The Biggest Day of My Life

“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”
Titus 3:5

The biggest day of my life is a day I don’t even remember. It was October 6, 1991, an ordinary Sunday for most people, but for me, it was a day that would change my life forever. It was the beginning of something marvelous, and it was made even more marvelous because I didn’t see it coming at all.

I was a 2- month-old baby on October 6, 1991. My head was heavy. My stomach was hungry. And my lungs were very good at hollering. Beyond that, I couldn’t do much else. My parents would tell you the same. If there were two words that could capture the essence of who I was at that time, they would be these: dependent and helpless.

The Lord did something marvelous when he met me in my dependence and helplessness to save me. I didn’t see it coming at all. I didn’t choose to be saved and I didn’t deserve to be saved, not by any stretch. Yet, He chose to save me at a font using water and his word in my Baptism on October 6, 1991. That day will forever be the biggest day of my life.

Some of you have a day when the Lord did the same marvelous work in your life. Some of you may remember it. Others of you may have no recollection of it at all. Whether you have the events and episodes of that day cemented in your mind or not, you can be sure of the work that Jesus has cemented on your life.

The day of your Baptism is the day the Lord has saved you – the day he met you when you were utterly dependent on Him and utterly helpless in your sinful condition.

The day of your Baptism is a marvelous day because it does not depend on you in the least. You did nothing to earn being saved. The day of your Baptism is a day when the Lord was the primary actor. The day centers on His work – His work for you.

Realizing that your Baptism doesn’t depend on you makes it a day worth returning to regularly. Days might come when your heart feels heavy over your own brokenness. There might be moments when you hunger for the truth about your place as God’s child, but you can’t seem to hear it. Instances might pop when you feel you need to holler to get word out of the Lord. There are times we continue to feel utterly dependent and helpless.

It’s in moments like those that your Baptism stands for you as the biggest day of your life. It is there for you like sturdy rock you can plant your feet on and stand tall. You don’t have to wonder whether the Lord has saved you. He did it the day you were baptized. You don’t have to question your place as his child. He has made you his on the day you were baptized. You can acknowledge your dependence and helplessness and trust the Lord worked for you anyway.

The beauty of your Baptism is that it continues to be there for you as the biggest day of your life. Remember it. Lean into it. And live out of it.

If you haven’t been baptized, there are loads of people you can talk to about it. I encourage you to have that conversation.

Prayer:

O Lord, you have saved your people, not because of anything they had done, but entirely because of your mercy. Help us to remember our Baptism and to return to it regularly as a source of assurance and encouragement in the promises you’ve made to us. Through Jesus, our Lord, we pray. Amen!

Questions:

  • If you have been baptized, do you know anything about that day? If so, what do you know? If not, how could you find out?
  • What encouragement do you get from the saving work Jesus has done for you in Baptism

About the author

Casey is the associate pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Ridgewood, New Jersey. He is married to his high-school sweetheart, Beth, and they have three kids: Boaz, Adah, and Eliana. He loves to eat good food, make new friends, and cheer for all his beloved Wisconsin sports teams.
View more from Casey

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