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In his Small Catechism, Martin Luther writes a section on Baptism in a question and answer format and includes the following:

What benefits does Baptism give?

It works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.

How can water do such great things?

Certainly not just water, but the word of God in and with the water does these things, along with the faith which trusts  his word of God in the water. For without God’s word the water is plain water and no Baptism. But with the word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit…

An important part of Luther’s understanding of Baptism is drawn from Romans 6: 3-4, “Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.” St. Paul’s words evoke an understanding of Baptism as a participation in the death and  resurrection of Christ, in which this death is the destruction of the old Adam, the old Eve within us. As we rise up out of the waters of Baptism we rise to the new life Christ has given us in Easter. As God’s Easter people, we walk in the newness of life that God has given us by grace and promise. We no longer live our lives through the lens of our former sinful self, but are refocused and redirected toward this new life that comes through this promise. Our response to this gift, this promise, simply is to trust that it is true. Luther reminds us that, without the Word of God, the water in the baptismal font simply is water. However, empowered and sanctified by the Word of God, by promise and grace, this water becomes life-giving which unleashes us to walk in this newness of life that Paul envisions. Promise reveals the commitment of a loving God who, through what we know in Christ, is fully invested in relationship with us and walks with us into the journey before us. God’s love and grace grant us life, forgiveness and salvation, reassuring us that God cares deeply for each of us and loves us as the individuals we are. That is the promise which comes with Baptism, the promise which speaks to us every moment of our lives. Our response is to hear this promise and know that truly it does belong to us.

Unleashed by this grace, this love, this promise, we are empowered to walk in this newness of life. That’s what Martin Luther wanted to communicate to the world, both to the institution called “the Church” and to each individual Christian. It was this understanding which was the foundation and the power of the Reformation. God’s grace, love and promise are real. In Baptism, this promise is spoken individually to us and calls us to live as an Easter child of God. We won’t always get things right. The old Adam/Eve will continue to try to influence us, to claim us. But as baptized children of God we are oriented in a new way. In this section of the Small Catechism on Baptism, Luther calls on the Christian to enter into daily repentance, a daily exercise in orienting ourselves once again toward God and the grace, love and mission God has granted us. Each day we can remember that we are baptized, that we have died to sin and rise to newness of life, complete with God’s love, God’s grace and God’s promise.

Both Paul and Luther knew the Christian life is not always easy. The joy of life, however, rested upon the wonderful promises which God has spoken to us and the opportunities we have to share God’s love and God’s promises. No matter what struggles we face, no matter what difficulties come our way, in our joys and sorrows, God’s promises last, and those promises belong to you and to me.