This morning was a very, very special day at our church. This morning, Essie, Vera, Marvin, JC and Debbie were baptized. May God’s named be praised. Friends, just before His ascension, Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age” Matthew 28:19-20. These instructions from our Savior specifies that the church is responsible to teach Jesus’ word, make disciples, and baptize those disciples.

Friends, I love this the Bible says in Matthew 28 that the church should baptize people in the name of the Father, Son and of the Holy Spirit? And why does the church baptize this way? Because dear friends, each person in the Trinity plays a role in a person’s salvation that is why:

First the Father, God the Father planned our salvation. The Bible says before the foundation of the world, God by his grace chose us, (Ephesians 1:4). God the Father predestined us for salvation, (Ephesians 1:5, 11). And God the Father by His grace draws us to Christ, John 6:44. What grace!

Second, the Son, Jesus at the cross paid for our salvation. He died for our sins. He laid down his life for His sheep. Jesus at the cross paid our sin debt in full. A debt that you and I could never repay. That was His role in our salvation.

Third, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit’s role in our salvation is to convict our hearts of sin. Friends, it is the Holy Spirit who helps a person to see the truth of the Gospel, it is he Holy Spirit who gives a person eyes to see and ears to hear that they need the Gospel that they need Christ. The Holy Spirit is one who helps us to realize that we are a sinner, and we need a Savior.

Friends, each person of the Trinity has a role in our salvation, and each person of the Trinity deserves all the praise, all the glory and all the honor for our salvation. Friends, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit work together to save us from our sins! Friends God and God alone is the hero in our salvation story, amen.