I was asked a question the other week that got me thinking. The question: “Do I have to

be confirmed?” It didn’t come from one of those in the Confirmation Class. Rather it came

from someone in one of the younger grades.

I suppose it was because we had spent my Catechism class time in the school reviewing

the questions I would be asking at the Examination service that was held April 24. There

were lots of questions, over 150, and the student who asked was probably wondering how

anyone could remember so many answers.

How would you have answered that question? (One of the teachers in our school told me she had

never officially been confirmed at age 13, as we do it now.)

Quoting from our WELS website: “The Bible does not speak of the rite of confirmation or the practice of

public examination. It speaks of training children in God’s word (Psalm 78:1-8; Proverbs 22:6; 2 Timothy 3:14-16),

confessing Jesus Christ as Savior (Matthew 10:32), examining ourselves before receiving the Lord’s Supper (1

Corinthians 11:28) and partaking of the Lord’s Supper often (1 Corinthians 11:25).

Established in Christian freedom, confirmation—the rite and the formal course of instruction that precedes it—

addresses these important areas.”

So, if the Bible does not speak of the rite of confirmation, why do we do it?

When you were born, your parents followed God’s instructions to baptize you. Your

parents brought you to the Baptismal Font where the Holy Spirit worked through the water

and the Word of God to create faith in your heart. They chose responsible Christian friends

or family to witness your baptism.

And then those sponsors / witnesses took on the responsibility to assist your parents in

teaching you about the God, into whose faith you had just been baptized. Confirmation

then is your opportunity to confirm that you have learned about the God of the

Bible. It is your chance to speak with your own mouth that you believe that Jesus is your

Savior from sin. You can now examine yourself to see if you need God’s forgiveness – the

blessing God gives you when you partake of the Lord’s Supper. (We all need the assurance of

God’s forgiveness.)

And so, in the rite of confirmation, you will be asked what you believe about the God of

whom you have learned. You will be making a solemn promise to God that you will

continue believing what you have learned – using the Word of God to guide your life of

worship and service to Him. You will be promising God that you will use the Word and

Sacraments as He intended them to strengthen your faith. (That means reading your Bible

regularly and worshipping at a church, where God’s Word and Sacraments are regularly used to

strengthen faith.)

Confirmation is also a happy day for your parents and sponsors / witnesses because,

among all of the things they have taught you from little on, they now know that you also

share the same faith in the Triune God. Faith is the best gift any parent can pass on to

their children.

But realize this: Confirmation doesn’t mean that you know everything, because you don’t.

Even the most aged member of a Christian congregation is still learning. Rather, the

Confirmation Rite informs the congregation that you have sufficient scriptural understanding

and spiritual maturity to partake of the Lord’s Supper. Growing up in our faith is a life-long

task. “Like newborn babies, crave the pure milk of the word so that by it you may grow up with the result being

salvation.” (1 Peter 2:2)

As you continue to grow to adulthood, recognize that you will be confronted with more

serious and difficult temptations than you may have faced in the past. Satan will find new

ways to trick you into doing things you know you shouldn’t – things that disobey your God.

And you will fall for his temptations. But when you do, never forget to return to your God

confessing your sin. He will continue to reassure you that you are forgiven.

God bless your Confirmation Day, not only for those who are just being confirmed. But

also for those who are remembering that special day when they promised their faithfulness

to their God on their Confirmation Day.

Pastor James Renz