We teach and practice two sacraments, or sacred acts: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. In the Lutheran church these, along with God’s Word, are called “Means of Grace.” In other words, the Word, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper are “vehicles” or means of God giving his grace to his people.
- We believe that baptism is first and foremost God’s work, where he forgives sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this. See Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:20-21; Titus 3:5-7; Acts 2:38 etc. Because the Bible teaches that Baptism begins with God’s action of grace, we baptize children and infants as well as adults.
- We believe that in the Lord’s Supper, along with the bread and wine, the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is actually given and received by those who eat and drink. Jesus himself declares, “This is my body…This is my blood.” See Matthew 26:26-28. The Bible teaches also that our sins are forgiven, for Jesus says in Matthew 26:28, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Because 1 Corinthians 11:28 says that we are to examine ourselves before we eat and drink, a period of instruction is appropriate before communing at the altar.
No comments:
Post a Comment