Tonight, I invite you to turn with me to Acts chapter 2, Acts chapter 2, as we read together verses 14 through 41, the text for our consideration, verse 38, in connection with Lord's Day 26, which we'll turn to in just a moment after we read together from Acts chapter 2. As you recall, Acts chapter 2 includes Peter's Pentecost sermon, the outpouring of the Holy spirit at the beginning of the chapter and the portion we will read then includes peter's pentecost sermon and the reply of the people to that sermon acts chapter 2 beginning at verse 14 through 41 hear now the word of god then peter stood up with the eleven raised his voice and addressed the crowd fellow jews and all of you who live in jerusalem let me explain this to you Listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning. No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel. In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams. Even on My servants, both men and women, I will pour out My Spirit in those days. And they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs in the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke, the sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Men of Israel, listen to this. Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did among you through Him as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge, and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David said about him, I saw the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices. My body also will live in hope because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life. You will fill me with joy in your presence. Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this. God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, Brothers, what shall we do? Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, the promises for you and your children and for all who are far off, for all whom the Lord our God will call. With many other words, he warned them and he pleaded with them, Save yourselves from this corrupt generation. Those who accepted His message were baptized and about 3,000 were added to their number that day. I would ask you to turn in the back of the Psalter hymnal to page 33. Page 33, Lord's Day 26. Lord's Days 26 and 27 deal with the sacrament of baptism. Tonight, we want to consider Lord's Day 26 in connection with verse 38. And Peter replied, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And Lord's Day 27 then deals a little more specifically at least question and answer 74 with regard to the baptism of infants and the Lord willing next week. We'll consider that in connection with verse 39 of Acts chapter 2. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, for all whom the Lord our God will call. Tonight, then, we give expression to our faith answering these questions. There's two on page 33, and if you notice, then a third on page 34. Lord's Day 26. Question 69 asks, How does baptism remind you and assure you that Christ's one sacrifice on the cross is for you personally? In this way, Christ instituted this outward washing and with it gave the promise that surely as water washes away the dirt from the body, so certainly His blood and His Spirit wash away my soul's impurity, in other words, all my sins. What does it mean to be washed with Christ's blood and Spirit? To be washed with Christ's blood means that God, by grace, has forgiven my sins because of Christ's blood poured out for me in His sacrifice on the cross. To be washed with Christ's Spirit means that the Holy Spirit has renewed me and set me apart to be a member of Christ so that more and more I become dead to sin and increasingly live a holy and blameless life. Where does Christ promise that we are washed with His blood and Spirit as surely as we are washed with the water of baptism? In the institution of baptism where He says, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. This promise is repeated when Scripture calls baptism the washing of regeneration and the washing away of sins. Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, what a sense of relief Peter's audience must have felt. They, as the Bible says, had been convicted of their sin. The Bible says they were cut to the heart as they learned that they were guilty of putting to death the Lord of glory. The very one for whom they had waited for so long. They found themselves in the most hopeless of all situations. Now there are times when we too find ourselves in what we believe to be or interpret to be hopeless situations, and then all of a sudden, there's a little bit of hope. For example, maybe you found yourself in a hopeless situation with regard to your health. You were going through all kinds of tests because of difficulties that you were having, and you thought maybe that you had cancer or heart disease or some other disease that would surely take your life, but then all of a sudden, the results came in, and whatever it was was minor. It could be handled with antibiotics. There was hope. Maybe with regard to employment, you found yourself in a hopeless kind of situation, thinking that you were sure to be laid off. You were going to lose your job. And then again, because of a series of events, whatever that might have been, you found out that your job was secure. There was hope. Boys and girls and young