Bible Question: is baptism necessary for salvation? |
Bible Answer: Hello, I see this is your first post so let me be among the first to give you an answer. Is Baptism necessary for salvation? What does the Scripture say? First let me state that salvation only comes through faith in the blood of Christ. But this is an active faith, one that hears the commands of Jesus and obeys them. What does the Scripture say about Baptism? The precursor to Christ' baptism was John's baptism. According to Matthew and Mark, John's was a 'baptism of repentance FOR the remission of sins.' In John 3, John baptized in the river Aenon because there was much water there. The baptism spoken of was water baptism. You see from this same chapter that Jesus' disciples were also baptizing. Now after the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, in Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus says to the disciples to 'go make disciples of all the nations, BAPTIZING THEM in the name of the Father, Son, and H.S. The command 'Baptizing them' is echoed by Mark in 16:16, "he who believes and is baptized shall be saved..." The baptism in both of these instances are also water baptism [immersion]. [This baptism is different in a few ways. It is the same in that 'forgiveness of sins is connected to it, but different in that it is 'in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit." Acts 19 shows that 20 years later, those who received John's baptism had to be rebaptized.] 10 days after Jesus' ascension, at Pentecost (Acts 2), Peter preaches the resurrected, triumphant Christ and commands, "Repent and let each of you be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). What follows repentance and baptism? Forgiveness of sins. Did the water save them? No. Were they saved by the blood of Christ? Yes. But only when they repented and were baptized. Acts 8:12 shows that men and women were being baptized. There is no case for baptizing infants. In Acts 22:16, Ananias says to Saul--who has been fasting, praying and blind for three days after seeing and hearing Jesus Christ--"now why do you delay, arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name" (Acts 22:16). Some people say they believe baptism is necessary, but they suggest that all of these verses refer to Holy Spirit baptism. That doesn't fit. Acts 8 and the Eunuch went down into the water. Water Baptism is the only baptism that is commanded of all disciples. Ananias didn't tell Saul to get up, so that he could get Holy Spirit baptism. Acts 9 also records that Paul was baptized (9:18). In Romans, a book that teaches justification by faith, also teaches where that faith first initially meets the grace of God: in baptism. Romans 6 says how the Romans were baptized into Christ, were baptized into His death. "Therefore we've been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:3-5) The new life proceeds from the death and burial of the old sinful man. Every sinner must be baptized into Christ. And he does so with the understanding that he is lost because of his sin, and he will rise out of the watery grave because of Christ' holiness. Galatians 3:26,27 shows that 'we are all sons of God by faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." What is the clothing to which he refers? His Righteousness, his holiness, the perfection that comes through His blood. In the Colossian letter, Paul says essentially the same thing he said in Romans 6 and Galatians 3, 'we are buried with Him in Baptism, in which you are also raised with Him through your faith in the working/operation/power of God who raised Him from the dead" (Col 2:12). The point is that God is powerful and eager to give the new life in Christ. The old self has to be buried in order to be raised into a new life. This is the regeneration that Paul speaks of to Titus. The Holy Spirit is working on the inside, when the sinner, in faith, gets in the water. Jesus commanded water baptism. His divine word assigns a particular reason for it: for remission of sin, to wash away thy sins. God saves at baptism. This too is what Peter preached on Pentecost and restated in 1 Peter 3:21. "Baptism now saves you, not the removal of dirt from the flesh, BUT AN APPEAL TO GOD FOR A CLEAN CONSCIENCE (compare this appeal with what is said in Acts 2:21 and 22:16), it saves you through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I hope this answer satisfies your need. Much more could be said, but this is enough if you are searching for the answer. Salvation is a gift, received at a specific time in the sinner's life: when he/she is baptized in faith. But salvation is by faith, first to last. Good day. |