Baptism and Forgiveness
Our Lenten Sermon Series focused on brokenness and how everyone is broken, yet God uses our brokenness for good. Jesus transforms our brokenness by giving it purpose and preventing it from defining us entirely. (Feel free to revisit some of these inspiring sermons on our website and YouTube channel.) After 40 days on this theme, it might seem repetitive, and I will do my best to avoid over-echoing. However, it's important to remember our true brokenness and the hope God offers to redeem it.
So, I ask you, have you ever made a mistake? Have you committed a sin against another or against God? There is only one right answer to this question. If you are a human being, then yes, you have made not just ‘a’ mistake or committed ‘a’ sin, but undoubtedly many in your life. I think many of our mistakes and sins are not necessarily intentional. I rarely cut people off in traffic on purpose. Most of the time I did not realize what I was doing until it was done. I have said things to people, not meaning any harm, only to realize later that I had hurt someone I cared about, though I never realized what I said was hurtful. Other times we unfortunately make intentional mistakes and sins. We seek out ways to harm others, to cause them suffering, to push their buttons. We are self-serving and simply do not care about the ripple effects on others. So it is a fair question to ask: Do we treat all mistakes the same? No, that would defy human logic.
There are minor mistakes, like forgetting to bring something home from work for my spouse. I do pay, but that’s a small act. On the other hand, intentionally and premeditatively taking another human life is the gravest error in society. Crimes are ranked from petty to capital, creating a hierarchy of sins and mistakes. Why do we do this? Partly for practicality, because we want a fair world, even though it’s impossible; we desire justice, but often equate punishment with justice. Thus, we develop systems that aim to be as fair and just as possible. Moreover, this ranking also helps us feel better about ourselves and justify our flaws: “I may have made mistakes, but I’ve never killed anyone!” We find comfort when we see others worse than us being punished while we avoid repercussions.
How do we react when others err? Typically, through punishment. But does this approach truly work? No. If punishment were effective, the fear of it would deter wrongdoing from the start; however, people still commit offenses. The system we've established fails in this regard. Often, individuals emerge from the criminal justice process worse off than when they entered. Our concept of justice is actually rooted in revenge systems, which rarely help people learn to make better decisions in the future. Nor do they ever really bring those who suffer ‘closer’.
Paul’s message to the Romans should make you uncomfortable, as it always should. Romans 3:22b-23 states: “For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!” This means everyone has messed up, regardless of the severity or who was involved. Paul doesn’t hold back, and even after 2000 years, I still feel the impact. It’s not just Paul’s words; they reflect Jesus’ actions too. On the cross, Jesus forgave those who wronged him: “Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” He also told the criminal next to him: “Today you will be with me in paradise.” We start to see that sin itself is insignificant compared to God’s grace, which is offered freely and covers everything. Understanding this is a difficult challenge for us humans to wrap our heads around, as we desire human conceptions of ‘justice.’
What does this mean for us? First, stop being so judgmental. (I have to say this in the mirror every morning, and almost every day I fail). We are going to talk a bit about judgment next week, but what we have started to see is that judgment is not up to us. Thanks be to God for that, because I do not want that job.
Second, God is not fair. We also see that grace is far from fair, and God is far from fair, and again I say thanks be to God for that as well. Because if God were fair, we would all be in pits of hell spinning like a Costco rotisserie chicken, which is so good. Have you really lived a life that is always worthy of God’s grace? I am not saying you are bad people, cause that will make giving nosedive. “Pastor says I deserve to be spinning in hell like a chicken, church doesn’t need my money, I'll go buy one myself.” I am not saying that we are terrible people, but I am saying that none of us are perfect, not like Costco Rotisserie Chicken.
At the end of the day, if we are not the final judge, and if we have been recipients of God’s steadfast and never-failing grace, then we are called to offer the same grace to others. Believe me, I know it isn’t easy. It is one of the most difficult things God asks of us, to forgive as we have been forgiven by God through Jesus. We have all fallen short of the glory of God. However, God offers forgiveness to all through our faith in God, this is what we call grace. We are forgiven by God’s gift in Jesus. That is not a gift meant to be hoarded but shared. We will not always succeed but guess what is there to catch us when we fall, God’s grace.
How do we first receive that grace? The key word is 'received.' Just as Pat Mahomes has already thrown the long pass to Xavier Worthy, it’s up to him to catch it and stay on his feet. Similarly, God has already extended grace through Jesus Christ; it’s then our responsibility to accept it and cling to it during difficult times. Methodists and Wesleyans refer to this as "prevenient grace," which means “the grace that comes before our awareness.” God offers us grace before we even realize who God is, and this offer is universal. It’s our choice whether to accept that grace, begin our Christian journey, and pursue growth and faith. When we accept God’s grace and forgiveness and commit to growing in grace, we are forgiven.
