An Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism Part 33

THE BENEFITS OF BAPTISM.

Baptism is G.o.d's means of receiving us into His covenant, and opening up to us all the treasures of Christ's redemption. Through this sacrament He adopts us as His children and receives us into membership in His Church. [Gal. 3:36, 27+] We are baptized in (into) the name of the Father (who sent His Son to save us), and of the Son (who died to redeem us), and of the Holy Ghost (who applies Christ's redemption to our souls). Therefore every baptized person may say, "G.o.d is _my_ Father, Christ is _my_ Redeemer, the Holy Ghost is _my_ Sanctifier, and all the benefits of Christ's redemption are offered to _me_." Hence we declare of baptism, that

IT WORKS FORGIVENESS OF SINS, [Acts 2:38+, Acts 22:16, Eph. 5:25, 26]

DELIVERS FROM DEATH AND THE DEVIL, AND CONFERS EVERLASTING SALVATION.

These are the very benefits which Christ has acquired for me by His innocent sufferings and death (see Article II, of the Creed, Chapter XIX.). And since I have been "baptized into Christ's death," [Rom 6:3+]

all these benefits belong to me if I only accept them by faith. [Mark 16:16] I am regarded by G.o.d as having already suffered the full penalty of my sins in Christ's death, and for His sake I am pardoned and saved.

ON ALL WHO BELIEVE. Faith is the hand with which we grasp and hold fast the treasures of G.o.d's grace offered in this sacrament. The benefits are offered to every one who is baptized, but they are accepted and possessed only by him who believes.

AS THE WORD AND PROMISE OF G.o.d DECLARE. The benefits belong to all who are baptized and believe, because G.o.d has said so. [Numb. 23:19] He has promised, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved."

WITHOUT FAITH baptism will not save any one. "He that believeth not shall be d.a.m.ned" even though he is baptized. For while such a person has been adopted as G.o.d's child, he is a disobedient and rebellious child, and therefore is disinherited, and loses the heavenly inheritance [Pet.

1:4] which would have been his, if he had remained faithful.

BAPTISM PERMANENT. Baptism, once properly administered, is not to be repeated. It is a permanent covenant between G.o.d and us. While men are often unfaithful to their covenant, G.o.d never is. [II Cor. 1:20, Rom.

3:3] He bestows the blessings of baptism on all who comply with its conditions. Having received us by baptism as His children, He ever afterwards remains our loving heavenly Father, to whom we may turn with fullest confidence. And if any who have fallen from grace repent and seek His mercy, they find Him standing with open arms to receive them.

[Luke 15:11-24] Such persons need not be re-baptized; their old baptism stands. A rebellious son who repents needs not to be re-adopted, but needs only to be forgiven.

III. _How can water produce such great effects?_

It is not the water, indeed, that produces these effects, but the Word of G.o.d which accompanies and is connected with the water, and our faith which relies on the Word of G.o.d connected with the water. For the water without the Word of G.o.d is simply water, and no baptism. But when connected with the Word of G.o.d, it is a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and a washing of regeneration in the Holy Ghost; as St.

Paul says to t.i.tus in the third chapter, verses 5-8: "According to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Saviour; that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying."

WHY BAPTISM HAS POWER TO CONFER SUCH BENEFITS.

IT IS NOT THE WATER, INDEED, THAT PRODUCES THESE EFFECTS. Water alone cannot wash away sins. Yet the water of baptism is necessary, because Christ has commanded its use, and has connected the promise of salvation with it.

BUT THE WORD OF G.o.d WHICH ACCOMPANIES AND IS CONNECTED WITH THE WATER.

It is the Word of G.o.d, with its command and promise, that makes baptism a sacrament, and gives it power to confer such great benefits. [John 6:63]

AND OUR FAITH WHICH RELIES ON THE WORD OF G.o.d CONNECTED WITH THE WATER.[13] The baptism is a real baptism and offers these great benefits, whether we believe or not. But the benefits become ours, only when we believe the promises of G.o.d. [Mark 16:16]

[Footnote 13: The story of Naaman the leper (II Kings 5:8-14) ill.u.s.trates how water, the Word of G.o.d, and faith can produce great effects. It was not the water of the Jordan that cured Naaman; yet he could not have been cured without the water, because the promise of healing was connected with its use. When he _believed_ the Word of promise and used the water as he was commanded, he was healed. So the water, the Word, and our faith, which trusts in the Word, cleanse us from the leprosy of sin.]

IT IS A GRACIOUS WATER OF LIFE, because the Word and promise of G.o.d, which are connected with it, give it power to bestow life and salvation on all who believe.

AND A "WASHING OF REGENERATION" in the Holy Ghost, because it is the means through which the Holy Ghost causes us to be "born again," as G.o.d's children.

QUESTIONS.--1. What does G.o.d do for us through baptism? 2. What may every baptized person say? 3. What benefits does baptism confer? 4. Who has acquired these benefits for you, and how? 5. Why do they become yours through baptism? 6. What has faith to do with the reception of these benefits? 7. How do we know that baptism confers all these benefits on all who believe? 8. What is to be said about those who are baptized but do not believe? 9. What is to be said about the permanence of baptism? 10. Why has baptism power to confer such great benefits? 11.

