What are these words and promises of God?
Our Lord Christ spoke one of them in the last chapter of Mark (Mark
16:16):
"Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not
believe will be damned."
How can water do such great things?
Water doesn't make these things happen, of course. It is God's Word,
which is with and in the water. Because, without God's Word, the water
is plain water and not baptism. But with God's Word it is a Baptism, a
grace-filled water of life, a bath of new birth in the Holy Spirit, as
St. Paul said to Titus in the third chapter (Titus 3:5-8):
"Through this bath of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit, which He
poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that we,
justified by the same grace are made heirs according to the hope of
eternal life. This is a faithful saying."
What is the meaning of such a water Baptism?
It means that the old Adam in us should be drowned by daily sorrow and
repentance, and die with all sins and evil lusts, and, in turn, a new
person daily come forth and rise from death again. He will live forever
before God in righteousness and purity.
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