Adult Class in Exile – the Class of Covid-19

Review: What have we studied to date?

When the “Wuhan Flu” hit town, we took a look at “Whether One May Flee from a Deadly
Plague,” written by Martin Luther. His insightful comments cover a Christian response to
disaster. You can access it on the Synod’s website. Look for the word “Covid.”
Our next study was “Luther on Prayer,” taken from his Genesis commentary. We studied prayer
in relation to sin, repentance, faith, the neighbor, the devil’s desire and our Lord’s mercy.

The past two weeks we looked at God’s word regarding eternal life. This included questions
about the fear of death, the character of faith, the hope of the resurrection, baptism’s promise,
and our relationship with Christ and each other in eternity. (These studies are on our web-site.)
This week we begin a study on baptism. We’ll answer why baptism is needful and what it
provides. We’ll also walk through Scripture passages to outline all that baptism promises.
Next, our theme will be how God uses our trials and tribulations for spiritual benefit, namely in
relation to prayer and the study of God’s word.
Now to begin with the topic of baptism. Please download the study called…

What is Baptism?
(Revised April, 2020, Rev. Tim Beck)

What is baptism? Your answer says a great deal about what you think of God and the kind of
relationship you have with Him. For example, is baptism something that happens regardless of
faith, like turning on a switch? Or is baptism merely obeying a command? If so, what does that
say about God’s mercy and grace? Fortunately we don’t need to invent the meaning of baptism.
It is not our invention. The Sacred Scriptures tell us all about Baptism. Today we’ll concentrate
on one wonderful text, Titus 3:3-8. Hear the Word of the Lord:
For we ourselves were once senseless, disobedient, being deceived, slaves to various
lusts and pleasures, living in evil and envy, hating one another. But when the goodness and
loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, not by works we did in righteousness, but
according to his mercy he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy
Spirit, which he shed on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, in order that being justified
by the grace of that one, we might become heirs of eternal life. This word is faithful (KJV).
This passage does not begin with a pretty picture of humanity. Contrary to popular
opinion, Scripture does not begin by saying we’re all basically good people. This passage affirms
we were broken in relation to God and to each other until something unexpected and undeserved
appeared for salvation. God’s word says we once were disobedient, senseless, deceived and
enslaved. When was that the case? Were we enslaved only as an adult, or perhaps only from the
age of 12 (that age called among some Christians, “the age of accountability”), or for all our pre-
Christian lives? Can babies be disobedient and enslaved? We have the testimony of Scripture in
this regard. We also have personal experience. If newborns were decent human beings after all
they just put mother through they’d ask, “Mom, are you OK?” As sweet as a little baby is, why
is it that after coaching a child to say her first word, what often comes out is a determined “NO”?
When it comes to God-stuff they must be taught. It doesn’t come naturally. Children need to be
taught not only about God, but taught the very basic rules of civilization. It’s not good to poke
your sister’s eyes out. Is this sin? Some people think that unless you willfully do things against
your conscience, you don’t sin. So babies aren’t guilty of much crime against God, except for the
“NO” word. However, if this is what we think it disagrees with what the Bible teaches. A
toddler’s violent attacks, innate selfishness and moments of senseless rage are sin. Scripture says
we are accountable from birth for not only willful acts, but our very character of rebellion.
“There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understands, there is none that seeks
after God” (Romans 3:10b, 11). “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother
conceive me” (Psalm 51:5). The terrible truth is we are sinners from birth. Even babies need a
Saviour. We were once senseless, disobedient, being deceived, slaves to various lusts and
pleasures, living in evil and envy, hating one another.

Questions: Why does the world demand all agree, “We’re all basically good people?”
What does toilet paper hoarding say about our goodness? If someone’s efforts, aided by
psychological therapy, result in a well-adjusted human being, is this goodness in the eyes
of God and the practice of love for neighbor? If you assume the Bible’s position on the
corruption of human nature, how does this translate in how you serve your neighbor?
How does this assumption color political theory? How does this assumption deal with a
person’s relationship to God? Before God (corum deo), is self-justification sinful, why or
why not?
 Returning to Titus 3: Speaking of our being deceived, did you catch the vital change of
tense? We were. Here’s a message of hope! How did we move from being senseless to “we were
senseless?” Did you or I lift up our deceived head one day and say “now I’ll know the truth!” To
be deceived is to be incapable of knowing the truth. It is commitment to a lie. Something had to
come to us from the outside, something or someone who could break the power of the lie. And if
we were, then someone came with the truth that sets us free. Perhaps we were freed when 3
weeks, 40 years or 99 years old. Not only did someone tell us what is true, the truth delivered us
from the lie (See John 8:31f.).

Questions: Theologically, is “I have decided to follow Jesus” a good or heretical hymn?

If we can freely decide to believe in Jesus what does this say about human nature? What
does it say about our need for a savior? What is the danger of an optimistic view of
human nature in relation to salvation?

