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Infant Baptism | The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod


Infant Baptism

Q. How does faith play a role in infant Baptism? Is faith later taken care of when the child is confirmed?
A. Lutherans believe that the Bible teaches that a person is saved by God's grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Baptism, we believe, is one of the miraculous means of grace (together with God's written and spoken Word) through which God creates the gift of faith in a person's heart. Although we do not claim to understand how this happens or how it is possible, we believe (because of what the Bible says about Baptism) that when an infant is baptized God creates faith in the heart of that infant. This faith cannot yet, of course, be expressed or articulated, yet it is real and present all the same (see, e.g., 1 Pet 3:21; Acts 2:38-39; Titus 3:5-6; Matt. 18:6; Luke 1:15; 2 Tim.3:15; Gal. 3:26-27; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:11-12; 1 Cor. 12:13).
Parents and sponsors of a baptized child bear the responsibility of teaching this child God's Word so that the child's faith may remain alive and grow (Matt. 28:18-20). Confirmation is a time-honored church tradition (not required by God's Word, but--we believe--useful nonetheless) in which the child baptized as an infant is given the opportunity to confess for himself or herself the faith that he or she was unable to confess as an infant. Faith is not "created" at confirmation, but rather confessed for all to hear, so that the church can join and rejoice in this public confession, which has its roots in the faith which God Himself created in Baptism.

And, from Luther's Small Catechism:

IV. The Sacrament of Holy Baptism

As the head of the family should teach it in a simple way to his household.

First.

What is Baptism?--Answer.

Baptism is not simple water only, but it is the water comprehended in God's command and connected with God's Word.

Which is that word of God?--Answer.

Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Matthew: Go ye into all the world and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Secondly.

What does Baptism give or profit?--Answer.

It works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.

Which are such words and promises of God? Answer.

Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Mark: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.


Thirdly.

How can water do such great things?--Answer.

It is not the water indeed 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 simple water 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 in the Holy Ghost, as St. Paul says, Titus, chapter three: By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that, being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying.


Fourthly.
What does such baptizing with water signify?--Answer.

It signifies that the old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die with all sins and evil lusts, and, again, a new man daily come forth and arise; who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever.

Where is this written?--Answer.

St. Paul says Romans, chapter 6: We are buried with Christ by Baptism into death, that, like as He was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

dobieman0488 said:

do lutherans teach that baptism saves a person? even as an infant?

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We believe that it does.

What about an infant would prevent God from saving him? Did God leave the infants of Israel in Egypt? No, they too received the working of God through the water as it rained on them in the baptism unto Moses. Did he tell people to keep the children away because they don't need him? Of course not.


We don't believe people save themselves, we believe God saves them. The helpless babe is no more helpless than anyone else when it comes to salvation.

We don't teach multiple paths to salvation as many do.

And we do teach that it is possible to lose one's salvation. We don't teach that once you are baptised you're in period.

The short answer is yes, or, as the Augsburg Confession puts it, "Of Baptism they teach that it is necessary to salvation, and that through Baptism is offered the grace of God, and that children are to be baptized who, being offered to God through Baptism are received into God's grace."

The others said it well so I will try to just highlight some quick points they said:
Baptism
-is a means of grace
-grants saving faith
-is an eternal promise
-is the work of God for us
Nevertheless
-one can lose faith
-it is faith that grasps the baptismal promise
-faith must be nurtured after baptism by word and sacrament.

God saves us and He does so through means that are connected to Christ and the cross. Through baptism, we receive the benefits of the cross. It's not the water that saves, but God's Word that brings us the forgiveness of sins that was won at the cross by Christ Jesus.

dobieman0488 said:

do lutherans teach that baptism saves a person? even as an infant?

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Yes because it is the work of God. It is one of His means of grace.

BiblebelievingChristian said:

That sounds like a very good answer to me.

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there's a plethora of wonderful information at the lcms website...a HUGE faq section.....check it out sometime!