Baptism is for life

I recently had a man come in that I had never seen before who was concerned that he had lost his salvation. Not a trifling matter, this is a most serious question which deserved a clear, declarative answer. However, before an answer could be given, a question had to be asked. Sort of like the mechanic taking the car for a test drive to determine the cause of that squeak and not just presuming that the car owner knows where it is coming from.

I asked him if he was baptized and he said yes. Twice in fact. Once as an infant in the Lutheran Church and once as an adult in the Baptist church. So, you were Baptized as a infant. Oh, you mean you Lutherans believe once saved always saved. No. We believe once Baptized always Baptized. Baptism is God's work and it never fails even if we should depart from it. The return to ones Baptism always remains open through repentance. The ark of Holy Baptism will arrive at the shores of heaven with or without you aboard.

Although raised, catechised and confirmed in the Lutheran church, the wrong teaching of the Baptist church had robbed him of the trust, hope and joy that one knows in their Baptism. Baptism works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.

But in the Baptist teaching, clearly espoused on pages117-122 of that wretched and blasphemous book, Purpose driven life, Warren writes, "Baptism doesn't make you a member of God's family; only faith in Christ does that. Baptism shows you are part of God's family." Also on page 120 he says, "Your baptism is a physical picture of a spiritual truth. It represents what happened the moment God brought you into his family." "Your baptism declares your faith,...symbolizes your death, etc." They pass right by the clear teaching of Jesus about not only the necessity of Baptism (John 3, Mark 16) but its gifts(Romans 6, Titus 3, 1 Peter 3) its making the one Baptized an adopted child of God, washed clean of all sin, it creates faith, bestows a new name, marks and seals one in Jesus Christ. Baptism is not a conditional gift. It is the efficacious work of God in the water and the Word to bestow salvation upon men.

It is no wonder with such horrible teaching that one does not hope in their baptism but rather despairs the loss of their salvation in a time when faith may be weak, life may be troublesome or what ever. When Martin Luther of blessed memory was confronted by the devil he tells of a conversation that went something like this, "Martin, you are a filthy, wretched sinner, damnable on every account of your thoughts, words and deeds. You have not been holy nor have you kept yourself free from sin. You are not deserving of God's grace and mercy, you are deserving of hell. You are mine." "Satan, you are correct that I am nothing but a bag of worms, without any claim to heaven for I have sinned almost constantly throughout my life. Of my own accord I cannot stop your accusations before God and have nothing of my own to offer in my defense. But, I am Baptized! In the water and Word of Holy Baptism, all my sin was washed away. I was clothed in the spotless, righteous, holy life of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His cross and His shed blood cry out to God for mercy for me and God the Father answers, 'not guilty on account of Jesus', so Satan you have nothing in me."

This is the hope (certainty) that is Baptism. The hope of forgiveness, adoption by God, resurrection, eternal life, new name, new life and the like. You have not lost your salvation, it was given to you, a gift from God. Wrong teaching has clouded that hope to where you looked to yourself and the value or certainty of your work and there you found only failure thus despair and fear of your salvation. Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame and has sat down at the Right hand of God. His joy is your salvation which He has given you in your Baptism.

Baptizing with water indicates that the old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.

All by the grace of God. For time and unto eternity.