"Confessing the Faith with the Augsburg Confessors" (Sermon on Psalm 119:46)

Today Lutheran churches around the world are celebrating the 487th anniversary of the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession. On June 25, 1530, in the city of Augsburg, Germany, a group of Lutheran princes presented a confession of their faith, composed by the theologian Philip Melanchthon, Luther’s right-hand man--they presented their confession to Emperor Charles V. That document, called the Augsburg Confession, summarizes what our Lutheran churches believe, teach, and confess, on the basis of Holy Scripture. Today then we want to consider what it means for us to be “Confessing the Faith with the Augsburg Confessors.”

To confess the faith is to say back to God what he has first revealed to us in his word. It is to declare to one another and before the whole world what we believe and teach on the basis of God’s word. To confess the faith is to declare the truth over against all errors. It is to speak fearlessly and courageously what we know to be true, whether that truth happens to be popular or not. Thus confessing the faith can be a very daring and even dangerous thing to do.

It is especially daring and dangerous when those before whom you confess the faith are very powerful and mighty. They might use their power against you. Even so, the truth of God’s word and your confidence in the Lord compel you to speak, regardless of the consequences. Like the psalmist said, “I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame.” That verse, Psalm 119:46, was the verse that the Augsburg confessors put at the front of their confession. For that verse sums up their attitude. You see, both the power of the emperor and the power of the pope were lined up against the Lutherans. The consequences could be severe. But the conviction of the gospel was stronger than the fear of earthly powers. In the face of real risk, the confessors of Augsburg spoke up for what they knew to be the truth.

Confessing the faith can be dangerous, but it is also a joyful thing to do. The same psalmist who said, “I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame,” goes on in the next verse to say, “for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love.” Yes, it’s a joyful thing to confess the faith. Just think of what we are confessing. Just think of who we are confessing. We are saying what God has first said to us, about who he is and what he has done for us. This is the word about Christ, our Savior and Lord. We are confessing the good news of what God has done for us in him.

Through Jesus Christ we receive the righteousness that avails before God. We cannot achieve this righteousness on our own. People want to think they can, but that is a false, misleading dream. Only Christ Jesus, the sinless Son of God, has the inherent goodness that pleases God. We cannot do it, try as we might--and a lot of times, we don’t even try. You and I will never be good enough, we can never do enough. But Christ has done it all for us. His death on the cross takes all the wrath, all the fury, all the punishment our sins deserve. Christ takes it and suffers it for you, in your place--and in the place of all the sinners of the whole world. This same Jesus then rose from the dead, showing the complete victory he won over sin and death. There is no other way to God, other than through the completed work of Christ. There is no other message we proclaim, other than the truth of this great gospel of Christ. Only in Christ do we know the one true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Only in Christ Jesus our Lord. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Therefore anything that would hinder or obscure that wonderful good news is out of place in the Christian church. And when that happens, we speak out. We must speak out. To remain silent in the face of error is to be unfaithful to God and unloving toward our neighbor. False teaching can lead people into false belief and thus endanger their salvation. No, we must confess the truth and refute the error. That’s what faith does. God has made known to us the wonderful good news of salvation. We love what he has made known, and we want to keep that message whole and pure.

Who would not delight to confess such a God? It is a joyful thing. We simply speak forth the one in whom we have believed. “I believe, therefore have I spoken,” as the apostle says. Our hearts are filled with faith and the love of God, and so our mouths speak what our hearts are filled with.

To declare the truth of who God is and what he does for us--this is confessing the faith, and it gives all glory to God, which is where it belongs. We say yes to God and to what he does for us when we confess the true faith. So when certain groups come along and say something different--when people either wittingly or unwittingly espouse errors that undermine the gospel--then we must say no to the error and yes to the truth. That is what it means to confess the faith.

And we do so in every area of doctrine, in all that our Lord has given us to confess. Jesus said, “teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” All things, things like Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and so on. Whatever the Lord has given his church to hold on to, we are not to let go of. We are not at liberty to change or drop or to count as of no importance anything that our Lord has revealed to us in his word.

