Water Baptism, Part 2

“Receive every inward and outward trouble, every disappointment, pain, uneasiness, temptation, darkness and desolation with both hands, as to a true opportunity and blessed occasion of dying to self and entering into a fuller fellowship with thy self-denying, suffering Savior.”

John Wesley

Kirk Cameron’s Comment

I thank God that I am saved by grace alone, because anything else I tried to add would only pollute it. Apart from His grace, all the prayers, church attendance, good works, even my baptism wouldn’t save me: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5).

Questions & Objections

Lesson

As mentioned in the previous lesson, water baptism is an important ordinance that has been established for the purpose of our identification with Christ. Water baptism is merely an outward expression of an inward change. Baptism is a humbling act of obedience that follows salvation; by no means does it make a person a Christian, any more than sitting in a garage makes a person an automobile.

While we should preach that all men are commanded to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38), adding any other requirement to salvation by grace becomes “works” in disguise. Although numerous Scriptures speak of the importance of baptism, adding anything to the work of the cross demeans the sacrifice of the Savior, implying that His finished work wasn’t enough. The Bible makes clear that we are saved by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8, 9). Baptism is simply a step of obedience to the Lord following our repentance and confession of sin. Our obedience regarding baptism, prayer, good works, fellowship, witnessing, etc., issues from our faith in Christ. Salvation is not what we do, but who we have: “He that has the Son has life” (1 John 5:12).

Some people believe that baptism is a requirement for salvation. Let’s look at a couple of the “proof texts” that they would use when discussing water baptism. Remember that we are to never build a theology on difficult passages; the context, original language, and other passages must be taken into consideration for correct interpretation.

Mark 16:16: “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned.”

It is clear that it is unbelief that brings damnation, not a lack of being baptized: “he that believes not shall be damned.” When a person rejects the gospel, refusing to believe it, he is damned.

Other verses in Scripture reinforce that baptism is not necessary for salvation.

Jesus told the repentant thief, “Today shall you be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). The thief was saved without baptism.

In Acts 10 Cornelius exercised faith in Christ and was clearly saved prior to being baptized in water. The moment Cornelius believed in Christ, he received the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:45).

Paul separates baptism from the gospel, saying, “Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel” (1 Corinthians 1:17). It is the gospel that saves us (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1, 2); therefore, baptism is not what saves us.

Acts 2:38: “Then Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

To properly understand Peter’s meaning, we must consider the phrase “for the remission of sins” in light of its usage, its context, and the rest of Scripture.

The word “for” (eis) can mean either “with a view to” or “because of.” In the latter case, a person would be baptized because he had been saved, not in order to be saved.

People are saved by receiving (not rejecting) God’s Word, and Peter’s audience “gladly received his word” before they were baptized (Acts 2:41).

Verse 44 speaks of “all that believed” as constituting the early church, not all who were baptized.

Those who believed Peter’s message clearly received the Holy Spirit before they were baptized. Peter said, “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?” (Acts 10:47).

Jesus referred to His baptism as a work of righteousness (Matthew 3:15). But the Bible declares clearly that salvation is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).

Not once in the entire Gospel of John, written explicitly so that people could believe and be saved (John 20:31), is baptism noted as a condition of salvation. Rather, this Gospel instructs people to “believe” to be saved (John 3:16, 18, 36).

It seems best, therefore, to understand Peter’s statement like this: “Repent, and be baptized, as a result of the remission of sins.” That this view looked backward to sins being forgiven at the moment of salvation is clear by the context and the rest of Scripture. Believing or repenting is often mentioned with being baptized, since baptism should follow belief. But Jesus does not say in Mark 16:16, or anywhere in Scripture, “He that is not baptized shall be damned,” but instead states emphatically “he that believes not is condemned already” (John 3:18). Nowhere does Scripture make baptism a condition of salvation.

Preacher’s Progress

A sample witnessing conversation, written in the style of John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress.

Words of Comfort

When my 11-year-old niece wrote to me from New Zealand, I wrote back and, as an added blessing, I dropped in a few Russian rubles that someone had sent me. Russian currency wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on, but I thought she would like to see how their money looked. I liked to do little things that would make her happy.

I found out later that the letter arrived on her birthday, and that she excitedly rushed to the bank to see how much I had sent her.

Questions

1. What does salvation by grace become when any requirement is added to it?
2. What verse tells us that we are saved by grace and not by works?
3. What are some acts of obedience that are important but not essential to salvation?
4. According to Mark 16:16, what is it that brings damnation?
5. Was the thief on the cross ever baptized?
6. In 1 Corinthians 1:17, what did the apostle Paul say that he was sent to do?

Answers to these review questions are provided in the back of the printed book / source PDF.

Memory Verse

“For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Ephesians 2:8, 9

Last Words

Vicomtesse D’Houdetot, daughter-in-law of Rousseau’s Madame D’Houdetot, left the sad lament: “I regret my life.”

Vicomtesse D’Houdetot