Baptism - It's in the News...

Ok - Baptism may not be in the news, but it's been on my mind and in my conversations the past week.  And the focus has been the same - What does baptism signify or do?

Late last week, with baptism fresh in my thoughts...I ran into a fellow homeschool mom, whom I hadn't seen in a few years.  She's a Reformed Baptist and shared that she was hoping her teenage son, now a high school graduate, would soon be baptized.  

She related how her son needs to decide to be baptized, needs to know if he really believes, needs to know if he's really a Christian.  

My response was, "You know Lutherans believe a little differently about baptism and salvation."  And there in Walmart's Vegetable Aisle, we had a 15-minute discussion about baptism and faith. 

Baptists believe that baptism is an ordinance or a "rule" to follow, a "rule" that lets a person publicly profess faith in Jesus.  Baptists also believe that only those people who have faith in Jesus and who have some understanding of salvation are to be baptized.

Lutherans believe that God is working in baptism; that baptism is a means (or a way) that God gives His grace and saving faith.  Baptism is not a rule or work to follow, but God's work and His gift to us.  

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

The question then becomes, "If faith is a gift, how does God give us that gift?  How do we know we have it?"

Baptism...now saves you...1 Peter 3:21

Baptism is a way that we "get" grace and saving faith.  (The other ways being His Word and The Lord's Supper.) 

Lutherans believe that we don't have to conjure up faith within ourselves, and we don't have to decide that we believe.  God does it all, and we can be sure of that when we think of baptism.

The Baptist's next response is always, "But how can babies believe?  Babies can't have faith."

My friend was sure I had nothing to say that would convince her otherwise.

My response:

What about John the Baptist?  Didn't he leap in his mother's womb?

And you were just talking about your grandchildren...I would bet that, no matter how young they are, your grandkids "prefer" your care and have faith in you...and not in me.  They know and trust you.

A baby or young child can have faith.  It may not be a mature faith, but babies are aware and can trust.  

I also added that sometimes God's ways don't make logical or reasonable sense to us, and that's also part of faith.  We still believe because that's what His Word says.

My friend looked at me, realizing that I'd given her "food for thought."

We agreed to exchange church literature regarding baptism, and I told her I'd pray for her son.

Then Sunday morning came...Baptism was still not in the news, but it was the topic of Pastor's Bible class.

He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:5-7