"Prove it!"

Pastor Mike
A poster that says prove it a discussion of baptism

By the time you read this, Valentine’s Day will likely have passed. How did it go for you? Which outcome do you most resonate with?


A)      You knocked it out of the park. You went the full nine yards for your beloved

B)      You did your best, but because of financial or time constraints, you’re worried about whether your efforts were effective.

C)      You are glad it’s over, because you can’t stand the commercialization and greed of those who profit off of your romantic love

D)      To you, Valentine’s is a sick and unwelcome reminder of love lost, or loneliness.


Allow me to suggest that all Valentine’s Day activities and attitudes center on the need for proof. If you are in the A category, you feel that you satisfactorily proved your love to your beloved. If you’re B, you did your best, hoping it was enough to prove your love genuine. If you’re C, you likely said, “I shouldn’t have to prove that I love my significant other to anyone!” If you’re D, Valentine’s Day instead is proof that there’s something missing from your life, because you have love to give, but nobody to give it – to prove it - to.


What is proof if not the point at which our questions cease, our doubts are calmed, and our curiosities satisfied? You can tell me that the moon is made of cheese, but only when you present some moon cheese for me to taste are you lending me proof. Today we’re discussing how baptism is proof that God’s love and salvation are ours.


Assuming you’ve read our devotion series up to this point (if not, pause here and circle back to previous posts with “A discussion of…” in the title), you’ve walked with us on a great biblical journey. You went to the Garden of Eden with us, where all mankind’s problems first began (Genesis 2-3). You heard with us God’s plan of salvation (Genesis 3:15). You have seen with us that only through the person and work of Christ do we have any hope of salvation, but that Jesus came into the world to bring exactly that salvation we’re so desperate for (John 3:16-17). You heard with us that “faith” is that trust-relationship with God that connects you to Christ and saves your life by changing it entirely (Galatians 2:20). And all this is done for you as a free gift of God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8).


God, in his infinite grace and wisdom, has not stopped there. He has given us proof of this new reality in the gift of baptism. We get the word “baptize” directly from the Greek βαπτιζω, which means “to wash.”* Jesus’ relative John prepared the masses to understand the significance of his distant cousin’s arrival by baptizing them (Mark 1:4-5), pouring water over the baptized, or immersing them completely (we’re not told whether John and later baptizers always did either or both, just that water was always used), connecting this action with “repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4). Jesus himself began his ministry of teaching and healing by being baptized by John (Matthew 3:13-15). Why? Because this was a new era for God’s people, and God was showing believers to look to baptism for blessing, which Jesus (having set aside full use of his divine power in what theological bigwigs call his “state of humiliation”) benefitted from. Sure, Jesus did not need repentance for the forgiveness of his sins (Matthew 3:14), but by being baptized in his humble state, he showed that baptism is for blessing.


Jesus accomplished our salvation by living out the righteousness that God’s Law requires (Leviticus 11:44). He suffered death to remove our guilt (Isaiah 53:5). He rose from the dead, affirming that we are at peace with God (John 20:19). After all this, some of his last words to his disciples before ascending into heaven gave the answer to the “so now what?” that was lingering on their minds:


“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Jesus’ parting command to his disciples was to make more disciples. He commanded that they carry forward the ministry of baptism, of washing people with water in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for the forgiveness of their sins, and to accompany that baptism with teaching and growing in the faith.


What is the meaning of this baptism? Is it just what you do when someone is ready to become a Christian, to show that they are really serious about their walk with Christ? Consider what Jesus says in John 3:5-6, “Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” We are born in sin (Psalm 51:5), and sin’s cycle will continue into future generations unless someone intervenes. Jesus says that baptism (water and the Spirit) is how that cycle is disrupted. It makes a child of “the flesh” (a common metaphor for sin in the New Testament) into a child of “the Spirit” (a common metaphor for that trust relationship with God, faith – See Romans 8:14-17). Jesus is teaching that baptism itself bestows the faith relationship with God we so desperately need.


Not convinced? Read Titus 3:4-7, where Paul calls baptism, “the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Spirit,” and declares that baptism “saved us,” by pouring the benefits of Christ on us generously. Baptism bestows the blessings of what Christ has done onto the person being baptized.


Still unsure? 1 Peter 3:21 teaches that baptism “saves you” by connecting you to the work Jesus has accomplished for you, and thereby becomes your “pledge of a clear conscience.” Therefore, your baptism becomes your PROOF that God loves you, that you are his child, and that you are saved.