people, maybe you have found yourself in the hopeless situation in school where you have failed a test. Hopeless. But then because of the mercy of your teacher, your teacher gave you an opportunity to do extra credit. And therefore, you could raise your grade. You had the hope of raising your grade. There's all kinds of situations we find ourselves in that we interpret to be hopeless. And then at the end, there is some sort of hope. Yet you see, beloved, beyond all of that, we must also identify with Peter's audience. Because we too are guilty before God. Jesus Christ was crucified for our sins. We too have been in the most helpless and hopeless of all situations. And all who truly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ will understand the depths of despair because of their sin like this audience. All who truly believe will be cut to the heart. But they will also experience the joy that this audience experienced as they heard Peter's response to their question, Brothers, what should we do? Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, every one of you. In the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And again, as he goes on, the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, for all whom the Lord, our God, will call. With these words from Peter, repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins. With these words, those whom the Holy Spirit brings to understand the greatness of their sin and misery, With these words, they are given God's comforting promise of forgiveness. And brothers and sisters, there is no greater promise. In Jesus Christ, God's people find eternal righteousness, not eternal ruin. But then how is it claimed? Notice I didn't say how is it earned by you and me. But how is it claimed by the child of God? You see, the payment has been made. Forgiveness has been earned by Jesus Christ, but how does it become yours and mine? How do we claim it? By conversion. Peter says, Repent, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Conversion is a U-turn. It's a complete change from one direction to another direction. Boys and girls, you might know what a U-turn is if you're driving along with your mom or dad and you're going this way down the street, but they need to go the other way and you come to an intersection where it's safe, and your mom or dad does a U-turn. They turn completely around. Conversion is a U-turn. And conversion then includes two elements, repentance and faith. Both of those elements make up conversion. Repentance, we might say, is the curve. And faith then is heading toward a new direction. The Bible makes it clear that these, repentance and faith, go together. In Mark 1, verse 15, Jesus says, The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news. Peter says in chapter 3, verse 19, Repent then and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Paul in Acts 20, verse 21 says, I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Conversion is made up of repentance. And faith, it's impossible to truly repent without having faith in Jesus Christ. And this conversion, you see, is accomplished by the Holy Spirit who regenerates one's heart. Who gives that new heart and then with that new heart, that one is brought to see that helpless and that hopeless condition of sin that they are in. And they also see that there is hope in Jesus Christ. And they are brought then to turn away from sin and turn to Jesus Christ. Now, the repentance that Peter is speaking of here in this text is not the daily repentance for the sin that we continue to commit. That daily repentance that we must make. That's not the repentance that Peter is talking about here when he says repent. But he's talking about that decisive once for all. That very first initial decisive break with the old life of sin. And that repentance is indeed a complete change to turn back on what one was before. Before, one was a Christ-hater and a sin-lover, and that one then is to turn to be a sin-hater and a lover of Christ. It's a complete change of heart and mind and will, and therefore also thoughts and desires and motives and words and deeds. It's a complete change of direction from living for oneself to living for Jesus Christ. Peter's audience, we know, was made up largely of Jews. He says to the Jews and those of you living in Jerusalem, and for them then this command to repent implied turning from the evil they had done. It implied in having an intense hatred for their sin. It implied experiencing a complete turnaround, a reversal in their lives. it implied a clinging to the teaching of Jesus Christ. No longer a rejecting of the teaching of Jesus Christ, but a clinging to the teaching of Jesus Christ. And all of this is true for you and me too. It implies all of that for you and me as well. Now we, as we sit here tonight as a congregation, some of us, no doubt, were converted as adults. Maybe only a few of us, I don't know. But some of us here, no doubt, were converted as adults. And if you were, you clearly see that U-turn. You clearly remember that U-turn in your life, that you were headed in one direction, running away as fast as you could from God. And you remember that conversion that U-turn in your life, running to the Lord Jesus Christ by the grace of God. And for most of us, we were raised in Christian homes, though, where we