Brendan's Baptismal Birthday

Two years ago, Brendan was baptized. The day of his birth was wonderful, but the day he was baptized was glorious! What a blessed reassurance to know that our beloved little son was a child of God.
This is the hymn we sung at his baptism at Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne on December 23, 2004

"Salvation Unto Us Has Come"
by Paul Speratus, 1484-1551

1. Salvation unto us has come        
 By God's free grace and favor;       
 Good works cannot avert our doom,        
 They help and save us never.        
 Faith looks to Jesus Christ alone,        
 Who did for all the world atone;        
 He is our one Redeemer.         

 2. What God did in His Law demand        
 And none to Him could render        
 Caused wrath and woe on every hand        
 For man, the vile offender.        
 Our flesh has not those pure desires        
 The spirit of the Law requires,        
 And lost is our condition.         

 3. It was a false, misleading dream        
 That God His Law had given       
 That sinners should themselves redeem      
 And by their works gain heaven.       
 The Law is but a mirror bright       
 To bring the inbred sin to light        
 That lurks within our nature.         

 4. From sin our flesh could not abstain,        
 Sin held its sway unceasing;        
 The task was useless and in vain,        
 Our guilt was e'er increasing.        
 None can remove sin's poisoned dart        
 Or purify our guileful heart,-       
 So deep is our corruption.         

 5. Yet as the Law must be fulfilled        
 Or we must die despairing,        
 Christ came and hath God's anger stilled,        
 Our human nature sharing.        
 He hath for us the Law obeyed        
 And thus the Father's vengeance stayed        
 Which over us impended.        

 6. Since Christ hath full atonement made        
 And brought to us salvation,        
 Each Christian therefore may be glad        
 And build on this foundation.        
 Thy grace alone, dear Lord, I plead,        
 Thy death is now my life indeed,        
 For Thou hast paid my ransom.         

 7. Let me not doubt, but trust in Thee,       
 Thy Word cannot be broken;        
 Thy call rings out, "Come unto Me!"        
 No falsehood hast Thou spoken.        
 Baptized into Thy precious name,        
 My faith cannot be put to shame,        
 And I shall never perish.         

 8. The Law reveals the guilt of sin        
 And makes men conscience-stricken;       
 The Gospel then doth enter in        
 The sinful soul to quicken.        
 Come to the cross, trust Christ, and live;       
 The Law no peace can ever give,        
 No comfort and no blessing.         

 9. Faith clings to Jesus' cross alone       
 And rests in Him unceasing;        
 And by its fruits true faith is known,        
 With love and hope increasing.        
 Yet faith alone doth justify,        
 Works serve thy neighbor and supply        
 The proof that faith is living.         

 10. All blessing, honor, thanks, and praise        
 To Father, Son, and Spirit,        
 The God that saved us by His grace,-        
 All glory to His merit!       
 O Triune God in heaven above,        
 Who hast revealed Thy saving love,        
 Thy blessed name be hallowed.