HOLY BAPTISM AT REDEEMER

Holy Baptism is water used according to God’s command and joined to God’s Word.

Before His ascension, Jesus commanded His Church to make disciples of all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and by teaching them to observe everything He had commanded.

The water is ordinary water. What makes Baptism a life-giving Sacrament is Christ’s institution and promise.

Baptism is performed with water in the name of the Triune God:

“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Through this Word joined to water, God acts.

Holy Scripture speaks of Baptism in remarkably strong and gracious ways.

Baptism gives the forgiveness of sins. It rescues from death and the devil. It gives eternal salvation to all who believe Christ’s promise. It is a washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Peter writes, “Baptism now saves you.” The Apostle Paul describes Baptism as being buried with Christ into His death and raised with Him to new life.

These promises do not mean that water possesses magical power. God works through the water because He has joined His Word and promise to it.

Baptism saves because Jesus saves.

Many Christians have been taught that Baptism is primarily an outward symbol of an inward decision. In that understanding, a person first chooses Jesus and is then baptized to show others what has already happened.

Lutherans confess something more comforting.

Baptism is God’s action before it is ours. In Baptism, God gives what He promises. He washes, forgives, adopts, and joins the baptized person to Christ.

Certainly, a baptized Christian confesses the faith publicly and lives as a disciple of Jesus. Baptism, however, is not powerful because we make a promise to God. It is powerful because God makes a promise to us.

Our promises may weaken. Our emotions may change. Our memories may fade. God’s Word remains.

Baptism cannot be separated from the cross.

Jesus entered the waters of the Jordan and then went to the cross bearing the sins of the world. At Calvary, He endured judgment, shed His blood, and died in the place of sinners. On the third day, He rose bodily from the grave.

In Baptism, God joins us to that saving death and resurrection.

The old sinner is drowned, and a new person is raised to live before God in righteousness and purity. This does not mean that Christians become sinless in this life. It means that we now belong to Christ and live each day by repentance and faith.

The theology of the cross is written into Baptism. Our salvation is found not in our strength, improvement, or spiritual success, but in the crucified and risen Jesus who has claimed us as His own.

Lutherans baptize infants because Jesus commanded His Church to make disciples of all nations through Baptism and teaching. Infants are included within all nations and within Christ’s gracious invitation.

Children are born into the same fallen human condition as adults. They need the same Savior, the same forgiveness, and the same gift of new life.

Baptism is not based upon a person’s intellectual maturity or ability to describe the experience. If Baptism were fundamentally our decision or testimony, an infant could not receive it. Because Baptism is God’s gracious action, infants can receive His gift.

Jesus welcomed little children and declared that the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. On Pentecost, Peter proclaimed that the promise of forgiveness and the Holy Spirit was “for you and for your children.”

Infant Baptism displays the Gospel with particular clarity. A baby brings no accomplishments, theological knowledge, or spiritual résumé. The child simply receives.

That is how every sinner enters the kingdom of God: by grace.

Faith is not merely the ability to explain Christian doctrine or recall a personal conversion experience. Faith is trust in Christ created by the Holy Spirit through the Word.

Scripture speaks of infants and young children receiving the kingdom of God and trusting in the Lord. We do not place limits upon the Holy Spirit’s ability to create faith where and when He pleases through His appointed means.

An infant’s faith, like an adult’s faith, depends entirely upon God’s gracious work.

The same God who creates physical life can create spiritual life. The same Savior who receives adults also receives children.

No. Baptism begins a lifelong life of faith, worship, teaching, prayer, repentance, and receiving Christ’s gifts.

Parents who bring a child for Baptism promise to raise that child in the Christian faith. This includes: • Bringing the child regularly to the Divine Service • Teaching the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Ten Commandments • Reading Holy Scripture at home • Teaching the child to pray • Bringing the child to Sunday School and catechism instruction • Helping the child understand his or her Baptism • Preparing the child to receive the Lord’s Supper faithfully • Modeling repentance, forgiveness, and Christian life within the home

Baptism should not be treated as a family custom, good-luck ceremony, or spiritual insurance policy detached from the life of the Church.

Christ commands His Church both to baptize and to teach.

When someone is baptized, the congregation also assumes a responsibility.

The people of Redeemer witness the Baptism, pray for the newly baptized, confess the Christian faith together, and promise to support the person’s growth in Christ.

This is one reason Baptism ordinarily takes place during the Divine Service. The Sacrament is personal, but it is not private. Baptism joins a person to Christ and to His body, the Church.

The congregation supports baptized children and adults through worship, preaching, Bible study, Sunday School, catechesis, fellowship, prayer, and pastoral care.

The entire church family has a role in passing the faith from one generation to the next.

Sponsors, often called godparents, serve as Christian witnesses and helpers.

They witness the Baptism, pray for the baptized person, encourage faithfulness to Christ, and help the parents teach the Christian faith. If the parents are no longer able to fulfill their responsibility, sponsors should continue encouraging the child’s connection to Christ and His Church.

Because sponsors publicly confess the Christian faith and make serious promises concerning the child’s spiritual care, families should select them thoughtfully.

Before choosing sponsors, please speak with the pastor. He can explain Redeemer’s expectations and help distinguish between a Christian sponsor and someone who may be present as an honorary witness.

The most important qualification is not family closeness, social status, or the ability to give gifts. A sponsor should be someone who takes the Christian faith seriously and will pray for and encourage the baptized person.

Adults who have never received Christian Baptism are invited to speak with the pastor.

