Baptism: Decided or Decision

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Baptism: Decided or Decision? Series: Doctrine Matters, October 9, 2016 Scriptures: Acts 2:37-39; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Galatians 3:25-29; Colossians 2:11-15; Romans 6:1-4 JOHN: Today we’re continuing this series we’ve titled Doctrine Matters. We have provided some small group materials for you if you would like as well ($5!). During the last 3 weeks we have talked about our understanding of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – otherwise called the Trinity that last few weeks. Today our focus is on baptism. I believe this is one of the key doctrines to understand if you are going to understand faith and what it means to live out your faith in Jesus Christ. It’s been said, “Faith in God is more than believing the right things. It’s living the right way because you believe the right things.” (“you can’t get beyond what you believe. . .”) As Lutheran Christians (that’s our distinctive) our confession centers on the fact that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Our mission here at Faith is clear: To connect people to the extraordinary life found in Christ – one person, one family, one community at a time. But how does this happen? How is a person connected with the extraordinary life found in Christ? How does that life begin? My Bible is open to Ephesians 2:1ff (p. 976) Now this is critically important when it comes to understand how faith begins. Before faith or spiritual life to be found in relationship with Jesus, there is spiritual death as a result of sin. Sin abounds, the devil is having his way, we feel free to carry out the passions and desires of our flesh. If it feels good, just do it. . .eat, drink, and be merry, right? We were, by nature, children of God’s anger, God’s wrath. But God did something. He did something in us who have come to trust in grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone! What did God do? He made us alive. . ..by His grace through faith. He gave us life and gave us a new position, even in the heavenlies! Coming to faith, being made alive in Christ doesn’t mean we no longer have any sin in our lives. So what has really changed? How God views us! God the Father now sees us through Christ-colored lenses – forgiven, perfect, holy (saints!). And how we are to view ourselves. . .by faith! We no longer stand or have assurance before a holy God by our own merits, but only on the merits of Jesus Christ who lived, suffered, died, rose, and ascended into heaven, and who sent His Holy Spirit. None of this was our own doing. All we could do was to receive it and then with the Holy Spirit’s help live it out! CHRIS: But how do we receive this gift? What are the means by which the Holy Spirit calls us to faith? The biblical answer is that God comes to us through means, ways that we can touch, feel, and see. Those are means are His Word (The Bible). Faith comes through hearing this word. But we also teach that God comes to spiritually dead people (off all ages) through sacraments. Catholics of talk of 7 sacraments. As Lutheran Christians we speak of two sacraments: that being baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Why two Sacraments? It’s our definition. . .A sacrament is simply defined as a sacred act. The word “sacrament” points to something that is a mystery. But in most churches, it also refers to specific ceremonies. In the Lutheran Church, a sacrament is defined by three things: It’s Commanded and instituted by Jesus Combines the Word of God with a physical element Imparts the forgiveness of sins 1  

One of the reasons a sacrament is such a blessing is the connection between something intangible and invisible to something tangible. In baptism, God connects faith and forgiveness to water and the Word of God. In the Lord’s Supper, there is bread and wine. JOHN: We probably need to mention that there is nothing special about the water used for baptism. To be consecrated simply means that it’s set aside for a holy purpose. There is no power in just the water by itself. It’s the water with the word of God. Martin Luther said that baptism is water connected with God’s Word. Baptism is God’s sacramental Word that initiates the relationship between the heavenly Father and his re-born child. As Luther asserted in his Small Catechism, children early in their lives should learn that baptism “brings about forgiveness of sins, redeems from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation.” Baptism is an act of God. He made that point in a sermon preached in 1528: “Baptism is not a human work, but it is God’s work. . . . The divine majesty ordained it. It is his command, commandment, and word.” This is already a key distinction with how many protestant churches view baptism. There are those who see baptism as something we do in response or obedience to God vs. something God does in us. Luther would go on to say that Baptism is a divine water because God has chosen to convey identity as his child under the blessing of his name. We baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. “God’s name is nothing other than God’s power. It is eternal salvation, life, purity. Does it not sanctify, vivify, and purify not only the body but also the soul? It does this not because it is water but because God’s power is in it.” Another way of talking about baptism is through the lens of the term covenant. God made (or cut) covenants in the Bible. Luther usually shied away from using the term “covenant,” perhaps because his instructors had used it to designate a deal between God and sinners that demanded some human contribution to their common cause of saving the sinner. But he did call baptism a covenant. In this instance he regarded the baptismal covenant as God’s gift, totally dependent on his agreeing to restore sinners to life without any contribution from their side. “No one can say [of baptism], ‘I did this myself.’ This covenant proceeds from God without our input.” Just as God had established his covenant with the Jews through circumcision, so his pact, treaty, covenant between himself and his people is a promise that he will be our God and that he takes the infant who was circumcised or who is being baptized into his people as his own child. This covenant offers us the benefits of the covenant ultimately made on the cross between God the Father and His Son. Before we get to some questions about who can baptize, who can be baptized, or how old does one have to be in order to be baptized, or how much understanding there needs to be before baptism, I believe we need to answer the question that seems to be rarely asked among evangelical Christians today: WHAT IS BAPTISM? Let’s begin with the term “baptism”. WHAT DOES THE TERM MEAN? The term simply means “to wash”. It’s true that in the O.T. is mostly meant “to dip” or to immerse. In Jesus’ day that term also was used to wash a dish or even to wipe down a table. It simply means “to wash”, to cleanse.” Many of our reform brothers would say it means to immerse, so the only method of baptism is to immerse. Lutherans and Catholics would say, “No, the term means to wash, sprinkle, or immerse.” A good case could be made that in Jesus’s day it would have been rare to always have 2  

