INFANT BAPTISM: GOD'S WONDERFUL GIFT

A Statement from The Office of the President
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
1333 South Kirkwood Road
St. Louis, Missouri 63122
United States of America

What a wonderful demonstration of God's powerful grace and loving mercy infant baptism is. What could be a more perfect picture of our spiritual relationship with God than those wonderful times in our congregations when the little infants are gathered into the Lord's family through the "washing of water with the word" - in Holy Baptism!

In the letter I received, a pastor explained that he was having a bit of a challenge with some of the members of his congregation who had expressed strong doubts about the Lutheran church's teaching about infant baptism. It seems that these members were having difficulty with what Scripture teaches us about Baptism because of their upbringing in a non-Lutheran church. Once again, I could not help but be struck by the irony of the fact that sometimes churches that use the name "Evangelical" ignore and overlook our Lord's "evangel" (Gospel) in His sacraments. This is indeed a sad thing to recognize. It led me once again to thank God for His great mercy to us in and through Holy Baptism.

I believe we need to encourage our congregations and reinforce their understanding of baptism. It is, as God teaches us in His Spirit-filled word, a washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit (Titus 3). Baptism is God's work in our lives, not our work for God. Infants are as needy as adults for this regeneration. We need only recall the fact that Scripture teaches us that we are all born dead "in trespasses" (Col. 2:13). A dead person cannot raise himself, anymore than Lazarus in the tomb was able to raise himself. The little child who receives Holy Baptism is made a child of God through the powerful Word of God and the Spirit of God working through that Word, connected with the water, comprehended in God's command to baptize.

Baptism is not a "magic ritual" - it is the promise of God Himself, attached to the water by the Holy Spirit, and applied to the child. Thus, it is a powerful washing of regeneration.

Baptism is our Lord's call to the dead in sin: "Arise!" For in baptism, the powerful promise of the forgiveness of sins and renewing in the Spirit is applied to the infant and God gives that faith by which we receive all the blessings of salvation. It is a pure gift. There is something within our sin-filled nature that expects that there is something that must "be done" in order to "get the goods" of God's salvation. Luther's answer to the question "How can water do such great things?" is a powerful reminder of just who is doing the work in baptism.

"It is not the water that does them, but the word of God which is in and with the water, and faith, which trusts such word of God in the water. For without the word of God the water is simply water only and no baptism, but with the word of God it is a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and a washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul says, Titus chapter third."

And so, just a word of encouragement to you, to hold this great truth high before our people when you have the opportunity to do so. What a privilege to proclaim the mercies of God given through baptism, to remind our people of the great gift that is to be found in infant baptism. We have every reason to speak highly of this tremendous gift of Holy Baptism. Please take a few moments to pull your copy of the Book of Concord off the shelf and read once again what Luther has to say about Holy Baptism in his Large Catechism. You will find a wealth of good information there.

Sometimes our people's ears are "tickled" by false teachers who may lead them to an improper understanding in regard to baptism. How great it is to know that in your "good struggle of faith" you are able to speak a word of grace and hope as you teach the correct Scriptural teaching concerning Holy Baptism. God bless as you do.

From: The President's Newsletter, August 1996, p. 3