Subject: Saved by belief or belief and baptism? |
Bible Note: He makes it clear that baptism is just as important as belief in Mark 16:16. They are conjoined by the word "and." This makes them equal. If you plant seed and water it, the seed will grow. If you plant the seed but don't water it, the seed will not grow. If you don't beleive in the first place baptism is useless. If you beleive in Christ, you will obey him in baptism so that your sins can be forgiven. Look in Acts 2:38. Baptism has a lot to do about association and salvation. It adds one to the church. You cannot be saved outside the church, the body of Christ as some have thinked. If you are baptized, you are saved, thus you are added by God to the body of the saved. The body of saved people is the church. Look in Acts 2:41 and 47 as well. When they recieved the word, they were baptized, and God added them to the church. Do you beleive that you have to be a member of the church that belongs to Christ to be saved? Or can you be outside the church and be saved? You must remember that there was a difference between the baptism that took place before the New Testament and the baptism after the day of Pentecost, when the New Testament started. The baptism of John and so forth, as Jesus was baptized is not quite the same as our today. Look in Acts 18:24-25. Also look in Acts 19:1-5. John's baptism looked forward to Christ, while our baptism looks backward. Thank you for your time. In Christ, Coty |