enough water (even in Jerusalem where 3,000 were baptized) to have enough water to actually fully immerse. As Lutheran Christians, we don’t get too hot and bothered about the method of baptism as much as simply applying water with the word. (Personally, I have immersed people and have no problems doing it!). So in attempting to understand what baptism is and who is to be baptized, let’s look at some of the truths shared in Scriptures. WHAT HAPPENS IN BAPTISM? In a few of the Scriptures we read we heard how there was a connection between death and resurrection, or dying and rising. In baptism, God is killing something and bringing something else to life. There is a dying and a rising. Paul says, Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ has been baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3-4) Think of all the biblical images where water was a major player in the O.T. (the parting of the Red Sea, the flood, Jonah, even Naaman who was told to wash in the river so he could be healed). There was always a sense of the dread of death. . .and life, dying (to some degree) and coming back to life. In baptism, God buries sinners in Christ’s tomb, the only place in his universe where he no longer looks. Then he raises up these sinners to new life as his children. The old self is crucified in Baptism by God’s Word, and in this death that Christ shares with us, we die to sin and are thus liberated from it. Through this baptismal death and the resurrection, we have new life. The “buried with him” of the believer’s dying to sin and rising to new life in Romans 6 begins a theme that Paul used to conclude this section on the Christian life in Rom. 8:17 where he speaks of becoming an heir with Christ, suffering with Christ, being glorified with Christ. Another picture we are given of baptism is renewal or renovation. In Titus 3 we read again: But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 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 3:4-7) In Baptism he delivers to us the goodness and loving kindness that he revealed in sending Jesus to save us. For his restoration of life is not based upon our doing the right thing, but on the basis of his doing the right thing. But it wasn’t just a renewing, it’s also a washing. It’s a washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, that brings justification. . .perfectly forgiven in God’s eyes, that we might become heirs. Again, this points back to the actual meaning of baptism. The church has often emphasized the cleansing nature of this washing of regeneration. Regeneration is another way of saying it’s been made new, restored, remade, recreated all for the better! In 1 Peter we read that we can even appeal to God with a clean conscience because of what God has done in our baptism. Another picture we have in baptism is being clothed or “Putting on Christ”. In Galatians 3 we read: So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3  

3:26-29 NIV) Like any good parent, God is concerned about clothing his children. The children of God, baptized into Christ, have been “dressed” in him. That makes them equal in God’s sight. He no longer takes our sin into consideration as he looks at us, nor does he take our earthly characteristics into account. Among his people it does not count in his reckoning whether we are Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female. We who have been baptized into him are one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:26–29). God sees us through Christ-colored glasses. In the vertical relationship his Word has killed us as sinners—stripped us of our torn and tattered garments of sin—and buried us in Christ’s tomb. His Word of resurrection in Christ has brought us into a new existence before him in the new clothes of Jesus’ innocence and righteousness. We are as holy and as innocent as Christ in the Father’s presence. We are his perfect children, because he has said so. His pledge to us in our Baptisms clears our conscience completely. At the same time we still experience the ravages of sinfulness in our daily lives. In our horizontal relationships we still encounter temptation, and we still succumb. Baptism initiates a lifelong process of dying to the habits of hell and rising to the habits of heaven in the daily struggle against the sin that destroys our humanity. Recalling God’s baptismal promise to be our God and to hold us as his children strengthens us for that process, that struggle. Here’s something else that happens in baptism – we become disciples of Christ. The great commission given to us from Christ is to: 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20) According to Christ’s command the church baptizes in the name of the holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In baptism we receive receive our names, and our new identities as God’s children, from him whose name is God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are incorporated into Christ’s death and resurrection, and thereby brought into the family of God called the church. To do what? Carry out Christ’s mission. . .our commission together with Jesus to make disciples of all nations. . . So there is death and resurrection that happens in baptism. There is a washing, cleansing and renewal in baptism as well as a putting on or being clothed with Christ in baptism. And there is also the making of a disciple in baptism. Now let me ask you, “What part do we play in all of that? Does our obedience make the washing and renewal better? Do I give any input in these images of baptism? I don’t believe so. So. . .that leads us to ask the more controversial question: WHY DO WE BAPTIZE INFANTS AND CHILDREN? Probably the most visible difference between certain Christian denominations is their practice regarding infant baptism. Some churches baptize infants; others do not. Which one is right? If both sides of this issue were honest, they would admit it is a challenging question. Nowhere in the Bible does it explicitly say to “baptize infants.” And nowhere in the Bible does it say “don’t baptize infants.” If you use this line of reasoning, nowhere in the Bible do we see the elderly or special needs people or even youth baptized in the N.T. If the Bible doesn’t say specifically one way or the other, how do we know what to do? The answer is: you reach a conclusion based on the best information the Bible offers. Here’s the simplest guideline I can offer. Most churches that believe in “decision theology”. These churches don’t baptize infants and tend to always put the act of faith squarely on the shoulders of a person to “accept” or “decide” for Christ before being baptized. They believe that faith comes through intellectual comprehension of the gospel and a free will decision to believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Baptism follows that decision as a public witness of faith. 4  

