The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church | Page 5

and examine this theory, they
would see it has no foundation.
Christ's atonement alone, and in itself, never saved a soul. It removed
the obstacles that were in the way of our salvation, opened the way
back to our Father's house, purchased forgiveness and salvation for us.
But all this profits the sinner nothing, so long as he is not brought into
that way; so long as the salvation is not applied to him personally.
Neither can we speak of salvation being applied to an unrenewed,
sinful nature. We cannot even conceive of forgiveness for an
unregenerate being. This would, indeed, be to take away the guilt of sin,
while its power remained. It would be to save the sinner in and with his
sin.

The position is utterly groundless. It is even contrary to reason. It
assumes that a being who has in his heart, as a very part of his nature,
the roots and germs of sin, can, with that heart unchanged, enter into
the kingdom of God. It makes God look upon sin with allowance. It
does violence to the holiness of His nature. It makes heaven the abode
of the unclean.
No, no. It will not do. When men try to avoid what seem to them
difficult and unwelcome doctrines of God's Word, they run into far
greater difficulties and contradictions. That child is conceived and born
in sin. It is a child of wrath, dead in trespasses and in sins. Its nature
must be cleansed and renewed. Otherwise, if it can be saved as it is,
there are unregenerate souls in heaven!
Better abide by what is written, and believe that every one, infant or
adult, who has been born of the flesh, must be born of the Spirit. Listen
to the earnest words of Jesus as he emphasizes them with that solemn
double affirmation, "_Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be
born again he cannot see the kingdom of God_." He repeats this
sweeping declaration a second time. In the Greek it reads, Except any
one be born again. The assertion is intended to embrace every human
being. Lest this should be disputed, Jesus further says, "_That which is
born of the flesh_"--i.e., naturally born--"_is flesh, and that which is
born of the Spirit is spirit._" Wherever there is a birth of the flesh, there
must be a birth of the Spirit. The flesh-born cannot even see the
kingdom of God, much less enjoy it, still less possess it. There must be
new life, divine life, spiritual life breathed into that fleshly, carnal
nature. Thus will there be a new heart; a new spirit, a new creature.
Then, and not till then, can there be comprehension, apprehension and
appreciation of the things of the kingdom of God. This is the teaching
of the whole Word of God. Gal. vi. 15: "_For in Christ Jesus neither
circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new
creature_"--i.e., neither Jewish birth nor Gentile birth, without the new
birth.
Here also then our Church confesses the pure truth of God's Word,
when, in the second Article of the Augsburg Confession, as quoted

above, she goes on to say: "And this disease, or original fault, is truly
sin, condemning and bringing eternal death upon all that are not born
again."
Here then we take our stand. No child can be saved unless it be first
reached by renewing Grace. If ever an infant did die, or should die, in
that state in which it was born, unchanged by divine Grace, that infant
is lost. There are, there can be, no unregenerate souls in heaven. Where
there is no infant regeneration, there can be no infant salvation.
Here also we remark, in passing, that this doctrine, of the absolute
necessity of infant regeneration, is not held by the Lutheran Church
alone. Even the Romish and Greek Churches teach that it is impossible
for any human creature, without a change from that condition in which
he was born, to enter heaven. All the great historic confessions of the
Protestant churches confess the same truth. Even the Calvinistic
Baptists confess the necessity of infant regeneration.
In short all churches that have paid much attention to theology, and
have been careful to have consistent systems of doctrine, agree on this
point. However much those who call themselves by their names may
deny it, in their preaching and in their conversation, their own
confessions of faith and their greatest and best theologians clearly teach
it.
Yes, there must be infant regeneration. But is it possible? Can the
Grace of God reach the helpless infant? Will He reach down and make
it a new creature in Christ Jesus? Has He made provision for this end?
Yes, thanks be to his abounding Grace, we believe He