Wait a second! I thought we said that we are saved by God’s grace through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8), that faith only comes from hearing the gospel (Romans 10:17), and that the gospel alone is the power to save people (Romans 1:16-17). Can we really be so bold as to suggest there is another way to be saved other than hearing the gospel?!


Pardon my facetiousness, but we’re not saying that there are multiple ways to be saved. There is only one way to be saved, and that is through faith – a trust-relationship with God that connects you to God’s love. But the emphatic statements of baptism’s blessings show that this washing of water and the Word is a method God uses for giving the gospel! Many come to faith by hearing and believing the gospel. Many more come to faith because they were brought to be baptized. The faith is the same. The delivery method may have been different.


Now, for some rapid-fire questions!


Q: If you come to faith by hearing the gospel, do you still need to get baptized? 

A: Not only does Jesus want us to be baptized (Matthew 28:19), but look again at the passages cited above, and notice the blessings that it gives. The better question is, if I trust in God’s Word to provide me with these great blessings, why wouldn’t I want to receive them?


Q: If someone passes away without a chance to baptized, are they condemned for the simple reason that they were never baptized? 

A: Remember this: God saves a soul by giving that life-giving faith in the gospel. God is able to accomplish this in someone’s heart through hearing the message (Romans 10:17). Although we would want such a person to be baptized in order to receive its blessings, we would not assume that they would go to hell if they passed away before having that chance to be baptized.


Q: If someone is baptized by a church leader who later is found out to be a false teacher, or they are baptized in one denomination but now desire to become a Lutheran, do they need to be re-baptized? 

A: After looking at all the passages about baptism above, where did you notice that the power to forgive and save comes from? It never comes from the person doing it. It always comes from the Word that accompanies it. If a person is baptized in a church that does it “in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” then that baptism was effective. After all, what church leader can boast of such great character and perfection in teaching that they themselves give baptism its power? Answer: none.


Q: If someone gets baptized and trusts in this for their salvation, doesn’t that eliminate any need or encouragement for godly living, since they can say, “I’m going to heaven because I was baptized”? 

A: Far from it! Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Romans 6:1-4, and Galatians 3:26-27. In every case, the fact that you are baptized is used as proof that you should fight against sin, you should reject temptation, you should live for God! These passages essentially say, “Sin is not who you are anymore! Live who you are, as a baptized child of God.” God saved you by his grace first and foremost. We never earned it or deserved it, so why would we need to earn or deserve God’s salvation after it’s given? Rather, God has changed our lives and hearts. We want to live out that newness of life by listening to God’s Word and following what he desires (Galatians 2:19-21).


There are many other questions and topics surrounding baptism that we could talk about, and should. I hope you are able to join us for these discussions on Sunday mornings at 9am, and worship at 10:15am. For now, let me close with this thought:


Baptism is about proof. Many people falsely teach that it is your moment to prove that you’re ready to follow God, that you’re really serious about your relationship with him and are ready to fully commit. That’s not the Bible’s perspective on baptism at all. Baptism is about God proving his love to you. Whether you’re a full-grown adult or a newborn baby, God washes you and purifies you through baptism, totally forgiving your sins. He makes your heart a home for His Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), and declares you his own dear child (1 John 3:1). Baptism is not your gift to God, but his gift to you. Therefore, your baptism becomes your moment to look back on for comfort and assurance that God’s grace, salvation, and love are all yours in Christ.


Pastor Mike Cherney


P.S. Are you interested in baptism, for you or a loved one, and want to talk more? Please get in touch with us! Email pastormike@trinityelpaso.org, or pay us a visit and speak with Pastor Mike or a church leader! We would be honored and overjoyed to help!

 

*William Arndt et al., in A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 164.

