the Apostle Peter was saying in this morning’s
Epistle reading from 1 Peter 3:15 NIV: “…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as
holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a
reason for the hope that is in you…”
In other words,
Ethan has been given the most valuable gift he will ever receive: unmerited,
unearned…that’s justification by grace through faith alone. And we pray he will
spend the rest of his life unpacking and appreciating even more what he has been
given here today. In the Church, we call that sanctification. Here it is
described “honoring Christ the Lord as
holy.”
And one of the
ways we live the sanctified life in Christ is to know why the Holy Spirit moves
us to believe and what we believe. Because if you don’t know why you believe in
Christ and you can’t defend or articulate it to others, then you will fall for just
about other theology, philosophy or religion.
Remember we are to defend our
faith in Christ NOT be defensive about it.
Pretend Edwin Kagin
is standing right here this morning, how would you defend your faith in Christ?
First of all,
Edwin, you didn’t choose Christ, nor did your parents choose Him for you. Jesus
said in John 15:16 ESV: “You did not
choose me I chose you.” Christ chose you and me to be His child. Baptism
affirms His choice. The Holy Spirit uses many people and ways to accomplish
this. He gathers sinners of all ages from infants to adults to his baptismal
font to be saved. I know this does not mesh with our culture where we choose
our schools to be educated, careers, spouses, when to have children, the houses
we live in. Even other church bodies teach we make a “decision for Christ.” But think of it this way. Did you choose
your parents, or when to be born?
If we have a choice in the manner, it’s we can choose to reject what was
done at our baptism. That’s what Edwin
did…just like children can reject their parents. (Turn on hair dryer) The sound of a hairdryer can have a haunting
effect. Our Lord chooses you, Edwin, and you all, out of love for you.
Remember Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV: “For it is by grace you have
been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Now, Edwin, Christian Education is not “child
abuse.” Not raising children to know more about the love from our Lord and
Savior is an abuse of a child’s baptism. Over the years, I have heard stories
from Christian parents mortified that their children no longer attend worship
or say they don’t believe in God anymore. I read of one family where their
daughter was active in the church…helping out several members, serving on several
committees, and once she got college she became an avowed atheist within two
semesters, because she couldn’t defend her faith in Christ.
Questions about “how the world was
created,” or “how the Bible was
written,” or what some feel are “contradictions
in Scriptures” or “how could a
loving God send someone to hell” can quickly overwhelm believers if they
are not prepared to defend their faith.
And what is usually at the heart of this battle is when people are
convinced: “You don’t have to believe in
Christ to be a good person.” It ignores Christ goodness given to you by
faith. The emphasis is on actions over faith in Christ. When that happens
people are not focused on their sinfulness, but on their “righteous” deeds. And when the focus is there then why would you
need a Savior to suffer and die for me or you? It just doesn’t rationally make
sense anymore.
And that’s because believers in Christ can fall into the Judo trap. Have
you heard of this martial art? To win at Judo you use your opponent’s momentum
against him or her in order to get them to fall. Satan is a Judo expert.
The Devil can get us to fall from our baptism by using our situations in
our life to fall from grace. If you’re rich economically, academically,
socially, he’ll use the momentum of pride and power to bring you down. If
you’re poor in economically, health-wise, or spiritually, Satan uses the
momentum of envy and jealousy to bring you down. If you’re timid, he will scare
you away so you will be cowardly in the faith, and if you’re bold in the faith,
he will use arrogance to bring you down.
That’s why understanding the value of our baptism and knowing how to defend
our faith in Christ is important. But how do we do that?
You have the starting tools to defending your faith in Christ. (Hold up baptismal folder) This morning’s
rite of Baptism explains the Scriptural origins, reasoning, and benefits to baptism.
Hold onto it, review it, and ask questions about it. And at the core of our
defense is the Apostles’ Creed, which is not an addition to Scripture, but a
reflection of God’s Word. Know these things well, and you can begin to defend
your faith with gentleness and respect. Let me give you an example:
One day this week I was working from home, and the doorbell rang midmorning.
Outside was a man named Marty. He is a Jehovah’s Witness. If you don’t know,
they don’t believe Christ is the Son of God. At best He’s a sub-deity. And
because of that they dilute and in some ways totally disregard what He did from
the Cross.
So Marty opened his “bible” to Revelation 12 and told me the
Most of the responses I gave did not come from seminary education; they
came from my upbringing in the church. They came with the conversations I’ve
had with pastors and fellows brothers and sisters in Christ over the years.
They came from studying and wrestling with God’s Word. In the end I said to
Marty: “God bless you that you may know
the Truth (point to the Chancel Cross) and the Truth shall set you free.”
That’s why it’s important
at a young age to teach children the Bible stories, not just the who, what,
when, and the where but the why. And to center the why around Law and Gospel.
Our sinfulness, Christ’s salvation. Our daily transgressions, His daily love of
forgiveness; Our thankfulness for the grace He gave us by asking the Holy
Spirit how we can serve Him better by loving others more. Remember
we are to defend our faith in Christ NOT be defensive about it. Don’t let Satan use your momentum against
you.
That means we defend our faith with gentleness and respect for others. From
verse 13 on…Peter is preparing the Church for how bad people may treat
believers in Christ, and how we should react. And basically in a nutshell Peter
is asking you and me to act so good that bad people can’t use our actions
against us. But if they do, they will be shamed. Don’t win arguments, win souls for Christ.
Over time, I have found
this engagement of prayer, meditation and practice begins to really unpack the
ongoing loving, peaceful benefits of baptism. It’s not a perfect process
because I am not perfect human being even though through Christ we are
considered saints.
But this does involve
parents talking to their children about God and His Word, often. It involves
children asking the tough questions about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit,
often…long before they go to college or leave home. It involves pastors
listening more carefully to the struggles believers are facing in their lives.
It involves confession and absolution, humbleness, and as a community of
believers sharing each other’s burdens and joys. Remember we are to defend
our faith in Christ NOT be defensive about it. Don’t let Satan use your momentum against
you.
Finally in verse 17, defending our faith in Christ may mean that sometimes
we suffer for doing good. Better that than to suffer for doing evil. Remember how much Jesus suffered on the cross
for the good of you and me, because of all the bad we did. And Christ’s defense
of His actions was vividly seen three days later with His resurrection in the
flesh. That’s our defense for living forever, when Christ said: “I am the resurrection and
the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” John 11:25 ESV
Charlie MacPherson is looking to start a class on “Defending the Faith” to help you as we venture out in the world
and face family members, co-workers, and others who are hostile to your faith.
And the purpose of the gatherings would be, by God’s Holy Spirit, to give you
the confidence and peace to share and
show God’s love in more intentional and effective ways, so that you or your
believing family and friends here at CLC don’t end up on Nightline with a hair dryer de-baptizing themselves, or worse yet
become indifferent to their baptismal gift.
From his book, Grip of Grace, Max
Lucado has a great devotional illustration to help us understand the importance
of staying strong in the faith. Please stand and think of yourself as flower;
all bright and beautiful (or handsome). As long as you are in the ground, being
watered, and get plenty of sun you will continue to grow. But once you are cut
from the ground and put in a vase, you will remain beautiful (or handsome) for
a while, but you will stop growing. The leaves begin to wither and no matter
what you do…the flower dies.
This morning let our Lord and Savior re-plant you in the waters of baptism…firmly
in the foundation of His Word so that you can grow to be more beautiful in His
love, defending the faith without being defensive, not winning arguments but
gently and respectfully winning souls for Christ. Amen.