Before Baptism, an adult ordinarily receives catechesis in the Christian faith. This instruction includes the Ten Commandments, Apostles’ Creed, Lord’s Prayer, Holy Baptism, Confession and Absolution, the Lord’s Supper, and the basic teachings of Holy Scripture.

Catechesis is not intended to delay God’s grace unnecessarily. It prepares the person to understand and confess the faith into which he or she is being baptized.

Following instruction, the adult may be baptized and received into the communicant membership of the congregation.

Each situation is different, and the pastor will provide appropriate guidance.

If you were baptized with water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Redeemer recognizes that Baptism as God’s work.

The validity of Baptism does not depend upon whether it took place in an LCMS congregation, whether the pastor was personally worthy, whether the service was elaborate, or whether the baptized person remembers it.

There is one Lord, one faith, and one Baptism.

We do not rebaptize someone simply because the original Baptism occurred in another Christian denomination. To repeat a valid Baptism would suggest that God’s first promise was insufficient.

If you are uncertain how or whether you were baptized, speak with the pastor. He can help examine available records, contact a previous congregation when appropriate, and determine the faithful next step.

A dedication ceremony is not the same as Holy Baptism.

If no water was applied in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Christian Baptism did not occur. A person who was dedicated as an infant but never baptized should speak with the pastor about receiving Baptism.

There is no shame in discovering that Baptism is still needed. It is an opportunity to receive Christ’s gracious promise.

The Christian faith confesses one Baptism.

Because Baptism rests upon God’s action and promise, it does not need to be repeated when our feelings change, when we return to church, or when we experience a season of renewed faith.

A Christian may wander from the faith, neglect God’s Word, or live contrary to his or her Baptism. The answer is not to replace Baptism with another Baptism. The answer is repentance and a return to the promise God already gave.

When troubled by sin or doubt, a Christian may say, “I am baptized.”

That statement does not mean, “I once participated in a religious ceremony.” It means, “God placed His name upon me. Christ joined me to His death and resurrection. His promise remains true.”

Baptism is entirely God’s gift, and His promise is trustworthy. Scripture also warns that faith can be abandoned and God’s grace can be rejected.

Baptism should never be used as an excuse for unbelief or a life of deliberate separation from Christ and His Word.

The baptized Christian is called to remain in the faith by continuing to hear God’s Word, receive Christ’s gifts, live in repentance, and pray for the Holy Spirit’s preservation.

When someone who has wandered returns to the Church, we do not direct that person toward a new Baptism. We direct the person back to Christ’s existing promise through repentance, absolution, and renewed life within the congregation.

Baptism is not only an event in the past. It gives the pattern for the Christian’s entire life.

Each day, the old sinful nature is put to death through repentance. Each day, the baptized child of God rises to live by faith in Christ and love toward the neighbor.

We return to our Baptism when we: • Confess our sins • Receive Christ’s absolution • Resist temptation • Pray in the name of the Triune God • Make the sign of the cross • Forgive others • Endure suffering with hope • Remember that our identity rests in Christ • Live within our God-given vocations • Await the resurrection of the body

The Christian life is a daily return to what God gave in Baptism.

The sign of the cross is a historic Christian practice that recalls Baptism and the saving death of Jesus.

At Baptism, the sign of the holy cross may be traced upon the forehead and heart to mark the person as one redeemed by Christ the crucified.

Making the sign of the cross does not earn grace and is not required for salvation. It is a bodily reminder that we belong to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and that our life is found in Christ crucified.

Christians are free to use this practice without judging those who do not.

Baptism ordinarily takes place during the Divine Service in the presence of the congregation.

This allows the church family to witness the Baptism, confess the faith, pray for the baptized person, and welcome that person into the life of the Church.

There may be pastoral circumstances in which Baptism takes place at another time or location. The pastor will discuss those situations with the individual or family.

The power of Baptism does not depend upon the beauty of the building, the number of people present, or the amount of water used. It depends upon Christ’s Word and promise.

When someone is in immediate danger of death and a pastor cannot be reached, any Christian may perform an emergency Baptism.

Water should be applied to the person while saying:

“I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

The person performing the Baptism should note the date, location, and names of those present and contact the pastor as soon as possible. The Baptism can then be recorded and acknowledged appropriately within the congregation.

If there is time to contact the pastor, please do so immediately.

Parents seeking Baptism for a child, or adults seeking Baptism for themselves, should contact Pastor Johnson or the church office.

The pastor will arrange a conversation to discuss: • The meaning and promises of Holy Baptism • Whether a previous Christian Baptism has occurred • The responsibilities of parents and sponsors • The person’s connection to Redeemer • Catechesis and ongoing Christian instruction • An appropriate date for the Baptism • Any pastoral or practical questions

Families do not need to understand every detail before beginning the conversation. The pastor will guide them through the process.

Holy Baptism directs us away from ourselves and toward Jesus.

When our memories fail, God’s promise remains.

When our faith feels weak, God’s Word remains.

When our sins accuse us, Christ’s forgiveness remains.

When suffering causes us to question our identity, Baptism reminds us that we have been joined to the crucified and risen Lord.

When death approaches, Baptism points us toward the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.

We do not place our confidence in the water by itself, in the minister who administered it, or in the strength of our response. We place our confidence in Christ, who joined His command and promise to the water.

You are baptized into Christ. His death is for you. His resurrection is for you. His promise is for you.

If you have questions about Baptism or would like to arrange a Baptism, please contact Pastor Johnson.