So confessing the faith is a necessary thing to do. We must do it. How could we do any other? To not confess the truth and to bow to error would be disloyal to our Lord. How could we do such a thing? No, the truth of God compels us. We want to give all glory to God, and compromising the faith would do otherwise. There is an internal necessity that faith works inside of us, and we simply cannot be untrue to it.

And confessing the faith is necessary for another reason also: People’s lives are at stake--their eternal salvation. To deny the truth is to endanger faith. Error can trip a person up at any point. For example, to change Baptism from gospel into law, from something God does for us into something we do--this could endanger a person’s salvation. People could think that their right standing with God is up to them. “God does his part, but I’ve got to do mine.” That is dangerous thinking. That is not the way of faith.

To deny the truth about the sacraments robs people of the great comfort they should be able to find there--the comfort and peace of mind God wants them to have. So, for example, we gladly confess what Jesus says about his Holy Supper. Augsburg Confession, Article X: “Our churches teach that the body and blood of Christ are truly present and distributed to those who eat the Lord’s Supper. They reject those who teach otherwise.” See, that’s teaching the truth on the one hand and rejecting error on the other. And such a confession is still needed today. For while we Lutherans believe that Christ gives us his true body and blood in the Sacrament, for the forgiveness of sins, many churches around us do not believe this.

Confessing truth against error is still very much needed in our day. Our culture has slid downhill and now approves of what God calls sin. For instance, the St. Louis Cardinals announced the other day that they’re going to hold a homosexual “Pride Night” in August. People now are openly proud of what they should be ashamed of, and the rest of society is supposed to go along with that. The murder of innocent children by abortion is still legal in America. Will the church speak out against this evil? Liberal churches deny the inspiration and authority of Holy Scripture. Non-denominational churches don’t preach Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins, but instead substitute entertainment and five steps to have a happy life. False teachers like Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer continue to mislead millions. Groups like the Mormons and the Jehovah’s Witnesses recycle ancient heresies against the Trinity and the person of Christ. Oh, there is plenty of need for confessing the faith in our day.

But more than that, there is the positive joy of proclaiming the good news of Jesus! This is the joy that fills our hearts. And so we just naturally want to share this joy with others. We want our friends, relatives, and neighbors to know what we know, how people are put right with God. We can say with the Augsburg Confession, Article IV: “People are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. By his death, Christ made satisfaction for our sins. God counts this faith for righteousness in his sight.” Now that is good news, the best news of all!

So for the sake of the salvation of others, we dare not compromise or give away parts of the faith. Instead, we give glory to God and true gospel comfort to our neighbor by confessing the true faith. The Lutheran church is a confessional church. We confess the faith boldly. We are not ashamed or embarrassed or afraid to say what our church believes and teaches. To be sure, we will be accused of being loveless and rigid and dogmatic. “Who do you think you are?” Well, so be it.

The Lutheran church is a confessional church, and gladly so. We rejoice to confess the faith, the gospel of salvation! This is a joyful thing. And it is a necessary thing. We speak the truth and reject the error, for it is the truth that sets people free. Error can only mislead. And so we will confess God’s word, in its truth and purity, no matter how popular or unpopular it makes us. It is the Christian’s delight and the church’s great privilege to confess the true faith.

Because of the gospel of Christ, today we are glad to say with the confessors at Augsburg what the psalmist prayed to the Lord, “I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame.”

Confessors, princes, duty bound,
To Augsburg bold they came;
Before the king they stood their ground
And were not put to shame.
Their good confession made that day
Proved not to be in vain;
Gird us their sons, Lord, that we may
Still follow in their train.

1) Is Baptism necessary or not? If it’s necessary, then surely it does something. What does it do?

Baptism is commanded by The Great Commission. It is a tangible gift by which we grasp the Promise of His Word that the water is attached to. Hence, it is a great source of comfort to those baptized as they sojourn through this life. Because you believe God’s Word regarding Baptism, you are saved. For you cannot believe that God created the world with merely His Word and selectively not believe what He says about Baptism. Either you believe God or you don’t.

1 Peter 3:18-22 says “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

It is NOT a ritual you do for God to exhibit YOUR faith in God. It is a pledge FROM God of clean conscience to you despite your many sins that Christ has taken punishment for your sins and has paid the penalty in full.

Having said that, you cannot make Law out of Gospel. Is it possible to be saved without baptism? The thief on the cross wasn’t baptized but was going to be in paradise with Jesus on the very same day. But the source of the thief’s salvation was not whether he is baptized or not, but the faith God gave to the thief who Jesus is and what Jesus did on the cross for him. That is exactly the same faith the baptized exhibits in receiving the gift of baptism. Then the baptized has a time and place of a concrete event that he remembers of the promise by God to kill his old sinful nature and resurrect him in new life DAILY.

Luther was famous for flashing his baptismal certitude whenever tempted by the devil not to believe God’s promise.

2) If it does nothing, then why would it be required?

People pervert it and turn it into something they are doing for God to exhibit their obedience (mostly to themselves and others); mostly to favor merit in man’s eyes. God is not fooled by that.

3) If it does something, it must be unseen rather than just a nice ceremony, so what does it do to a soul?

It not only saves the soul, it also serves as a public confession as well as an anchor every day and the challenges it brings including death.

4) If it does something to a soul, and one would have to believe it does something positive for a soul, then why believe in sola fide since no faith is necessary on the part of the infant being baptized?

When the infant John the Baptist was in his mother Elizabeth’s womb, he physically responds to the mere physical presence proximity of his cousin, Jesus, who was also in his mother Mary’s womb.

If you define faith as an intellectual assent to the various propositions in the Bible, then the infant may not have that kind of “faith.” You ought to think of faith as a gift from God to all people (including infants) to believe his Promises.

For even a child believes that if he cries from hunger that a mother’s breast appears out of nowhere to feed him and satiate his hunger. The child has no understanding about what milk is, it chemical composition, its nutritional value or the physiology by which it is produced or the mechanism by which it comes out of a breast or even the psychology or morality of the woman who will feed him merely upon crying. Yet, he cries in “faith” and “belief” and he is satiated. So yes, even that child has the faith that God that requires.

I think you’re missing the point of my questions. Does Baptism do something or not?

You wrote: “Baptism is commanded by The Great Commission.”

Thus, we can conclude it MUST do something, right?

“It is a tangible gift by which we grasp the Promise of His Word that the water is attached to.”

Gift of what? Gift = grace does it not? Yet how can a gift of grace be given to a person without faith? No child has faith. Yet Baptism is given to children by Lutherans is it not? Also, you wrote “a tangible gift by which we grasp the Promise of His Word that the water is attached to”. That MUST mean that Baptism empowers us, enables us to do it. That too must be by grace which is a strengthening, an enabling, an empowering if you will. Thus, Baptism = grace. And grace is given even to those (children) without faith.

I wrote: “2) If it does nothing, then why would it be required?”

You wrote: “People pervert it and turn it into something they are doing for God to exhibit their obedience (mostly to themselves and others); mostly to favor merit in man’s eyes. God is not fooled by that.”

Who is perverting it really? If someone believes Baptism must be done but it doesn’t do what it does, then isn’t it that person who is perverting it? We can say Baptists (oh, the irony of that name) who don’t actually believe Baptism does much of anything unseen other than officially show someone has joined an invisible Church, miss the boat on Baptism. But what about Lutherans? Again, what does Baptism do? How does it work? What makes it work? I know WHO makes it work. But WHAT makes it work? And it is a work, just not our work.

I wrote: “3) If it does something, it must be unseen rather than just a nice ceremony, so what does it do to a soul?”

“It not only saves the soul, it also serves as a public confession as well as an anchor every day and the challenges it brings including death.”

So Baptism saves a soul even though the infant possessed no faith whatsoever? So sola fide is a complete sham? And the only what a soul can be saved is by grace. If grace is given in Baptism - where the infant has no faith whatsoever - then why is it assumed by Lutherans that grace is not given in the sacrament of matrimony? Or ordination? Or anointing of the sick? And if you’re going to say, but there are Lutherans who believe it is given in those, then why do Lutherans reject them as sacraments altogether? Why would anyone theologically reject what could be a vehicle for grace as instituted by Christ?

“You ought to think of faith as a gift from God to all people (including infants) to believe his Promises.”

But there isn’t a shred of evidence that such a gift has been given to a single infant receiving Baptism. Why “ought” I think of it in that way when it misses a basic point. Could it not be Baptism itself which - being a gift as you say - makes way for faith in the child?

Baptism was always a problem for Luther. I think we can see why it was.

>>Thus, we can conclude it MUST do something, right?

It saves us from damnation, like Peter says in 1 Peter 3:21

>>Gift of what?

Eph 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

So, salvation is clearly a gift, not a result of works. Grace is the reason God gives us the gift of salvation for Christ’s sake. Faith, which in itself is a gift, is reason we receive grace. Faith is given to us through the means of grace, His Word preached in all is Purity and receiving the Sacraments of Baptism and Lord’s Supper (Eucharist). As a result, Christ’s innocence is imputed to us and can spend eternity in God’s presence.

>>Yet how can a gift of grace be given to a person without faith?

That is why God himself gives us the requires faith. If the faith were not a gift from God, then it becomes an accomplishment of man. My certitude of salvation is not on solid ground, now or ever, if faith were to be my accomplishment. God is not responding to us; we are responding to Him.

>>No child has faith.

That is a simple assertion that begs the question. How do you know?

>>Yet Baptism is given to children by Lutherans is it not?

Yes because God Word say so.

>>Also, you wrote “a tangible gift by which we grasp the Promise of His Word that the water is attached to”. That MUST mean that Baptism empowers us, enables us to do it. That too must be by grace which is a strengthening, an enabling, an empowering if you will. Thus, Baptism = grace. And grace is given even to those (children) without faith.

Technically, Baptism does not equal to grace. However, it is a means of grace by which God imparts the necessary faith to receive the grace. Most importantly, grace is a nothing thing. It is God’s attitude and disposition towards sinful humans.

You are twisting yourself into a pretzel because of all the Aristotelean philosophy mediated by St. Aquinas that Rome swallowed whole. The whole language of “that MUST mean...” shifts the focus to human (hence fallen) reasoning rather than God’s plain promise. Of course, this doesn’t mean we become anti-reason. However, where God’s Word speaks clearly and plainly, even if it runs against our fallen reason, we cling to His Word.

Notice your focus on “empowers” US and “enables” US. You are subtly shifting the focus away from God action to our actions. God is always the subject and we are always the object of his actions. The next step as predictable as night follows day: God slowly moves off the center of the stage and the klieg light is on us. No doubt this is flattering and gives in to the oldest temptation of Satan..”to be like God.” We then become like the over ambitious actress telling Mr. Cecille B. Demille that we are ready for our closeup since we want the drama centering on us.

Instead, God is the center of action. We merely respond to His actions in and on us and live a life of grateful response of praising, thanking and worshipping Him while helping our neighbors as opportunities arise. Any “good” we do is God doing the good through us. Any bad we do is our fault that we need to confess and accept God’s forgiveness.

>>>>>>I wrote: “2) If it does nothing, then why would it be required?”

>>>>You wrote: “People pervert it and turn it into something they are doing for God to exhibit their obedience (mostly to themselves and others); mostly to favor merit in man’s eyes. God is not fooled by that.”

>>Who is perverting it really? If someone believes Baptism must be done but it doesn’t do what it does, then isn’t it that person who is perverting it? We can say Baptists (oh, the irony of that name) who don’t actually believe Baptism does much of anything unseen other than officially show someone has joined an invisible Church, miss the boat on Baptism.

I think they have. But we pray for errant brothers that they see the wonderful gift and assurance in the Baptismal promise.

>>But what about Lutherans? Again, what does Baptism do? How does it work? What makes it work? I know WHO makes it work. But WHAT makes it work? And it is a work, just not our work.

It is God’s work. He makes it work with the power of His Word. His spoken Word, unlike our words, is constitutive. Reality comes into being as He speaks His words. Whether it is: “Let there be light....” or “this is my body given for you...” or when he says in Titus 3:4-8, “ But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” If that is not a baptismal reference I don’t know what is.

