Confirmation Sunday
Acts 6:1–9; 7:2a, 51–60, 1 Peter 2:2–10, John 14:1–14
May 3, 2026
Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
It’s tempting in confirmation Sunday sermons to talk only to the confirmation kids since it’s their day. They’re the ones taking the vows and the cake is in their honor, so I will talk to them. Today also gives me an opportunity to remind you of the vows you’ve made to God. If you’re a confirmed Lutheran, you took your vows on your Confirmation Day. If you’re not a confirmed Lutheran, these vows should still be yours. Except for the one about the Small Catechism, the promises these students are about to make should be the ones of all Christians. For a very long time, confirmation students have made promises to God, and we can make these promises out of love for God because God first loved us.
When infants are baptized, the parents and sponsors answer a series of questions on behalf of the child. Today the students answer these questions for themselves, thus confirming the vows of their baptisms. The first question I’ll ask our confirmands is: “Do you this day in the presence of God and of this congregation acknowledge the gifts that God gave you in your Baptism?” What are these gifts? We find out in the post-baptismal blessing: “The almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given you the new birth of water and of the Spirit and has forgiven you all your sins, strengthen you with His grace to life everlasting.” Whether you are baptized as a Lutheran or not, the gifts of a new life, forgiveness, and God’s grace are given to all who are baptized. The Rite of Confirmation starts with what God has done for us, and we respond with vows of faithfulness. Saint Paul says, “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” God has blessed you far beyond all measure, and in response you pledge your love and faithfulness.
The confirmation vows begin with the renunciation: “Do you renounce the devil, all his works, and all his ways?” Renouncing satan doesn’t mean we’ll never sin. It doesn’t even mean we won’t intentionally sin. It means we promise not to embrace or to seek out sin. We promise to live as Christians who walk the way of Jesus and not the way of the devil. The devil is constantly prowling around looking for a Christian to destroy and our old sinful nature leave us vulnerable. And to do this, you once again go back to your baptism where the Holy Spirit took up residence in your heart enabling you to resist temptation, using God’s Word and His Sacraments. And when you sin, the same Holy Spirit leads you to Jesus from whom you receive the forgiveness of all your sins. Of course, you can’t live in an unrepentant sinful manner and just assume you’re forgiven because you’re baptized. The baptized repent of their sins, seek forgiveness, and amend their lives.
In a few minutes the confirmands will recite the Apostles’ Creed which Christians have used for almost 2,000 years. In all three of the Church’s creeds, we declare that we believe in the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who worked together to create this world, redeem it from its sin, and to strengthen the faithful until the resurrection from the dead when they’ll enter heaven and the unbelievers will enter hell. The Apostles’ Creed reinforces what Jesus tells us in the Gospel: “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The truth is that it was by walking the way of the cross that He earned for you the forgiveness of sins and it’s His resurrection which promises you eternal bliss. This is a non-negotiable truth; in Jesus alone is forgiveness and life, and all roads do not lead to Heaven.
I know that sometimes I get angry with you during class. It’s not because I’m naturally grumpy, it’s because you’re not paying attention as I teach you the most important things you’ll ever learn. What you learn during extracurricular activities can have a big effect on your life and character. But it’s only what you learn from God’s Word which will truly change your life and take you into eternity. I want you, like I want all our members, to learn the richness of the Bible and joy of Lutheran doctrine. I want you to understand that the Bible condemns your sins, instructs you on how to live as a Christian, and how it gives you the forgiveness of your sins. The Bible is God speaking to you, inviting you to sit and learn from Him, and this learning is to never end.
In a few minutes you’ll stand up here in front of God and this congregation, like so many before you, and I will ask you: “Do you intend to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord’s Supper faithfully?” You will answer “I do, by the grace of God.” This isn’t an idle promise which you can say with your fingers crossed. You’re promising God that you’ll continue to be fed by learning and hearing His Word and by receiving Holy Communion. Confirmation is a milestone, not a finish line, and that’s why you can’t just leave this church today and rarely, or never, return. If you stop learning, if you don’t receive Holy Communion, and if you stop feeding your if it will die, and that horrifies me as your pastor. Paul says in the Epistle: “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation.” Paul isn’t talking only to the confirmands; he’s talking to all Christians. All Christians should long for what God offers. And parents, your role here is so crucial. Teenagers usually won’t get up for church on their own. You need to set an example for them and bring them to worship.
How can we tell God that His gifts are unimportant, that we don’t need to worship or receive Communion as He commands? What’s the 3rd Commandment? Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy, right? How do we do this? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching or His Word but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it. We do so in part by coming to church! Remember what I said earlier? Everything we do, all our behaviors meant to please God, come from the certainty that He loves us and forgives our sins. God loves you, He gave you His Son, and that’s why He wants you to receive His gifts.
One of the Confirmation vows asks: “Do you intend to live according to the Word of God, and in faith, word, and deed to remain true to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, even to death?” In this vow, you promise, by God’s power and to the best of your ability to live a Christian life. As baptized Christians, you’re different. You’re not of the world; you simply live in it. You’re exiles in a foreign land until God calls you home. Paul puts it this way: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” You’re special! You belong to God! You’ve been chosen by God and by living as His people, you shine the light of God into the dark lives of those you meet. What a wonderful thing to know that your Christian life could bring others to faith in Jesus!
The reading from Acts records the first death of the Christian – Saint Stephen. It’s been estimated that since his death tens of millions of Christians have been killed. Is that too high or too low? No one knows exactly. However, since Saint Stephen, Christians have historically been persecuted for confessing their faith. In 2025, five thousand Christians died for Jesus. Odds are good that none of us here will be Christian martyrs. Most of us will not even have to suffer a tiny bit for our faith. But many do sacrifice for Jesus, not necessarily physical suffering, but social, financial, and employment wise they do. This is why I’ll ask the confirmands, and the rest of you: “Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it?” I know for our 8th grade kids, even for most adults, the concept of remaining faithful in the face of torture and a violent death isn’t something we contemplate. Let’s look at it from a typical American perspective: Will you reject Christ to save face in front of your friends? Will you trade your faith for an enjoyable sin? Will you avoid the consequences of stating clearly that Jesus is the only Way, the Truth, and the Life? While being a Christian in America is pretty easy, you must not lower your defenses. Rather, with the help of the Holy Spirit, trust that whatever you must sacrifice in this world for the sake of your faith, pales in comparison to the glories that wait for you.
Helga and I have been blessed to teach you kids for three years and we pray that we have helped you grow in your understanding of Lutheran doctrine and more importantly, your faith in Christ Jesus. That’s my prayer for all of you here. As you take these vows, or as today reminds you of when you took yours, remember why you’ve taken them. We promise that we will, by God’s power and grace, remain faithful unto death because we’re blessed to be God’s chosen possession, a royal priesthood, brought to faith in Jesus and recipients of God’s undying love, and our vows flow from His love for us.
Amen
Now the peace which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen