1.―Baptism is the action instituted by Christ, Mt. 28. 19, by which God sealed in pledge to the elect their participation in the covenant of grace and binds them to a life sanctified by the believing consciousness of fellowship in the covenant. The visible sign with which this pledged sealing is given is water and dipping in it, by which the dipping of the elect person into the name of the triune God is figured and sealed. From this the full concept of baptism (POLAN VI, 55): “Baptism is the first sacrament of the NT, in which those to whom the covenant of grace belongs are according to Christ’s command dipped or washed in water into the name of the Father, Son and H. Spirit, i.e., so that it may be signified and sealed to those who are baptized, that they have been taken up into the communion of the covenant of grace and inserted into his mystical body of the Church, are justified on account of the shedding of Christ’s blood on our behalf and are regenerated through the Spirit of Christ; and in turn are obligated to worship in faith and good conscience and to call upon this only God the Father, Son and H. Spirit, Mt. 28. 19: Ac. 2. 38 (repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the H. Ghost), Mt. 3. 11 (John and Jesus contrasted), Mk. 16. 16 (he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved), Lk. 3. 3 (John’s baptism of repentance) cf. Mk. 1. 4, (John’s Baptism), Rom. 6. 3 (all we who were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death), 1 Pet. 3. 21 (which…doth now save you, even baptism…the interrogation of a good conscience toward God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ). Or WOLLEB 104: “Baptism is the first sacrament of the new covenant, in which to the elect received into God’s family by outward sprinkling with water are sealed remission of sins and regeneration by Christ’s blood and the H. Spirit.”―HEIDEGGER (XXV, 21) thus defines: “Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration, in which by sprinkling and dipping in water inward ablution from sins through the blood and Spirit of Christ is declared and sealed to one and all of God’s covenanted.”