The Art of Giving: Conclusion

By Pastor Mike • June 27, 2025
There! Now that we’ve cleared up all the misunderstandings above giving an offering, we are all ready to worship God in this way with regularity and joy! I’m just kidding. We’ve only touched on a few of the false conceptions that are possible. Because giving is an act of sanctification – a fruit of faith, thankfully offered to God in response to the gospel – it is something to “grow into.” There may still be misgivings, questions, and reluctance. Some readers may have been seriously hurt by church leaders who prevailed too strongly upon their debit cards and bank accounts. To those, one blog post will not be sufficient to restore the act of giving to its Scriptural, rightful place. For others, giving was never properly explained as a fruit of faith, not an act that earns goodness from God. To those, I pray this discussion has been helpful. I write this post as one who is himself growing in the act of giving. May God continue to shape our understanding of how to use our gifts to his glory. Giving to God is not a science. The act of giving looks differently among Christians, just as their acts of service and fruits of faith look differently. There are no hard-and-fast equations. We can’t say that giving an offering ensures that you’ll get rich in return (maybe God will choose to bless you in this way, maybe not). We can’t say that giving will come easy once you have a more stable income (your sinful nature will likely resist no matter how much income you have). We can’t say that you should never feel concerned or self-critical over your giving (is there ever an amount that will properly express your thankfulness to God?). So, I would say that giving is much more of an art. After taking in all of Scripture’s guidance about how to approach the act of giving, we proceed using our best judgment. We start with the gospel, meditating on what wonderful things God has done for us through Jesus Christ. We then look at the gifts God has given to us: our finances, our time, our personality gifts. We envision how to respond to God’s goodness with these gifts. While there are some acts of giving that will look very similar among various Christians (for example, we all give of our time when we attend worship and Bible study together), each one of us goes through our own process of deciding how best to respond to the gospel with our gifts. We submit our hearts to God for audit, recognizing that there are often mixed motives within them (Psalm 139:23-24). We rely on God to work within us and through us even as we thank him (Philippians 2:13). After all, this is about our relationship with God – not about securing it for ourselves with offerings, because it is already secure in Christ. Rather, it is about living out a relationship of worship with God, expressing to him and to the world what he means to us. To that end, let’s close with these verses from Hebrews: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (Hebrews 13:15-16) God bless you as you find joy in God’s pleasure over you for Christ’s sake, and as you respond to this gospel with thanksgiving! Pastor Mike Cherney 

The Art of Giving: Misunderstanding #5 – We live under the Tithe Law (giving one tenth of one’s gifts).

By Pastor Mike • June 27, 2025
This is a very common conception of the offering, and up to this point it might appear that we also teach the tithe – the practice of giving one tenth of one’s goods as a matter of the law, and not to deviate from that percentage. This is commanded to the Old Testament Israelites in passages such as Leviticus 27:30. But Christ has set us free from the letter of the law (Colossians 2:14, Colossians 2:16-17, Galatians 4:4-5). When the New Testament commands the act of giving, percentages are not mentioned. What is mentioned, however, is that giving be proportionate (1 Corinthians 16:2), generous (2 Corinthians 9:6), done with joy (2 Corinthians 9:7), and a good work sprung from trust in the Lord (2 Corinthians 9:8-11). This is not as specific as the tithe rule. It requires one to spend time reasoning out what a manageable and reasonable gift looks like for them, while still reflecting the thanksgiving and generosity that they wish to communicate in response to the gospel. In many households, ten percent remains a useful benchmark for giving, but must not be treated as a law. Some households will not be able to afford that amount. For others, “proportionate” giving means giving much more than ten percent. It is a lot easier for church leaders to make hard-and-fast rules to “keep people in line,” rather than offer these general encouragements. However, if we remember that giving is an act of worship in response to the gospel, we will avoid strictly laying down ground rules that Scripture no longer enforces. Instead, we will focus on sharing the beautiful gospel with our members, friends, and community, and allow the Holy Spirit to create and nurture the gospel joy that inspires acts of thanksgiving. Likewise, if someone’s giving is “off-kilter,” we don’t want to address their giving with the desire that they “get those numbers up.” That would convey that our worth in God’s family comes from our works. Instead, we express concern over their connection to the gospel, and nurture their relationship with Jesus through Word and Sacrament. Then, and only then, can we discuss what a proper response to the gospel looks like in our giving. Go to next post in this series

The Art of Giving: Misunderstanding #4 – We give ONLY to keep the church running.

By Pastor Mike • June 27, 2025
This misunderstanding is based partly on truth, but becomes misguided when it is treated as the main issue. Like millions of churches across the world, our church is a not-for-profit organization. We rely solely on the offerings of members to keep the doors open and the air conditioner running. It would stand to reason, then, that we should encourage giving so that the work of the church can continue, don’t you think? After all, the Levites (ministers in the tabernacle and temple worship of the Old Testament) were to rely on the offerings of the rest of the tribes of Israel for their livelihood (Numbers 18:21). The Apostle Paul encouraged offerings so that Christians in dire financial need could be provided for (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). There is a practical side to giving an offering. However, this should not be divorced from the attitude of thankful worship described above. Above all, giving an offering is a fruit of faith inspired by thankfulness in response to the infinite grace of God. It is an act of worship. The opportunity to praise God in this way does not cease when the church’s bills are paid off any more than your need to come to worship services ceases when church attendance is up. Go to next post in this series

The Art of Giving Misunderstanding #3 – Giving an offering if optional.