When did someone come? When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour
appeared, not by works we did in righteousness, but according to his mercy he saved us. Our
goodness did not appear. We did no works of righteousness. Maybe in our own eyes we thought
we were pretty good, but that’s evidence of arrogance before a perfectly Holy God. The lie of
our own righteousness was revealed when God’s goodness appeared. God made clear something
of His goodness when he gave His law on tablets of stone. But we didn’t want to obey them, and
in fact we could not. Then God sent messengers telling us He provided another way for us to be
seen by Him as righteous. But we didn’t like that either. Finally God came Himself, in the person
of His Son. And we killed Him, because his goodness was most disagreeable. He was not like the
kind of good we imagine ourselves to be. The final testimony to His goodness was giving
Himself up to death so that sinners like us might become good without even trying.

Questions: who saved us (and think in Trinitarian terms)? How did this salvation appear?
What was in God so that He acted to save us? Is the way that His salvation appeared to
effectively apply His mercy to bring us to salvation something we by nature do not want,
and why?
 God’s mercy that saved us. Scripture says mercy, which means we were unable to help
ourselves, just like a baby. But how does God give us this mercy? How did God reveal His
goodness so that we were no longer senseless, disobedient, deceived, and enslaved? He saved us
through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, which he shed on us richly
through Jesus Christ our Saviour, in order that being justified by the grace of that one, we might
become heirs of eternal life.
He saved us. God not only initiated the action, he completed the action. He saved us. It
was mercy experienced as grace, undeserved favor, un-earned favor, unasked for favor, unknown
favor, unsuspected favor, unsolicited favor, un-purchased favor, and un-sought favor. For by
grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God lest any
man should boast (Eph 2:8). God did what was impossible for you or me or for your children to
do. He saved us by his mercy in the way he wanted to save us… through the washing of
regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. That is, through baptism. Baptism is one way God
has chosen to give us His merciful grace. He promised to act through Baptism. Through the
washing of water in baptism we are given mercy. Mercy and grace come to us in baptism. It is
where God’s grace is declared with water. It is a washing of regeneration when the Holy Spirit
works faith into us by Christ’s word.

Questions: Is this passage “the gospel,” a depiction of pure gift without any demand on
the recipient? Does this word bring you joy because of what God has done for you? The
text says “God saves us through the washing…” How can baptism do such great things?
What does the text say this washing does? Does the result of this washing explain why
there is no need for repeated baptisms despite the sins of the baptized and even when an
apostate believer repents? How does this passage relate each person of the Triune God?
In addition to the application of justification, the gift of regeneration and daily renewal,
what does baptism give (what does it mean to be an heir, and what does it mean to
receive eternal life?

We’ve walked through this faithful word from God. In our next session we will run through a
series of texts on baptism. For a moment let’s take a side road. What role does faith play in
baptism? After all, the benefits of baptism are received through faith. But how do we believe if
we are deceived? God creates faith. He does this when we hear His Word. In fact, baptism is
nothing more than hearing God’s word of promise with the visible sign of water. In this hearing
God creates faith not only in adults, but also in babies. What else can it mean when Jesus said,
whoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me... (Mt. 18:16)? Or, when they
were bringing children to Jesus, he said, “let the children (a word meaning infants) come to me,
do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God.
God can create faith in all who have been deceived, regardless of age. God does create
faith where His Word is preached, including in baptism. Faith is a gift from God, a gift of grace.
But there’s another thing we need to say about faith in relation to baptism. It is the same
uncertainty whenever God’s word is preached. Will the hearer abandon faith for unbelief? This is
a real possibility. The gifts of God can be rejected even if they are valid forever. And another
thing about faith. Once it is created by the Holy Spirit through the word, faith needs to be
nourished. Just like we need to eat every day, faith desires to hear God’s word. So the parents of
baptized children are given a responsibility to see that faith is nurtured in their beloved child.
The responsibility is to not hinder them. That includes, help your little ones live in daily
repentance and the assurance of forgiveness. Teach them the Scriptures, pray with them daily,
and especially, bring them to receive God’s gifts in the Divine Service. Let them join the
fellowship of believers so that their faith, just like ours, grows.
To summarize, God does something real in baptism. He saves us by the washing of water
with the Word. Does all of this sound too good to be true? Luther’s Small Catechism asks, “How
can water do such great things? 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 third…”
Baptism is a means of grace. The pastor does nothing in baptism other than pour a little
water and say some words. But He says God’s words. Christ is speaking through the pastor’s
mouth. Therefore, the word does what it says. What a blessing! Baptism is a blessing that gives
the peace of God which passes all understanding that keeps your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
Questions: to what errors does teaching baptism works like magic, regardless of faith lead
you? To what errors does teaching baptism is a command given to prove you have an
obedient faith? Does baptism teach and apply the whole of the gospel? Why then has God
also given to the church the pastoral office for the preaching of the word and the
administration of Lord’s Supper (and Confession/Absolution)? How has your faith been
encouraged after this summary of baptism from Titus 3?