Why is it a "gracious water of life," and a "washing of regeneration"?

SCRIPTURE VERSES.--Gal. 3:26, 27. For ye are all the children of G.o.d by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.

Acts 2:38. Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Rom. 6:3. Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Numb. 23:19. G.o.d is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

READING.--Naaman, II Kings 5:1-14.

CHAPTER x.x.xVI.

IV. _What does such baptising with water signify?_

It signifies that the old Adam in us is to be drowned and destroyed by daily sorrow and repentance, together with all sins and evil l.u.s.ts; and that again the new man should daily come forth and rise, that shall live in the presence of G.o.d in righteousness and purity forever.

_Where is it so written?_

St. Paul, in the epistle to the Romans, chapter 6, verse 4, says: "We are buried with Christ by baptism into death; that like as He was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

THE DUTY WHICH BAPTISM IMPOSES.

Baptism bestows upon us the great privilege of being children of G.o.d; but it also imposes upon us the duty to live and act as G.o.d's children.

Every one who is baptized promises, either with his own lips or through his sponsors, that he will live thus. G.o.d is always faithful to His part of the baptismal covenant; we should always be faithful to ours. Our duty is two-fold:--

1. THE OLD ADAM IN US IS TO BE DROWNED, DESTROYED BY DAILY SORROW AND REPENTANCE, TOGETHER WITH ALL AND EVIL l.u.s.tS. By the "old Adam in us" is meant our old sinful self, as we are by nature. For we are born into the world with a sinful heart and a natural inclination to evil. This evil nature still clings to us even after we have been "born again" into sonship with G.o.d. [Rom. 7:18-24] This old sinful self, together with the sins and l.u.s.ts to which it prompts us, must be suppressed, subdued, and gradually destroyed. [Eph. 4:22+, Gal. 5:24+] We should gain the mastery over it more and more every day. We shall do this, if we daily mourn over our sinfulness, and ask G.o.d for Christ's sake to grant us forgiveness and strength.

2. THE NEW MAN SHOULD DAILY COME FORTH AND RISE, THAT SHALL LIVE IN THE PRESENCE OF G.o.d IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PURITY FOREVER. By the "new man" is meant our new self,--what we have become by the work of the Holy Spirit in us. For if we have been baptized and believe, there has been implanted in us a new life. We have become new creatures, [II Cor. 5:17]

who by G.o.d's grace hate sin and desire from the heart to do G.o.d's will alone. As the old man in us should daily become weaker and gradually die, so the new man in us should daily grow stronger, [Eph. 4:23, 24+, II Pet 3:18] and cause us to live in constantly increasing righteousness and purity here on earth, [Phil. 3:12+] till at last we are received into G.o.d's presence for Jesus' sake, and live before Him in perfect righteousness and purity forever.

CONFIRMATION.

The rite of confirmation is closely connected with the baptism of children. For the children who have been baptized are afterwards to be taught "to observe all things whatsoever Christ has commanded"; [Matt.

28:20] and, when they have reached an age at which they are able to examine themselves, they should be confirmed.

PRECEDED BY INSTRUCTION. Confirmation is to be preceded by thorough instruction in the doctrines and duties of the Christian religion. In addition to the instruction received in the home and the Sunday-school, those who desire to be confirmed are specially instructed in the catechetical cla.s.s by the pastor. Confirmation is the Church's testimony that the catechumens have received the necessary instruction to fit them for intelligent and earnest partic.i.p.ation in the full privileges of Church membership. This instruction is the princ.i.p.al thing, and without it confirmation would lose its meaning.

WHAT CONFIRMATION IS. In confirmation the catechumen makes no new promises, but repeats with his own lips the confession of faith and the promise of faithfulness to Christ which were made for him by his sponsor at his baptism. Thereupon the minister lays his hand upon the head of each catechumen, and the minister and congregation pray that G.o.d would give to each His Holy Spirit to keep him in the faith and to cause him to grow in holiness.

WHY WE CONFIRM. Confirmation is not commanded in the Scriptures, but is a useful ordinance of the Church. It does not make us members of the Church; for we become members by baptism; but it admits us to _communicant_ membership in the Church. Those who have been confirmed are admitted to the Lord's Supper. They are also ent.i.tled to act as sponsors at the baptism of children. The right to vote depends upon the const.i.tution of the particular congregation.

QUESTIONS.--1. What duty does baptism impose? 2. In what two-fold way is this duty to be performed? 3. What is meant by "the old Adam in us"? 4.

What shall be done with our old sinful self? 5. How shall we succeed in gaining the mastery over it? 6. What is meant by the "new man"? 7. What does our new self prompt us to do? 8. What should the new man in us do?

9. What is to be done with children who have been baptized? 10. By what is confirmation to be preceded? 11. What is to be said about the importance of this instruction? 12. Tell what confirmation is? 13. Why do we confirm? 14. What privileges does confirmation confer?

SCRIPTURE VERSES.--Eph. 4:22. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful l.u.s.ts.

Gal. 5:24. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and l.u.s.ts.