A truly Christian life is nothing other than a daily Baptism...

Lastly, we must also know what Baptism signifies and why God has ordained just this outward sign and ceremony for the Sacrament by which we are first received into the Christian Church.  The act or ceremony is this: we are sunk under the water, which passes over us, and afterward are drawn out again.  These two parts, (a) to be sunk under the water and (b) drawn out again, signify Baptism's power and work.  It is nothing other than putting to death the old Adam and affecting the new man's resurrection after that.  Both of these things must take place in us all our lives.  So, a truly Christian life is nothing other than a daily Baptism, once begun and ever to be continued.  For this must be done without ceasing, that we always keep purging away whatever belongs to the old Adam.  Then what belongs to the new man may come forth.

~BOC, LC, IV, 64-65

Baptism, as with the entire Gospel, is an outward, verbal preaching...

Now these "new spirits" are so crazy that they separate faith and the object to which faith clings and is bound, even if it is something outward.  Yes, it shall and must be something outward, so that it may be grasped by our senses and understood, and by them be brought into the heart.  For indeed, the entire Gospel is an outward, verbal preaching.  In short, what God does and works in us He intends to work through such outward ordinances.  Therefore, wherever He speaks--indeed, no matter what direction or by whatever means He speaks--faith must look there.  It must hold to that object.  Now here we have the words "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:16).  What else can these words refer to but Baptism, that is, to the water included in God's ordinance?  Therefore, it makes sense that whoever rejects Baptism rejects God's Word, faith, and Christ, who directs us to Baptism and binds us to Baptism.
~BOC, LC, IV, 30-31

Baptism gives faith the outward thing upon which it stands and rests...

Our would-be "wise spirits" assert that faith alone saves, and that works and outward things do nothing.  We answer, "It is true, indeed, that nothing in us is of any use but faith, as we shall hear still further."  But these blind guides are unwilling to see this:  faith must have something that it believes, that is, of which it takes hold and upon which it stands and rests.  So faith clings to the water and believes in Baptism, there is pure salvation and life.  This is not through the water (as we have stated well enough), but through the fact that it is embodied in God's Word and institution, and that God's name abides in it.  Now, if I believe this, what else is it than believing in God as the One who has given and planted His Word into this ordinance and offers to us this outward thing by which we may gain such a treasure?
~BOC, LC, IV, 28-29

Christ connects the promise of the forgiveness of sins to good works...

Christ often connects the promise of the forgiveness of sins to good works, yet not because He means that good works are an atoning sacrifice (for they follow reconciliation).  Christ makes this connection for two reasons.  One is because good fruit must necessarily follow.  He reminds us that if good fruit does not follow, the repentance is hypocritical and fake.  The other reason is that we have need of outward signs of so great a promise.  A conscience full of fear has need of much consolation. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are signs that continually remind, cheer, and encourage despairing minds to believe more firmly that their sins are forgiven.  So the same promise is written and portrayed in good works, in order that these works may remind us to believe more firmly. Those who produce no good works do not encourage themselves to believe, but despise these promises. On the other hand, the godly embrace them and rejoice that they have the signs and testimonies of so great a promise.  So they exercise themselves in these signs and testimonies.  Therefore, just as the Lord's Supper does not justify us by the outward act (ex opere operato) without faith, so alms do not justify us by the outward acts (ex opere operato) without faith.
~BOC, AP, V (III), 155-156