Sacraments | Baptism
Read This
Baptism is one of the ways that God gives us faith, closeness with him, and forgiveness.
Romans 6:4 (NIV) We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Remember This
Titus 3:4-7 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Think About This
We can’t earn forgiveness for our sins, all the times and ways we don’t live up to what God’s plan is for us, but God saves us from sin, death, and the devil. He gives us salvation in Jesus, and all we have to do is believe and trust in Him. But we can’t even do that on our own. Only God’s Holy Spirit can create that faith and trust in us. And one of the ways that happens is in baptism.
Parent Cues
Meal Time
Share a story with your student about a time in your life when you were given something great (a gift, an opportunity, forgiveness, etc.) that you absolutely did not deserve. Then take some time to come up with three ways that your student and/or your family can show unfair love (like Jesus’s love for us) to someone in your life.
Meal Time
There are a lot of fancy-sounding words that have to do with baptism. Assign each of these words to a member of your family (its ok if someone does 2 or 3), look them up in a dictionary, read them out loud, and see if you can figure out where these words come up in your life. (hint: they all have to do with faith, and your relationship with God) Obedience, mercy, grace, renewal, justified, salvation.
Bed Time
Read Romans 6:4 together. Take some time to pray aloud with your student, ask God to help you both see what He is doing in your lives and hearts, and thank Him for the awesome gift of your student, and the amazing gift of Jesus. Ask God to help you both want to live in a way that glorifies Him, and ask God to help you both to remember who He is, and who you are because of Him.
From the Small Catechism:
Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
What is baptism? Baptism is not simply plain water. Instead, it is water used according to God’s command and connected with God’s word.
What then is this word of God? Where our Lord Christ says in Matthew 28, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
What gifts or benefits does baptism grant? It brings about forgiveness of sins, redeems from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe it, as the words and promise of God declare.
What are these words and promise of God? Where our Lord Christ says in Mark 16, “The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned.”
How can water do such great things? Clearly the water does not do it, but the word of God, which is with and alongside the water, and faith, which trusts this word of God in the water. For without the word of God the water is plain water and not a baptism, but with the word of God it is a baptism, that is, a grace-filled water of life and a “bath of the new birth in the Holy Spirit,” as St. Paul says to Titus in chapter 3, “through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is sure.”
What then is the significance of such a baptism with water? It signifies that the old person in us with all sins and evil desires is to be drowned and die through daily sorrow for sin and through repentance, and on the other hand that daily a new person is to come forth and rise up to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.