This is why the United Methodist Church baptizes infants: because it represents God’s prevenient grace. Don't misunderstand, we also baptize adults. (We do not re-baptize. God’s promise stands firm even when ours falter. Also, it could jeopardize my ordination.) I find it hard to think of a better symbol of God’s grace than a child who cannot do anything for themselves yet is still worthy of it, despite having no full understanding of who God is. The water is not magical; it is a tangible and outward sign of and inward grace, of what God has already done. Though not in the Apostle’s Creed, baptism has been associated with the forgiveness of sins since early church days. It reflects our response to God's prior actions. God has already claimed this child, this person, this adult. Our commitment is to respond to God's work by raising the child in faith until they can claim it themselves. Adults, too, accept God's grace and seek a renewed way of living. The water symbolizes God's claim on our lives, a sacred sign of divine ownership and cleansing.
Often, we have seen others abuse the gift of forgiveness and even of Baptism. Perhaps we ourselves have as well. We are not forgiven for simply going on and sinning some more. Baptism is not meant as a last-ditch effort to save us before we die after a life full of sin. We take this forgiveness for granted when we do not change our behaviors and our ways of living. We make our faith in Jesus’ life, ministry, suffering, and death vain if it does not change us and shape us into those who look after the least, the last, and the lost. It is vain faith if we refuse to offer forgiveness to others since we have been forgiven, especially when it is costly.
Bonhoeffer famously distinguishes between "cheap grace” and “costly grace.” Cheap grace refers to grace without discipleship, the cross, or the living Jesus Christ; it’s called cheap because it requires nothing from us but helps us feel better about ourselves. We might attend an event for a few hours, but that doesn't truly cost us anything substantial. It’s merely checking a box without giving our true selves. Conversely, "Costly Grace" requires following Christ, obeying His example, and practicing self-denial. It’s "costly” because it demands our lives and “grace” because it offers genuine life. For Bonhoeffer, costly grace isn’t about earning salvation through works, it's about a grace that transforms us in response to Christ’s call. If it doesn’t, it’s just cheap grace. For a deeper understanding, read The Cost of Discipleship (1937), it’s worth a read. So, my final question for us this week is, do we practice cheap or costly grace?
So, I ask you, have you ever made a mistake? Have you committed a sin against another or against God? There is only one right answer to this question. If you are a human being, then yes, you have made not just ‘a’ mistake or committed ‘a’ sin, but undoubtedly many in your life. I think many of our mistakes and sins are not necessarily intentional. I rarely cut people off in traffic on purpose. Most of the time I did not realize what I was doing until it was done. I have said things to people, not meaning any harm, only to realize later that I had hurt someone I cared about, though I never realized what I said was hurtful. Other times we unfortunately make intentional mistakes and sins. We seek out ways to harm others, to cause them suffering, to push their buttons. We are self-serving and simply do not care about the ripple effects on others. So it is a fair question to ask: Do we treat all mistakes the same? No, that would defy human logic.
There are minor mistakes, like forgetting to bring something home from work for my spouse. I do pay, but that’s a small act. On the other hand, intentionally and premeditatively taking another human life is the gravest error in society. Crimes are ranked from petty to capital, creating a hierarchy of sins and mistakes. Why do we do this? Partly for practicality, because we want a fair world, even though it’s impossible; we desire justice, but often equate punishment with justice. Thus, we develop systems that aim to be as fair and just as possible. Moreover, this ranking also helps us feel better about ourselves and justify our flaws: “I may have made mistakes, but I’ve never killed anyone!” We find comfort when we see others worse than us being punished while we avoid repercussions.
How do we react when others err? Typically, through punishment. But does this approach truly work? No. If punishment were effective, the fear of it would deter wrongdoing from the start; however, people still commit offenses. The system we've established fails in this regard. Often, individuals emerge from the criminal justice process worse off than when they entered. Our concept of justice is actually rooted in revenge systems, which rarely help people learn to make better decisions in the future. Nor do they ever really bring those who suffer ‘closer’.
