Lesson 45

What wonderful blessings does God give us

through Baptism?

What gifts did God offer and give us when we were baptized?

Acts 2:38-39Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the

forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and

for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord

our God will call.”sins

forgiven

What gifts did God offer and give us when we were baptized?

1 Peter 3:20-21…who disobeyed long ago

when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the

ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all,

were saved through water, and this water symbolizes

baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward

God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus

Christ…deliverance from death

What gifts did God offer and give us when we were baptized?

Zechariah 3:1-5

Zechariah 3:1-5Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The LORD said to

Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” Now

Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away

your sin, and I will put rich garments on you.” Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put

a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the LORD stood by.

What gifts did God offer and give us when we were baptized?

Zechariah 3:1-5

deliverance from the devil

What gifts did God offer and give us when we were baptized?

Mark 16:16

Whoever believes and is baptized

will be saved, but whoever does not

believe will be condemned. eternal

salvation

Key Point #1

God offered and gave us forgiveness of sin, deliverance from death and the devil, and

eternal salvation.

Didn’t we receive forgiveness when Jesus died on the cross? Why do we say we receive it

when we are baptized?

Which is better to say, that God forgives our sins in Baptism or that in Baptism, God assures us that he has forgiven us? Why

did you make that choice?

What great comfort does God give us through these wonderful blessings?Galatians 3:26-27You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were

baptized into Christ have clothed

yourselves with Christ.

child of God

great comforteach of us has

What great comfort does God give us through these wonderful blessings?

Titus 3:5-7…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.

heir of eternal life

great comforteach of us has

Key Point #2

By Baptism, God gives us the great comfort of knowing that

we are his children and heirs of eternal life.

Katrina thought it was wrong to say that Baptism guarantees

eternal life, because she knew of some people who had been baptized but were no longer Christians. How would you

respond?

Explain…

Often when Martin Luther felt discouraged, he would say to

himself, “Surely I am baptized.”

Explain…

Martin Luther said many times that there is no greater comfort

on earth than Baptism.

If the day of a person’s baptism is just as important as a birthday,

why, in your opinion, don’t people celebrate it or get as

excited about it?

What could a congregation do to remind people how important

their baptismal days are? Try to come up with several

possibilities.

If you are not sure when you were baptized, find out the date

and memorize it.

Reggie explained Baptism this way: “It symbolizes the way

God forgave me when I turned my life over to him.” What’s

wrong with Reggie’s statement?

Many people use the baptizing of a baby as a time to have a

family party. Give at least two suggestions that would help them celebrate Baptism as

God’s means of grace rather than as a purely social event.

A Christian cousin of yours who is in high school gets pregnant. She is not married. How could you use her Baptism to comfort

her?

Why will you never need to be re-baptized, even if you fall

away from Christ but then are brought back to faith?

What’s wrong here?

If we have been baptized, we have done everything we need to

do to be saved.

Lesson 45

When I was baptized, God gave me three wonderful blessings that are a

great comfort for me all my life.