What will keep these boys, baptised today, in the Christian faith?

Last week we heard how God’s Word alone can create faith. Our theme today is all about how we are kept in faith. But some people claim faith is created in different ways.

They say: The right education creates faith. You make a decision to have faith. Living a good life sustains faith.

Today we give these boys the gift of Baptism. And we don’t do this because they have faith already.

That is obvious: They cannot choose. They cannot understand. They cannot commit. They cannot perform.

We give them baptism because God’s promises are for them. And through those promises he gives his Holy Spirit.

But if God gives them faith—what will keep them in the faith? Paul answers that question in two parts:

1) Look at Christ alone (9:24-10:5)
2) Christ alone will keep you (10:13)

First, 1) Look at Christ alone

Paul uses the illustration of sport, please look at vv. 24-26:

²⁴ Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. ²⁵ Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown. ²⁶ So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air.

His point is not that we are in competition with each other. Nor that we are fighting each other. He just chooses two sports that many people were familiar with: racing and boxing.

Together, both examples give us one lesson: taking part is not the point—the end goal is the point.

Running isn’t point of a race: winning is.

Waving my arms around isn’t the point of boxing: knocking the other person down is.

The point of faith is not the walk, or the journey… …it’s Christ—knowing him now and when he returns.

So, Paul is saying, don’t take your eyes off Christ. And he goes on in v. 27:

²⁷ Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

The word translated “discipline” means “beat down”. And what Paul means is he beats down the freedoms and rights he has in this life.

Throughout chapters 8 and 9 he talked about giving up his rights for the sake of Christ.

What he does here is beat down that part of himself, that thinks he has any rights outside of Christ.

Paul isn’t talking about being a monk. He doesn’t beat himself, or not eat certain foods, or wear uncomfortable clothing. What he does is put to death that part of himself which says things like: “I’m fine without Christ.” “I’m a good person on my own.” That is exactly the opposite of what so many monks do.

And he says this because of his warning in 10:1-5:

¹ Now I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, ² and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. ³ They all ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. ⁵ Nevertheless God was not pleased with most of them, since they were struck down in the wilderness.

The people of Israel had amazing spiritual privileges.

Spiritual privileges that—Paul says—are comparable to ours: In a way, they had Baptism: the cloud and the sea. In a way, they had the Lord’s Supper: the manna and the rock.

1500 years before the first Christmas, the people had Christ. Not yet incarnate, but present with them through his Word.

And yet they didn’t continue with Christ, because they were presumptuous.

They trusted in the privileged position given to them by Christ, not in the Christ who gave it.

When you look at your Baptism: be assured, be comforted. But don’t be assured and comforted in the sheer fact that you’re baptised. Be assured and comforted in this promise: “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” which is given to you in Baptism.

And when you receive the Lord’s Supper: be assured, be comforted. But don’t be assured and comforted in the sheer fact that you’re receiving the Supper. Be assured and comforted in this promise: “for you, for the forgiveness of sins.” this is what Christ’s body and blood are for you as you receive the Supper.

So, Paul says, Look at Christ alone:

Don’t trust in the fact that you’re a Christian, and you’ve been walking the Christian life for however many years.

Don’t trust in your earthly freedom and privileges. Your education, your success, your hard work. Or your memory of “making a decision” for Jesus.

And don’t trust in your spiritual freedom and privileges: that you are baptised, or that you’re a Lutheran, or that you’ve suffered, or that you have certain parents.

Even Paul—an apostle of Christ—could be disqualified if he trusted in his privilege of being an apostle.

Instead, hear this promise that Paul gives us, which is his second point:

2) Christ alone will keep you

After Paul has stripped away every false reason for confidence, he says this in 10:12-13:

¹² So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall. ¹³ No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.

Maintaining my faith doesn’t depend on me. It’s nothing that I do. It’s entirely God’s work.

Maintaining your faith doesn’t depend on you. It’s nothing that you do. It’s entirely God’s work.

And maintaining the faith of these three boys we baptise today, doesn’t depend on them. It’s nothing that they do. It’s entirely God’s work.

God makes us promises in baptism. And God is faithful. He will keep his promises.

This is God’s assurance.

Now, I know that as we hear that promise, some of us will immediately think “But I’ve seen people fall away.” And maybe you have painful thoughts of loved ones who have.

I want to address that concern briefly, so that we can hear God’s promise purely, without confusion and without hurt.

In 1 Corinthians 10 Paul talks about Israel falling away. But he doesn’t look back or try to reason through it. He doesn’t say: They were never really believers. or They lost their salvation. or They rejected grace.

Instead, he points the Corinthians forward. He points them away from themselves. He lifts their eyes onto Jesus.

God has not given us his promises to try to figure them out. He’s given us his promises to trust them.

And as you gaze at Jesus’ promises, the Holy Spirit gives you confidence and assurance they’re true.

So go to the places where you know you’re going to receive those promises clearly.

The places where Jesus has firmly guaranteed he will meet you: Come to a church where Law and Gospel are rightly divided. Come to the Sacrament. Come to the Word, and encourage one another with Law and Gospel in their proper place.

And that’s what it means for us as parents, who love our kids. God loves our children more than we do. I didn’t die for my kids. I didn’t hang on the cross for my kids. I didn’t give everything for my kids. But their Father in heaven did.

If your heart burns for your kids or grandkids to have forgiveness of sins. Be fully assured of this: God’s heart burns more. He cares more. He loves more. He’s given more. And he’s the one it depends on.

Look at him.

Don’t look at yourself. Don’t look at your kids.

And that’s why we don’t just come alone, but we keep coming back, with our children and family: to the places where God has attached his faithfulness: to his Word, to Baptism, to the Supper.

And you want to hear an amazing thing about this Gospel? It travels at warp speed. It’s transportable.

Is there a friend or family member on your mind? Pick up your phone, and text them, right now: “God is in a good mood with you! And you see that when you look at Jesus!”

Friends: Christ alone will keep you This is the Gospel.

So, What will keep these boys, baptised today, in the Christian faith?

Well, Look at Christ alone

Because Christ alone will keep you

They are making no promises today. They’ve made no decision. They’ve achieved nothing. The only thing they contribute to their salvation is the sin they need to be saved from.

To such belongs the kingdom of heaven. And the king of that heaven is a really, really reliable guy.