Concerning Baptism: Luther's teaching on Baptism is very sound and so well delineated in both both his larger & shorter catechisms. However, it can be observed that while Lutherans are taught to place their assurance of salvation in their baptism, the need for a living faith does not seem sufficiently emphasized with baptism.
Assuring baptized persons that they are Christians because of their baptism, without continuously emphasizing the importance of a living & growing faith in Christ, is so close, if not exactly the same thing addressed by Paul to the Jews in the Epistle to the Galatians. The Jews trusted in circumcision and in Abraham without faith and apart from faith. Luther says in his commentary on Galatians, that they trusted Abraham after the flesh, but not Abraham after the Spirit; there being these "two Abrahams".
This seems perfectly applicable to how many Lutherans' today view baptism, though Luther never intended baptism to be the sole assurance of salvation. When Lutherans today regard baptism, they regard only the "work" of Baptism, which being done, they count themselves righteous, just as Israel considered circumcision & law-keeping without faith sufficient for their righteousness before God, without and apart from the faith of believing Abraham (after the spirit). Luther adds, "They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him", Tit. 1:16. Luther wasn't referring to baptism here, nor Paul in Galatians, but the meaning of Paul's teaching here to the Galatians sure seems applicable, since it applies to any and all God-given works we trust in for confidence before God apart from faith in Christ.
Folks are weak lambs, and have little faith, but they/we need to know Christ personally; not trust alone in something that has been done. We need God's Word living in our hearts! Only then shall we know the certain assurance and comfort of our baptisms. We need to heed the urgent call to believe God's Word and the promises that accompany our baptism, which baptism (washing) is received and efficacious in and through faith alone, giving new life, eternal life. But how can we say that confidently if we do not have God's Word in our hearts?
I would say my spiritual life would totally die, and baptism offer precious little assurance should I go through life without any personal knowledge of God's Word. Can we actually & truly live without God's Word?
Lately I happened to look at a few Lutheran websites trying to find a "good one", a Biblical one. I viewed one called "Old Lutheran", only to find the word "SHOP"--JohanTetzel?-- the first thing you notice on their homepage, with all sorts of stuff to buy! I surely didn't expect that! Shops & stores are for buying and selling! Certainly not the church, nor anything under the guise of the church! Another site called themselves "Cool Lutherans"!
I tend to wonder, What has baptism and God's Word, or faith, done for these "cool" money-grubbing "Christians"? These do not evidence a transformation nor the imputation of holiness whatsoever. We should be "a peculiar people", not "a cool people", after our conversion, the Scriptures say. But it's acceptable in many Lutheran churches, to think and live this way: "we're baptized so we're good".
(Then those of us who are getting older “worry” that we’re taken as old fuddy-duddy, sour-puss cronies who are the ones in need of correction; who don’t know “how to talk to people; we only talk AT them”, when we share faith and knowledge. What a pitiful shame! I like to tell people that I’ve been like this--overcome by the loveliness of Christ--since He called me out of sin, shame and darkness when I was first converted, and that I have been "this way", walking in newness of life, since I was in my 20s. My age has little, or nothing to do with it!)
Paul uses the word "gazingstock", to describe how the Apostles and true Christians are viewed and treated in this world, meaning: viewed with hatred, scorn and curiosity by the world. Christ Himself says, “All who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). Certainly this clearly implies that there are many who are not willing to live godly. "Christians" today are chumming with other cool "Christians", with precious little suffering for their faith in Christ. Should someone question them or mention something they’re unfamiliar with, they imagine they are being persecuted. They quickly lose patients because of a little disagreement or a word they don't like, but this isn't persecution. If they consider someone too extreme because of their zeal accompanied with a good knowledge of God's Word, flighty Lutherans (as well as others of every denomination) have no problem accusing of legalism, railing, and rudeness, etc. Many can only hear those who are like themselves. They cannot hear anything "they don't like". Since baptism is strongly emphasized as salutary and Lutherans are taught that we can place our life on it for salvation, seems we should see traits of new life as a result, notwithstanding the sin that remains in us. Hence the need of warning & instruction on faith, and never emphasizing baptism without it.
