The Name of the Only True God

[Jesus said] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19

These are some of Jesus’ final words to his disciples. They are clear, direct, and full of purpose. But right in the center of this command is something easy to overlook: “in the name”—singular— “of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” One name, yet three persons. Here, Jesus reveals the mystery at the heart of our faith: the triune God.

This isn’t just a statement about who God is. It’s a promise about what God does.

To be baptized “into the name” means more than having water applied with certain words. It means being brought into a relationship with the triune God himself. In baptism, the Father places his name on you and claims you as his child. The Son covers you with his saving work, washing away your sins through his death and resurrection. The Holy Spirit creates faith in your heart and begins a new life in you.

This is not symbolic or hypothetical. It is real. God is acting.

That matters because so often we look for assurance in the wrong places. We wonder if our faith is strong enough, if we’ve done enough, if we truly belong to God. But Jesus points us to something solid and outside of ourselves: baptism. There, the triune God made a commitment to you.

When doubts come, you don’t have to search your feelings for proof. You can return to this simple truth: “I am baptized.”

So go into your life with confidence. You carry that name with you. You belong to the triune God, the only true God, and he will not let you go.

Prayer:

I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have made me your child in holy baptism. Never let me go. Amen.

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