By Pastor Mike • June 27, 2025
In Romans 12:4-8, Paul lists generous giving as but one example of service that God equips people to render within the church. This could lead to the thought that giving is optional for Christians. That would be misguided. Proverbs 3:9 says, “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.” Wealth takes many forms. For the Old Testament believer, their material blessings primarily took the forms of crops, flocks, and herds. For most modern Americans, God bestows wealth in the form of finances and material blessings. The directives in both Old and New Testaments to praise God by bringing an offering from our wealth are so thorough that one can hardly ignore or side-step the issue at hand. It is true that our whole lives are to be offered to God as thank offerings for what he’s done (Romans 12:1). It is also true that God is more concerned with the attitude of the heart than with the dollar amount given (see passages above as well as Mark 12:41-44). But it is also true that God’s design for showering us with material gifts is that we honor him in front of others by giving a portion back through this act of worship we have been calling “an offering.” As Psalm 50:23 says, “Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me.” Not all Christians are capable of giving the same amount, or even the same proportion of what they have (we’ll talk about this more in a second), but God’s Word is so full of directives about giving that it is hard for any one of us to exempt ourselves. To put it another way, God seems to be completely comfortable telling us what to do with our money. After all, we only have it in the first place because he gave it to us (see the response to Misunderstanding #1). Go to next post in this series

The Art of Giving: Misunderstanding #2 – God doesn’t care about your offerings.

By Pastor Mike • June 27, 2025
If the discussion is about how we’re saved, how we know that we have a good relationship with God, then offerings have no place in that discussion, nor any work that we do. But it does not follow that offerings have no significance whatsoever. Placing a financial gift into the collection plate or box, or donating through our online service, is a work. We are saved purely by God’s grace through faith, and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). God loved and saved you apart from anything to do with your potential to “pay him back” with a weekly offering. Jesus gave up his life as the atoning sacrifice for your sins without consideration of your cash flow or income bracket. But when the conversation shifts from “how we are saved” to “how do we thank God for our salvation” or “how do we live out our identity as God’s people,” offerings do have a part in that discussion. Offerings do not provide God with anything he needs, but they are expressions of our heart’s orientation toward him. In both Malachi 3:8-10 and Psalm 51:17-19, giving a sacrificial gift is presented as a way of demonstrating one’s repentance (sorrow over sin and seeking salvation only from God). Giving of what we have is also a communication of our confident trust that God will continue to provide for us. He may supply our needs extravagantly, far above what is necessary. He may only give us our daily bread (Luke 11:3). That’s for him to decide. What’s always true is that God will always provide in some way, shape, or form (Psalm 145:15-16). We have previously defined faith as a trust relationship with God. What better way to say, “I trust you, Lord, and I thank you,” than to give? Go to next post in this series

The Art of Giving: Misunderstanding #1 – God needs our offerings.

By Pastor Mike • June 27, 2025
Psalm 50:9-13 says, “I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?” What did offerings look like before money was invented? The Israelites in the Old Testament worshipped God by giving of their crops, herds, and flocks. In these verses, God makes it clear that the purpose of these offerings was not because he gets hungry and needs to be fed. He is the immortal, eternal, completely self-sufficient God. Sometimes I really think of myself as an asset to God, as if I provide him with something to him that he otherwise would not have had. Or that God relies on my gifts and service to be able to “do his thing.” These thoughts are delusions that come from my (our) selfish pride. There is a part of our hearts (the sinful nature) that would love to assure ourselves of God’s love because of what we do. But to believe this would amount to believing that God’s love is for those who are worthy – who give enough, serve enough, and are generally good enough. The person who gives millions of dollars to their church no more deserves God’s love than the one who gives fifty cents. It is God’s grace (his decision to unconditionally love sinners) that has saved you, not your actions (Ephesians 2:8-9). Whenever we fall prey to these delusions in the equation of God’s salvation, we should remember David’s words. When his eyes feasted on the beautiful offerings the Israelites brought for the construction of the temple, “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (1 Chronicles 29:14). As the hymn goes, “We give Thee but Thine own.” Go to next post in this series
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