were taught at a very early age, Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so. We were taught that even from our earliest days that we can remember. Yet we know. We know that there was a time, maybe over time, maybe gradually, but there was a time when we began to understand our sin. We began to truly understand all this that we have been taught. That our sin is offensive to God and that our sin destines us for hell. We began to understand that there is hope of salvation from that sin in Jesus Christ. And we believed in that hope in Jesus Christ. In other words, that which was taught to our heads was applied, maybe even at a young age, to our hearts by faith. Faith is that corresponding part with repentance and conversion. Peter says, in whom that faith is to be placed in the name of Jesus Christ. He is the only object of faith. Now, why in Jesus Christ? Because repentance, beloved, is only true repentance when one looks in faith to the only one who is able and willing and in reality did take our sins upon Himself and pay the full price with the cost of His blood. You see, pardon for our sins, forgiveness for our sins, and reconciliation being brought back into favor with God happens only in Jesus Christ. But you know what? It really happens. It really happens in Jesus Christ. John says in 1 John 1, verse 9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Paul speaks of Jesus in Ephesians 1, verse 7 when he says, In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Beloved, through repentance and faith, One claims the work of Christ accomplished for that one. And that one is given the confidence that all of his sins are forgiven. Every last one. All of his sins are remembered no more. All of his sins are removed as far as the east is from the west. All of his sins, or I should say none of his sins, will ever be counted against him again. Well, by whom then is this forgiveness claimed? Peter says to every one of you. He's talking to those who were cut to the heart, to those who have a true sorrow for their sin. Indeed, we know that the Bible says that God commands all men everywhere to repent. All men are commanded to repent, but those who are able to claim this forgiving grace are those who are truly sorry by the working of the Holy Spirit. But notice Peter's charity here. Peter lays out the facts. He lays out the facts about what they had done. And when they say, what do we do? He simply says, repent. He lays out the facts and no more. He doesn't rake them over the coals. He doesn't make them feel as bad as possible. He doesn't kick them when they are down. Before he gives them the good news, he doesn't say, you know, you're worthless. You know, you're undeserving. You know, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. You know, I don't know if there's any hope for you. Because Peter knew by experience that one's conscience that is made operable by the Holy Spirit, one's conscience does all of that stuff. All he does as a servant of God is simply says, repent. Repent. There's no great work needed. There's no great work that can be done. Repent. Only trust in Jesus Christ. But you know, for some, that's way too easy. Because we know we're accustomed to the fact that in this life, if we want anything, you've got to work hard for it. And therefore, certainly, it can't be this easy. We must have to do something. We must have to work hard for our salvation. But it is easy. Peter says, repent. Because Jesus Christ has done it all. And notice too that Peter is inclusive here in this sense. Again, he's speaking to the Jews. But as well, verse 39 says, all who are far off whom God will call. And that points to the Gentiles. In other words, God's saving grace is for all of mankind. It's for the greatest of sinners. Even the one who thinks, I have done things that are so terrible, God can never forgive me. If that's you, God says, yes, I can. I am able to. And I will. But also for the most righteous of saints, we know that there are those who by the grace of God strive to live in all uprightness. And it's hard. It's hard as we look at their lives. We can't read their hearts, of course, but it's hard to see any unrighteousness in their lives. But they too all need God's forgiving grace. God's grace and Christ's shed blood is sufficient for all who turn to Him in repentance and faith. And beloved, the result of repentance and faith is that there will be a true change. There will be a break with unbelief. And in its place, in faith, they will accept God's Word. There will be a change in the way that one thinks and acts. It will be in harmony with the teaching of Jesus Christ. Not in opposition to the teaching of our Lord, but in harmony to the teachings of Jesus. And that one will live under His Lordship because that one belongs to Him. And we can give some practical examples of this, boys and girls and young people. Those who are truly converted will change the channel. They'll change the channel on the television set. Because you and I, there is so much trash out there on primetime TV, so many things that the world accepts as normal, as simply every day, and they try to put it before your eyes and my eyes each and every night or day. Change the channel. Or click the mouse button when those certain pop-ups come up on your computer screen. Get rid of them. We have