Yesterday was the fourth birthday of Pastor Borghardt’s daughter. He has a most excellent post about her; do not miss it.

The first time “Bloghardt” and I met we discussed our children and how these kinds of things do happen.

Bodily, S wasn’t perfect from the get-go. Before she could even think about committing a deed, she was suffering from sin inherited from Mom and Dad. Even though Mom and Dad didn’t smoke, drink, do drugs or anything else that would have natural consequences, my daughters were born early and required five weeks of newborn intensive care just to be allowed home. Sin is more than just a disqualification for paradise in the future; it has physical and behavioral manifestations we can’t avoid. It doesn’t take a full vocabulary to refuse the requests of her parents.

Yet God has already taken care of her. By water and Word God has made her his. Where it matters, she is perfect. Though she cannot confess it, she has a saving faith that receives the Word. Christ died for her. If the Lord decides tomorrow is The Day, she’s one in the win column. Period. She cannot by her own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ or come to him, but the Holy Spirit has called her by the Gospel. That’s the beauty of justification by faith alone, through grace alone, in Christ alone.

Christ within her loves her parents unconditionally, even though we do things that make her cry such as take her to the doctor. Christ who lives in her keeps pitch and tempo, studies sheet music in church, and tells us she wants “more chips”, “go swing,” and “get up.” Christ in her does all the good deeds she will accomplish over her lifetime.

Happy Birthday, Sophia. Keep that dad of yours immersed in the Gospel. ;)