Paul’s message to the Romans should make you uncomfortable, as it always should. Romans 3:22b-23 states: “For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!” This means everyone has messed up, regardless of the severity or who was involved. Paul doesn’t hold back, and even after 2000 years, I still feel the impact. It’s not just Paul’s words; they reflect Jesus’ actions too. On the cross, Jesus forgave those who wronged him: “Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” He also told the criminal next to him: “Today you will be with me in paradise.” We start to see that sin itself is insignificant compared to God’s grace, which is offered freely and covers everything. Understanding this is a difficult challenge for us humans to wrap our heads around, as we desire human conceptions of ‘justice.’
What does this mean for us? First, stop being so judgmental. (I have to say this in the mirror every morning, and almost every day I fail). We are going to talk a bit about judgment next week, but what we have started to see is that judgment is not up to us. Thanks be to God for that, because I do not want that job.
Second, God is not fair. We also see that grace is far from fair, and God is far from fair, and again I say thanks be to God for that as well. Because if God were fair, we would all be in pits of hell spinning like a Costco rotisserie chicken, which is so good. Have you really lived a life that is always worthy of God’s grace? I am not saying you are bad people, cause that will make giving nosedive. “Pastor says I deserve to be spinning in hell like a chicken, church doesn’t need my money, I'll go buy one myself.” I am not saying that we are terrible people, but I am saying that none of us are perfect, not like Costco Rotisserie Chicken.
At the end of the day, if we are not the final judge, and if we have been recipients of God’s steadfast and never-failing grace, then we are called to offer the same grace to others. Believe me, I know it isn’t easy. It is one of the most difficult things God asks of us, to forgive as we have been forgiven by God through Jesus. We have all fallen short of the glory of God. However, God offers forgiveness to all through our faith in God, this is what we call grace. We are forgiven by God’s gift in Jesus. That is not a gift meant to be hoarded but shared. We will not always succeed but guess what is there to catch us when we fall, God’s grace.
How do we first receive that grace? The key word is 'received.' Just as Pat Mahomes has already thrown the long pass to Xavier Worthy, it’s up to him to catch it and stay on his feet. Similarly, God has already extended grace through Jesus Christ; it’s then our responsibility to accept it and cling to it during difficult times. Methodists and Wesleyans refer to this as "prevenient grace," which means “the grace that comes before our awareness.” God offers us grace before we even realize who God is, and this offer is universal. It’s our choice whether to accept that grace, begin our Christian journey, and pursue growth and faith. When we accept God’s grace and forgiveness and commit to growing in grace, we are forgiven.
This is why the United Methodist Church baptizes infants: because it represents God’s prevenient grace. Don't misunderstand, we also baptize adults. (We do not re-baptize. God’s promise stands firm even when ours falter. Also, it could jeopardize my ordination.) I find it hard to think of a better symbol of God’s grace than a child who cannot do anything for themselves yet is still worthy of it, despite having no full understanding of who God is. The water is not magical; it is a tangible and outward sign of and inward grace, of what God has already done. Though not in the Apostle’s Creed, baptism has been associated with the forgiveness of sins since early church days. It reflects our response to God's prior actions. God has already claimed this child, this person, this adult. Our commitment is to respond to God's work by raising the child in faith until they can claim it themselves. Adults, too, accept God's grace and seek a renewed way of living. The water symbolizes God's claim on our lives, a sacred sign of divine ownership and cleansing.
Often, we have seen others abuse the gift of forgiveness and even of Baptism. Perhaps we ourselves have as well. We are not forgiven for simply going on and sinning some more. Baptism is not meant as a last-ditch effort to save us before we die after a life full of sin. We take this forgiveness for granted when we do not change our behaviors and our ways of living. We make our faith in Jesus’ life, ministry, suffering, and death vain if it does not change us and shape us into those who look after the least, the last, and the lost. It is vain faith if we refuse to offer forgiveness to others since we have been forgiven, especially when it is costly.
Bonhoeffer famously distinguishes between "cheap grace” and “costly grace.” Cheap grace refers to grace without discipleship, the cross, or the living Jesus Christ; it’s called cheap because it requires nothing from us but helps us feel better about ourselves. We might attend an event for a few hours, but that doesn't truly cost us anything substantial. It’s merely checking a box without giving our true selves. Conversely, "Costly Grace" requires following Christ, obeying His example, and practicing self-denial. It’s "costly” because it demands our lives and “grace” because it offers genuine life. For Bonhoeffer, costly grace isn’t about earning salvation through works, it's about a grace that transforms us in response to Christ’s call. If it doesn’t, it’s just cheap grace. For a deeper understanding, read The Cost of Discipleship (1937), it’s worth a read. So, my final question for us this week is, do we practice cheap or costly grace?