>>So Baptism saves a soul even though the infant possessed no faith whatsoever?

How do you know an infant possesses no faith? Especially, when Jesus said in Matt 11:25-26 “At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.”

Moreover, He said in Matt 19:13-15 “Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away.”

Because children lack the kind of “faith” you seem enamored with, you turned Jesus into a liar.

>>So sola fide is a complete sham?

On the contrary, sola fide is faith in God’s Word and Promise. It is the only rock solid foundation to stake one’s soul on for eternity. All others are sinking sand.

>>And the only what a soul can be saved is by grace. If grace is given in Baptism - where the infant has no faith whatsoever - then why is it assumed by Lutherans that grace is not given in the sacrament of matrimony?

Matrimony is a gift from God and should be cherished. However, it is not a mean of grace and one doesn’t get into heavy by getting married. For even heathens get married.

>>Or ordination? Or anointing of the sick? And if you’re going to say, but there are Lutherans who believe it is given in those, then why do Lutherans reject them as sacraments altogether?

Because if everything is a Sacrament then nothing is a Sacrament. There is no testimony from God’s Word that matrimony, ordination, unction etc are a Sacrament. There is nothing in the apostolic preaching and teaching that supports it.

>>Why would anyone theologically reject what could be a vehicle for grace as instituted by Christ?

You shouldn’t. Excepting the two, Christ did not institute any of the other items.

>>>>“You ought to think of faith as a gift from God to all people (including infants) to believe his Promises.”

>>But there isn’t a shred of evidence that such a gift has been given to a single infant receiving Baptism.

Aside from mere assertion, you have no answer to Jesus’ Word that Kingdom of God belong to little children and what Hebrews 11:6 says “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God”

>>Why “ought” I think of it in that way when it misses a basic point.

You ought to think that way because God’s Word leaves us no choice. Metaphysical and philosophical speculation is fun except for where God has spoken and your soul is staked for eternity.

>Could it not be Baptism itself which - being a gift as you say - makes way for faith in the child?

Indeed.

>>Baptism was always a problem for Luther. I think we can see why it was.

Baptism is a priceless treasure to Luther and those who take God at His Word. Luther’s confidence, whether he was facing the Imperial Ban by Charles V or facing Papal Bull Ex Surge Domine, was that he was a baptized child of God.

When a man like Luther with his towering intellect, mastery of languages, dizzying knowledge of Church Fathers’ writings and breath taking accomplishments in preaching, teaching, translation, hymn writing approaches God with child-like faith and points us to God’s Word and the cross and away from himself, that is where will I stand.

Here are a few questions for Lutherans:

1) Is Baptism necessary or not? If it’s necessary, then surely it does something. What does it do?

2) If it does nothing, then why would it be required?

3) If it does something, it must be unseen rather than just a nice ceremony, so what does it do to a soul?

1) It’s necessary in the usual course, but it’s not ABSOLUTELY necessary. That is, a person CAN be saved without being baptized, the Bible is quite clear on that. But that doesn’t mean baptism doesn’t do what Scripture says it does.

2) N/A, see #3.

3) Every time baptism is mentioned in the Bible, it says it does something. Here’s a summary:

Cleanses you from iniquity, gives you a heart of flesh rather that of stone. Ezekiel 36:25-33
Makes you a disciple of Jesus. Matthew 28:19 (with teaching)
Forgives your sins. Acts 2:38 (With repentance)
Gives you the Holy Spirit. John 3:5, Acts 2:38.
Joins you with the death and resurrection of Jesus. Romans 6:2-5, Colossians 2:12.
Washes the Church and makes her holy. Ephesians 5:25-26
Clothes you in Christ. Galatians 3:27.
Regenerates you. Titus 3:5.

4) We believe infants can have faith - not in an intellectual assent type way, but in a trust type way. Much like they can trust their parents. Can we prove it? Not really. But that doesn’t mean baptism doesn’t do what the Bible clearly says it does. Furthermore, Paul compares baptism to circumcision as the new covenant. Circumcision was a covenant certainly for infants.

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