no business looking at them. And Satan wants to work through those to infect and infest your heart and my heart. There might be a change in the music that you and I listen to when we become converted. Because when you look at the lyrics, they simply don't fit. Again, it's trash. It's that stuff that Satan would like to plant in your heart and my heart and cause us to think in a way that we ought not to think. Those who are converted desire, desire activities and to participate in activities that are pleasing to God and to honor the Lord's Day as a day of rest and gladness. And the work ethic of one who is converted is different. That one is no longer satisfied with simply getting by, but that one desires to do their best. And those who are converted, beloved, will guard their language and their eyes and their ears and their heart. Peter's command here to repent is a command of joy. It's a command that gives hope of God's comforting promise of forgiveness. But there's a second command here. A second command through which God gives a visible proof of the truth of His promise of forgiveness. In the second place, how is that promise signified and sealed? Peter says, be baptized. Be baptized, every one of you. Now, we need to clarify something a little bit here because we need to understand that the word order here can be confusing and has been confusing to many people. Peter is not saying, he is not saying be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. He is not saying forgiveness depends on being baptized. Forgiveness does not depend on being baptized, but forgiveness does require repentance. He says repent for the forgiveness of sins. In the Greek, it clearly goes together for the forgiveness of sins with repent and not with baptize. Baptize is exactly what we think of baptism. It is a sign and seal, a visible sign and seal of that forgiving grace of God. Now, as far as the early New Testament church is concerned, we know that the recipients of the gospel, the recipients of Peter's preaching, were adults. Those who were repenting and coming to the faith for the very first time. And therefore then the order that Peter gives is correct. Repent, then be baptized. They are to give testimony of understanding and claiming that which is promised in baptism and then they receive the sign and seal of that forgiving grace. And the same is true today when someone is converted as an adult that one repents and gives a credible profession of faith and receives the sign and seal of baptism. Again, most of us here were a part of the children of believers. And we received the sign and seal of that promise when we were baptized as infants. And the Lord willing, again, we'll talk more about that next week. But either way, whether one is baptized as an adult or whether one is baptized as an infant, the promise of baptism is the same. Baptism itself does not give the thing promised. It gives the promise of God. And therefore, adults, through repentance and faith, they claim the thing promised in baptism, that it's real and true for them. And infants are taught then that that thing promised in baptism will be true and real when they claim it through true repentance and faith. Yet the promise is the same. What is that promise? What does God promise through baptism? Well, for one thing, inclusion. Question 69 says it beautifully, asks it beautifully. It's a statement, really, in that question. It says, baptism reminds you and assures you that Christ's one sacrifice on the cross is for you personally. Again, in the text, Peter says, be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ. You see, he points to something individual. Each must be baptized because each receives the promise. You don't receive it for me. I don't receive it for you. As parents, we don't receive it for our children. Each one receives it for themselves. Baptism. Through baptism, one is set apart and is identified with those who belong to the company of God's people because of Jesus Christ. And of course, in baptism, there is a visible sign and seal of that promise. And that is the water and the sprinkling of that water. Boys and girls, baptism points to something that we do every single day. Or you should do. Washing. Washing. Using water. And of course, soap, to wash the dirt off of our bodies and to become clean. In Scripture, we read about, in Bible times, we read about different kinds of washing. There was the literal washing the dust and the dirt off of a visitor's feet. We know that the priests washed their entire bodies before entering the temple. They needed to be ceremonially cleaned before they entered into the presence of God. And also we know that those who were converting to Judaism were washed with water, which symbolized being scrubbed from a heathen past and becoming an Israelite set apart by God. Boys and girls, the dirt that you sometimes see on your body, on your hands, maybe on your cheeks, on your feet, that dirt is to remind you of something very important. The next time you look at the dirt on your hands, think of what it points to. It points to the filth and the grime and the dirt of sin. that saturates your soul, my soul, from the time we are conceived. Think of a newborn baby. A baby that's just been born. That baby is washed clean. That baby is powdered. That baby is dressed nice and given