There are two teachings that are closely associated with this view of baptism. First, it is connected with the teaching called “once saved, always saved.” In other words, once a person makes a genuine and sincere decision to be a Christian, they cannot fall away from that faith. And secondly, it is connected with the teaching called “the age of accountability.” In other words, a child is not held accountable for his sins until he reaches an age where he can understand the concept of sin. Although that age varies for individuals, it is generally considered to be around the age of twelve. Churches that believe in no free will, or limited free will, tend to practice infant baptism. (How does a person who is “dead in their trespasses and sins” Ephesians 2:1ff have any will to decide. they are spiritually dead!) If you remember what Luther said in response to understanding the ministry of the Holy Spirit? He explained: “I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him.” Since reason and free will are not a part of coming to faith, baptism is a miraculous way of imparting saving faith to those who are not old enough to process the gospel intellectually. Hearing the gospel and having the Holy Spirit work through your intellect is certainly one way of coming to saving faith. But it is still the power of the Holy Spirit overpowering a person’s will, not a person’s free will. Churches that practice infant baptism have two closely connected teachings and practices. First, these churches often hold that the Bible teaches a person can fall away from their faith. A person can reject God and his grace. Second, these churches usually have a practice called “confirmation.” At an age when children can more fully learn the fundamental teachings of Christianity, they are taught. At the end of the instruction, they are offered the opportunity to confirm the faith they received in baptism— and to pledge their faithfulness in following Jesus. We believe children need to be brought into God’s family. Why? They are infected with sin from conception (Ps. 51:5), and their mortality proves that they receive the wages of sin (Rom. 6:23). Although passages such as Matt. 18:3 or Luke 18:15–17 do not speak directly of Baptism, the words of Jesus that we must become like little children to enter the kingdom of God do state his expectations clearly. Not adult achievement or commitment but the passive reception of newborn infants marks our passage into God’s kingdom. Evidence for Infant Baptism in Scripture and the Early Church Most Christians have believed that infants are naturally included in the “all nations” of Matt. 28:19 or the “family” of the jailer of Philippi, in which most certainly infants were present (Acts 16:33). Those whose presuppositions separate them from this biblical way of thinking will reinterpret these passages to exclude infants. Argument over the interpretation of these passages will avail little so long as one presumes that Baptism is fundamentally a human action and that infants do not need to have a relationship with God established through Baptism. In Mark 10:14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” The Greek word in this text is “paidia” which means babes in arms. Infants can belong to the kingdom of God. From the beginning of New Testament Christianity at Pentecost to our time, unbroken and uninterrupted, the Church has baptized babies. Polycarp (69-155 AD), a disciple of the Apostle John, was baptized as an infant. Justin Martyr (100-166 AD) of the next generation, about the year 150 AD, states in his Dialog with Trypho The Jew “that Baptism is the circumcision of the New Testament.” Irenaeus (130-200 AD) writes in Against Heresies II 22:4 “that Jesus came to save all through means 5  

of Himself — all, I say, who through Him are born again to God – infants and children, boys and youth, and old men.” Similar expressions are found in succeeding generations by Origen (185-254 AD) and Cyprian (215-258 AD), and at the Council of Carthage in 254 where the 66 bishops stated: “We ought not hinder any person from Baptism and the grace of God ... especially infants ... those newly born.” Origen wrote in his Commentary on Romans 5:9: “For this also it was that the Church had from the Apostles a tradition to give baptism even to infants.” Origen also wrote in his Homily on Luke 14: “Infants are to be baptized for the remission of sins.” Cyprian's reply to a bishop who wrote to him regarding the baptism of infants stated: “Should we wait until the 8th day as did the Jews in the circumcision? No, the child should be baptized as soon as it is born." Augustine (354-430 AD) wrote in De Genesi Ad Literam, 10:39 declared, “The custom of our mother Church in baptizing infants must not be counted needless, nor believed to be other than a tradition of the Apostles.” Augustine further states: “... the whole Church which hastens to baptize infants, because it unhesitatingly believes that otherwise they cannot possibly be vivified in Christ.” In 517 AD, 10 rules of discipline were framed for the Church in Spain. The fifth rule states that “... in case infants were ill ... if they were offered, to baptize them, even though it were the day that they were born...such was to be done.” (The History of Baptism by Robert Robinson, London, Thomas Knott, 1790, p.269) This pattern of baptizing infants remained in Christianity through the Dark and Middle Ages until modern times. In the 1,500 years from the time of Christ to the Protestant Reformation, the only bona fide opponent to infant Baptism was the heretic Tertullian (160-215 AD) who de facto denied original sin.

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