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2026.08.23 (August 23, 2026) – Pastor Peter Ziebell
So far this year, I have had the privilege of baptising 10 children into the kingdom of God.
When you think about your baptism, do you think about it in the past tense or in the present tense? That is to say, if someone asked you, “Are you baptised?” would you answer, “Yes, I was baptised,” or would you say, “Yes, I am baptised”?
Now, this may seem like a small grammar detail — a technicality that only English teachers would care about. But don’t dismiss this as irrelevant or nitpicky theology. This is vitally important.
There is a common tendency to speak about baptism in the past tense. Perhaps that is because we do not baptise Christians repeatedly. That is to say, there is only one baptism in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. One baptism. That’s it. Unlike the Lord’s Supper, which we receive regularly, baptism is administered only once. And because we baptise people only once, we often speak of baptism as something that happened in the past — “I was baptised on such a date in such a year.”
Now, while it is not wrong to refer to your baptism in the past tense, there’s a danger when we do.
If baptism is just a past event, then we can end up putting baptism on the shelf, never to be looked at again. If it is just a past event, well… we can then treat baptism like an old photograph — something sentimental but no longer relevant. May God spare us from turning baptism into an old spiritual relic or a powerless tradition!
Occasionally, I receive phone calls from people outside our church seeking to have their children baptised. Perhaps years ago, they had a family member who was once part of one of our congregations. When I receive such a call, the first thing I generally ask is, “Sure, I’ll perform the baptism, but let’s talk about it a bit more.”
Now, when I say that we should talk about it a bit more, people tend to get uncomfortable. But my goal isn’t to push them away. My goal is to help them hear what Jesus says about baptism in Matthew 28. In Matthew chapter 28, Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (v. 19-20).
Did you catch that? Jesus connects baptism with ongoing teaching. He doesn’t just say “baptise” — He says “baptise and teach.” That is to say, both are essential in making disciples.
And so, when I speak to such people about baptising their children, I ask them plainly: “After we baptise your child, are you going to make sure the child is taught the Christian faith? Are you going to bring them to church? To Sunday School? Will they hear Jesus’ Word week after week?”
If someone wants their child baptised, that is good, right, and salutary. However, if they want their child baptised into Christ without wanting the teachings of Christ, then we have a serious problem.
Jesus says that disciples are made by both baptising and teaching. Both are necessary. But if someone only wants baptism and has no intention of bringing their child to be taught — if they intend to baptise and then disappear — then it’s nothing more than a “sprinkle and scram” mentality. It’s a wet-the-head-and-forget-the-rest spirituality. It treats baptism like religious hocus pocus. A magic trick. A ritual for the photo album. They are treating baptism as nothing more than a tradition.
This is spiritual deadbeat parenting. It’s being present for the baptism and then spiritually neglecting and starving the child afterwards. It misunderstands what baptism is and what it’s for.
Baptism is not a superstition. It’s not a lucky charm. It’s not a cultural tradition. It’s not something we do just because that is what grandma expects. Baptism is not about tradition, “getting done” — it’s about Jesus. It’s about being united with Christ in His death and resurrection. It’s about becoming a new creation. It’s about being given a new identity — becoming a child of God.
Baptism is not a past-tense event. It is a present-tense reality. You don’t just look back on your baptism as something that happened. You live in your baptism every single day. That is to say, you wake up each day in your baptism. You face temptation in your baptism. You fight the devil in your baptism. You stand before the accusations of the world in your baptism.
So again, when someone asks, “Are you baptised?” the answer is not, “I was baptised.” The answer is, “I am baptised.”
Baptism is who you are. It is your identity. It is your present status before God. You are the baptised!
Furthermore, hear the bold news about your baptism into Christ: it is unshakable. It does not change. It does not fade. It does not expire. Baptism is not just an event on a certificate. It is God’s ongoing promise to you. In baptism, your sins are washed away. In baptism, you are buried with Christ and raised to new life. In baptism, the name of God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — is branded upon you. You are marked as one redeemed by Christ the crucified, in your Holy Baptism.
And so, it doesn’t matter what the world says about you. It doesn’t matter what the devil whispers in your ear. It doesn’t matter what your sinful flesh tells you. Those voices are lies. You have been marked. You have been named. You have been claimed by God Himself. Your identity is secure because God placed His name upon you in Holy Baptism.
And so, when the devil accuses you, you say, “Satan, hear this proclamation: I am baptised into Christ.” When shame creeps in, you say, “I am baptised into Christ.” When your conscience condemns you, you say, “I am baptised into Christ.” When death looms, you say, “I am baptised into Christ.”
Baptism clothes you in Christ’s righteousness. It covers all your sin. It is your comfort in life and in death. On the Last Day, when you stand before the judgment seat of Christ, you will not stand in fear but in confidence. Not because of your good works or your spiritual achievements, but because you are baptised into Christ, clothed in His righteousness.