Baptism Series Part 1: What is Baptism?

What is Baptism? Martin Luther in his Small Catechism answers it this way: "Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God's command and combined with God's word" (Luther's Small Catechism). In Lutheran thought, it's not the water itself that is special, but the promise that God has attached to water. So is the water used in a baptism "holy water"? Well, the water has been used in a holy purpose, so in that sense, yes it is holy water. But the water itself has no magical properties. Luther says this about the water used in Baptism: " It is nothing other than a divine water. Not that the water in itself is nobler than other water, but that God's Word and command are added to it" (Large Catechism IV 14). There is another aspect to Christian Baptism, and it is the act of being baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This constitutes Christian Baptism. Sects like the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Church of the Latter-Day Saints (AKA Mormons) who reject the Trinity do not administer Christian Baptism and thus if someone were to convert to Christianity from one of those sects would need to be baptized again. In conclusion, here is what Luther says about this: "[To baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit] means that in Baptism, God the Holy Trinity, receives me into communion or fellowship with Himself" (Small Catechism). Thanks for joining me for this first part of my series regarding Baptism. If you like what you read here and are interested in more, I invite you to leave me a comment or email me at Etovar1991@gmail.com.

God bless,
Manny

I'm back

Hello again, internet. Please forgive my absence. I needed a couple of days to relax. But now I'm back and tomorrow I will bring some new content regarding Baptism!

New series on the Lutheran view of Baptism

Hello, internet. I wanted to take a quick moment to announce that tomorrow I will be starting a series (not really sure how long this will take) regarding the Lutheran view of Baptism. If you are interested in Lutheran theology or in Baptism in general, I urge you to check it out!

Blessings,
Manny Tovar

The Hard Truth about Communion

Hello, all. I want to take a moment to do a shameless self-plug for an article I recently wrote for the Theologues website. You can find it here: The Hard Truth about Communion

I also want to recommend the Theologues website as well as their podcast, the Roundtable. Both are wonderful resources in discovering different Christian understandings on a plethora of topics, and is a great place for discussion and learning. If you haven't checked them out, what are you waiting for?

God bless,
Manny Tovar

What's the big deal about the Holy Spirit?

As someone who has come out of the Charismatic movement, this question is one that I have asked myself a couple of times. The Holy Spirit is a member of the Holy Trinity, coequal with the Father and the Son. But is it possible to overemphasize the Holy Spirit? Yes. Now that we are in the season of Pentecost, we turn our attention to the Holy Spirit. I am going to take some quotes from the Small Catechism regarding the Holy Spirit to help us understand the office of the Holy Spirit a bit more.

Question 156. What is the special work of the Holy Spirit?

"The Holy Spirit sanctifies me (makes me holy), by bringing me to faith in Christ, so that I might have the blessings of redemption and lead a godly life (sanctification in the wide sense)."

Question 157. Why do you need the Holy Spirit to begin and sustain this faith in you?

"By nature I am spiritually blind, dead, and an enemy of God, as the Scriptures teach; therefore, 'I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him.'"

The Holy Spirit's work is twofold: conversion and sanctification. Conversion in that the Spirit is the one who brings the person to faith in the first place. And sanctification in the sense that the Spirit is the one who sustains that faith.

So for those who accuse Lutherans of not giving enough time to the Spirit, we actually give the Spirit the place that He deserves: Not higher nor lower than any other member of the Holy Trinity.

God bless,
Manny Tovar

A Shy God?

Hello, beloved. I ask your forgiveness for a lack of activity on this blog. I just needed to take a bit of time off to refocus and get my bearings again. But I'm back, and this time for good. Yesterday, for those of you unaware, was the day of Pentecost, when the Christian Church commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and those gathered in the upper room. The Church now turns her focus to the Holy Spirit, who is the shy member of the Holy Trinity. We look at the ministry of the Holy Spirit; more specifically the work of the Spirit in bringing people to penitent faith in Christ. As Dr. Luther so brilliantly explains in the explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles' Creed: "I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true" (Small Catechism). And next Sunday is Holy Trinity Sunday, where we take time to ponder on the fact that the Christian God has revealed Himself as one God in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

God bless,
Manny Tovar

In Memoriam

Hello, internet. Please forgive my absence these past couple of days. I have been busy, so I haven't had time to devote to y'all. But I'm back, although with a bit of a heavy and sorrowful heart. Yesterday, I had to put to rest my best four-footed friend, Jane. She awoke with a swollen abdomen, so me and my mother took her to the vet. It turns out she suffered from stomach cancer, and would only continue to suffer. Me and my mother made the difficult decision to put her to sleep. Although I am relieved she will suffer no longer, that doesn't make the pain go away quicker. I must accept the fact that I will no longer be greeted by her in the morning, nor will I see her when I return from work. And although I have her two children which she left behind, I still miss her. She was with me from when I was 12 years old until 23. I am grateful to God for the time I had with her, and have no doubt she lived a life full of love, joy, and dog snacks. I knew this time would come eventually, I just never thought it would be this soon. And though I wish so much I could spend more time with her, that would mean doing it while she would be suffering, and that is not fair to her. So in closing, I ask for prayer for me and for my family to be consoled with the comfort that only God can give through His word. And whether I will be reunited with Jane or not, that I leave up to God (although in my heart, I hope that all dogs do go to heaven).

In Christ,
Manny Tovar