to the parents. That baby is sparkly clean. But you see, no amount of outward polishing can cleanse that sparkly clean baby from its true filth. From the filth and the stain and the pollution of sin which that baby was conceived and born with. The water and the sprinkling of baptism is a sign and seal of God's promise that for those who believe in Jesus Christ and trust only in His blood and righteousness, that our souls are washed clean from all of our sins. And it's an effective washing. It's not just partial. It's not that that soul becomes stained all over again. Boys and girls, we become dirty thousands of times throughout our lives. We need to wash ourselves thousands of times. But not with regard to the soul. Again, as John says, we are cleansed from all sin. And as we read in Isaiah 1, verse 18, Though your sins be like scarlet, they will be white as snow. Though they are like crimson, they will be like wool. That's the reality to which the sign points. The washing of the soul. In the believer's soul, just as water washes the dirt away. In the very same way, the blood of Jesus has washed away all of my soul's impurity. All of my sins. That's a fact that is confirmed by God. If we go back to Isaiah 1, after we read about that our sins are like crimson, they will be like wool, it says, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. And beloved, this is hard, at least for me, to believe when I look at my life. And I trust it is hard for you too. As we examine our lives on a daily basis, it's hard to imagine that our souls are washed clean from all of our sin. And in the believer's life, all of this is only effective by the power of the Holy Spirit. The catechism says that we are washed with Christ's blood and Spirit. Well, we know that Christ's blood points to justification. That it's because of His blood poured out, it's His blood alone that washes that sin away and makes us right with God. His blood points to justification, but the washing of the Spirit points to sanctification. You can't separate the two. Just like you can't separate repentance and faith, you can't separate justification and sanctification. Sanctification flows from it. It goes on from justification. And you see, through sanctification, the Holy Spirit washes my life by renewing me more and more in the image of Christ. By renewing me more and more to hate sin and to die to sin and renewing me more and more to love righteousness and to live to righteousness. By renewing me more and more to love God above all and my neighbor as myself. The Holy Spirit gives me the assurance that as I see, as baptism is administered to an infant, that as I see with my eyes the visible Gospel which I hear with my ears, He gives me the assurance that it's true for me that I am forgiven. My baptism, and I speak as one who was baptized as an infant, and I trust those of you who were will identify with this as well, my baptism, even though I can't remember it. Yet because by faith I know that God's promise signified and sealed to me in baptism, because I know that it's real and true, my baptism then is to be a real part of my witness and my testimony to the world. It's to be a real part of your witness and your testimony to the world that we surely belong to our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. That's one of the assurances that God gives to us personally in baptism, that we belong to Jesus Christ, but also as far as our witness and our testimony, that we firmly believe the truth of Him, that we humbly confess how undeserving we are, that we completely trust in Him alone for salvation, and that we wholeheartedly submit to His rule and government in and over our lives. You see, brothers and sisters, there is to be a continuity here. There is something that continues. Baptism, even though we only have it done to us once. It doesn't just happen and then we forget all about it. Even the oldest saint here is to remember your baptism. We don't just baptize out of custom, which is a good custom. We don't just baptize out of superstition, thinking, well, if we don't, something bad might happen. If this child dies, that child won't go to heaven if he or she is not baptized. That's not true at all. But you see, beloved, our baptism comes with an ongoing blessing. It is a means of grace. And as we witness the sacrament of baptism administered from time to time, and as we see that as we remember our own baptisms, the Holy Spirit nourishes and strengthens our faith and increases our assurance that all that baptism signifies and seals is really and truly mine. You see, beloved, the promise of baptism is forever valid and sure. Our whole life is anchored in and revolves around and finds comfort in baptism. Peter says in Acts 2, to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Now, he's not contradicting our Lord's command to be baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, but Peter is highlighting the name of Jesus Christ here because he points to their commitment now to the one they had put to death. But you see, through baptism, we are brought into a relationship with the Triune God. Think with me for a moment back to the baptism form. That baptism form says that God the Father witnesses and seals unto us that He makes an eternal covenant of grace with us and adopts us for His children and