Additionally, Luther writes in his commentary on Galatians, and clearly most Lutherans will profess to know and believe:
the Scriptures teach that both Moses and Paul drive us to Christ, and thereby we keep the law and are not accounted guilty of any transgression because 1) forgiveness and imputation of righteousness because of faith in Christ; 2) by the gift of the Holy Ghost, who brings forth a new life and new motions in us, and tho' we still sin, it is pardoned for Christ's sake.
This knowledge should not result in presumption, folly, worldliness and carelessness, but rather bring the fruits of genuine love, gratitude, growth in grace, hunger for Christ, and increased humility.
Luther adds that if we teach any worship to be necessary apart from the First Commandment, which is the faith, fear, and love to God, that it is plainly anti-Christ.
This is clearly applicable to the church today--as the Scriptures always are btw! We need warnings and clear instruction.to keep us from straying and to keep us growing in grace. We need to hear that we must believe in Christ and be converted, calling on the name of the Lord from the heart; not trusting in baptism by itself, which leads to presumption, rather than a true & living faith. Heb. 11: 6 says, But without faith it is impossible to please him: for the that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
I do not decry or dismiss the wonderful sacrament of baptism, or what it means, but we need to hear that "Without faith it is impossible to please God", even if one is baptized. We should study the catechism on this saving sacrament until it is ingrained in us! A quote of Luther stating this very thing can be found in FAITH ALONE, a daily devotion edited by James C. Galvin (which unfortunately used the NIV text) : that one is not saved by baptism alone, not even a minister.
Didn't a crowd of Lutherans go scrambling, when I shared that on their site a few years ago!
Thankfully Luther's source was found at the back of the book by a chap who had a copy, so I was proven correct, because LUTHER said it! --What about the Scriptures, I ask? God's Word seems to play "second fiddle" to Luther among Lutherans. So many folks obviously are trusting in their baptisms and at the same time not bringing forth fruits of faith that accompany salvation. This is what we need to embrace if we are to give Life to the world.
My observation among many Lutherans is that many do not read anything, neither to they thirst for God. Many have never even read the Bible in their whole life, tho' they've been Lutherans for 40-90+ year. They don't even know commonly taught Bible stories, or commonly known people in the Scriptures. Those who do read, usually read other books, or books by authors who have read & studied Luther and who teach Luther’s teaching. This, perhaps, is the very reason Luther wished that his writings would not remain in existence after his demise, other than his catechism and Bible translation.
I am not discounting Luther at all, but the Scriptures should have the highest priority, especially above Luther! Relying on Luther's teaching alone, seems to have left many great, inestimable riches of the Scriptures sorely overlooked. God will speak to us, too, through His Word; not through or to Luther alone! Long before Luther walked the earth David said we must meditate in His Word night and day if we want to be blessed and trees that don't wither, as well as that we should still be bringing forth fruit unto old age! (Ps. 92:14.)
Now I think of it, we may actually delineate the new life in Christ by God's Word itself:
Psalm 1, the Beatitudes, 1 Cor. 13, loving & doing good, even to enemies, a meek and quiet spirit, the example of the good Samaritan, fruits of the spirit in Gal. 5:22-16, to name a few, all being accompanied with and apprehended by faith in Christ’s blood and merit! If we do not daily renew ourselves by the God’s Word, and as the verse above from Heb. 11 clearly states about diligently seeking the Lord, the Fountain of Life will dry up. We will indeed be of all men most miserable, a problem we already have to begin with!
1 John 4:19 says it perfectly: We love Him, because He first loved us -- that's where it begins! --Yes, We must love HIM first before we can love anything at all aright, or be blessed by our baptism, notwithstanding, God's mercy, grace and name being put upon us in our baptism! Thanks be to God!
"Thousand, thousand thanks shall be, Dearest Jesus unto Thee!" (LSB, 420).
God's blessings to you.
--All references to Luther's commentary on Galatians are from:
Luther on the Epistle to the Galatians, Edited by John Prince Fallows, MA, The Harrison Trust, London.
--The quote about the First Commandment on worship is on p. 149. This is a very old edition, without a publishing date or copyright.