heirs and therefore will provide us with every good thing. And that means then that the answer to the petition, give us this day our daily bread, is anchored in baptism. Because God the Father has already promised to give us what we need. And the form says that God the Son seals unto us that He washes us in His blood from all our sins. And therefore, the answer to the petition, forgive us our debts, is anchored in baptism. The promise is there. And of God the Holy Spirit, the form says that He will see to it that we shall finally be presented without spot among the assembly of the elect in life eternal. And therefore, the answer to the petition, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, is also anchored in baptism. Our whole life is anchored in the promise of baptism. But you see, beloved, there's a warning here for covenant breakers. We know, of course, that not all who are baptized are necessarily saved. Not all who have received the sign and seal of God's promise accept that promise. Many reject the promises of God, and for them, baptism is also a seal for hell. You see, beloved, baptism is always a grave. That may sound strange, but it's always a grave. In Romans 6, verse 4, Paul says, We have been buried with Him, with Christ, through baptism into death. And those buried with Christ by faith also rise with Christ and live with Him in newness of life. But those who are not truly buried with Christ by faith, for them, baptism becomes an eternal grave because of their rejection and their unbelief. And just as one is able to come to the table and eat and drink judgment unto themselves if they do not truly believe, one can, as it were, drown in the baptismal font. The water of the Red Sea and the water of the Great Flood signified baptism. We know that some were saved through those waters. They found safe passage, but we know that many were lost. Many found those waters to be a grave. But there's comfort for those who repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and trust in Him. There's comfort, as Paul says to Titus, that baptism points to the truth that He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. And that comfort, beloved, for you and me is not just for the parents as we present our children. It's not just for us as adults. If we were baptized as adults only momentarily, it's a promise for a lifetime. Again, if I may go back to the baptismal form, it says, and if we sometimes through weakness fall into sins, we must not therefore despair of God's mercy nor continue in sin since baptism is a seal and indubitable, that wonderful word indubitable, without a doubt it means, since baptism is a seal and a without a doubt testimony that we have an eternal covenant with God. Baptism. Your baptism is to give you assurance your whole life long that you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. But also, beloved, throughout our life we are able to fall back on our baptism and even when our life seems hopeless as we struggle with sin, it's then that we are to remember and believe that baptism in and of itself does not remove our weakness, but it includes the promise that by the power of the Holy Spirit we will make progress in the Christian life. It includes the promise that Satan does not control me, but that I am under the control and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. It includes the promise that all of my sins are washed away and that I will be presented without spot among the assembly of God's elect in life eternal. Baptism, beloved, is a reminder and a guarantee that the Holy Spirit lives in us. That He will complete the work that He has begun in us. And that He will continue to do battle in me against sin. Did you hear that? You see, without that, there's no hope. Without that, not one of us can wake up in the morning with comfort. but as it is as those who believe in the lord jesus christ we can wake up in the morning with confidence that we can go out and face this world because the holy spirit fights for us he fights for us against sin and all of this is what peter is saying that these people who were cut to the heart that they receive with the forgiveness of sins signified and sealed in baptism baptism is a sign and seal of ownership god's ownership and therefore beloved rejoice in your baptism remember the meaning of your baptism speak of your baptism with your children and their baptism as well and remember to whom you belong and praise god for a complete and thorough washing away of sins that will never again need to be repeated. Amen. Let's pray together. Father, as we bow before you at the close of this day, at the close of this message and service, we praise your name for your word, which is indeed sweeter than honey to our lips. Father, we praise You for the truth of Your Word, for the truth that we might know that for those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, all of our sins have been forgiven. Father, we pray that You would not allow any one of us to take our baptisms for granted, but instead that we might rejoice in them, that we might find assurance through that which has been signified and sealed, and through that as well, Father, that our faith would be nourished and strengthened, and that He would be praised. Hear our prayer, O Lord, for Jesus' sake, and in His name alone. Amen.