Keywords: | Eternal, Life, Salvation, Eternity, Reward, Heaven, Christian, God, Grace,
Saved, Forgiveness, Sins, Jesus, Christ, Lord, Savior, Death, Blood, Bible, Study, Lost, Hell, Punishment,
Repentance, Obedience, Baptism, Immersion, Scriptures, Religions, Churches |
Body: | Master index of 25 studies: "Determine your salvation"
Lesson 13
Must We Be Baptized To Be Saved?
The will of the Father also includes our being baptized for the forgiveness of our sins, so that we can be saved and go to heaven. In Mark 16:16 Jesus says, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned." This is such a simple command to obey in the way the Lord says to do it. Notice the divine order: 1) Believe + 2) Baptism = 3) Saved. Jesus says that both belief and baptism are required to be saved. But men, at the prompting of Satan, are trying to tell us many other different things that are contrary to what Jesus says. Men have taken what the Lord said, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved," and have changed it in every way possible to suit themselves. The following is what Jesus says and also ways in which man has tried to change what the Lord has said.
1) As we have just seen Jesus says in Mark 16:16, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved."
2) There are those who in reality say that, "He that does not believe and is not baptized will be saved," because they say God is going to save everyone. This is the Universalist who says that everyone is going to be saved and no one is going to be lost. We know this is not true because of what our Lord said in Matthew 7:13-14, that many are going to be lost and only few are going to be saved.
3) Then there are others who essentially say that, "He who believes and is baptized will not be saved." They say that no one is going to be saved. This is the Atheist who says that there is not going to be an eternity and that when you are dead, you are like the dog Rover, you are dead all over. But again we know that this is false. We have already seen that few will be saved, but the majority will be lost.
4) Still others imply that, "He who does not believe but is baptized will be saved." These are those who practice infant baptism, but an infant certainly cannot believe. Of course an infant is not accountable but is innocent and is not lost.
5) Then there are also those who essentially say that, "He who believes and is not baptized will be saved." They are trying to tell us that we are saved by faith only and that baptism is not necessary to be saved, but all that you have to do is believe. Again, like the other three, this is contrary to what the Lord has said in Mark 16:16, "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved." On the day of judgment we are only going to be judged by what the Lord says and not by what we think.
Who are you following? Are you following 1) Jesus, 2) the Universalist, 3)
the Atheist, 4) those promoting infant baptism, or 5) those promoting faith
only? We can go to heaven only by following what Jesus says and not what
man says. The following chart shows what the Lord has said and also the
many ways that men have tried to change it. They have changed it every way
possible to suit themselves.
1) Jesus in Mark 16:16 says: Believe + Baptized = Saved
2) Universalist says: Not Believe + Not Baptized = Saved
3) Atheist says: Believe + Baptized = Not Saved
4) Infant Baptism says: Not Believe + Baptized = Saved
5) Faith Only says: Believe + Not Baptized = Saved
Our Lord said in Mark 16:16, "He who believes and is baptized will be
saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." But there are
those who want to ignore what Jesus said in the first half of the verse and
only look at the latter half. They do this in an attempt to try to
manufacture a loophole in what the Lord has said. They are not willing to
accept that Jesus says we must believe and be baptized to be saved. Jesus
could not make it any clearer what one has to do to be saved.
In the later half of the verse Jesus says "but he who does not believe will
be condemned." But there are those who say that Jesus did not say you
would be condemned if you were not baptized. People who say this are
grasping at straws in trying to avoid what the Lord who is our only Saviour
requires. But people are doing this to their own eternal destruction.
One who does not believe will certainly not be baptized. One who does not
believe could go through the motions and get dunked under the water, but he
would not be scripturally baptized. He would only get wet. Since one
who does not believe could not be scripturally baptized, it would have been
useless for the Lord to have mentioned baptism in the latter half of the
verse. People may argue against the Lord's requirement of being baptized
in order to be saved, but they will not be able to argue with the Lord when
they stand before Him on the Day of Judgment. It will be too late
then.
When we stand before the Lord on the day of judgment to be judged by Him,
there are going to be many who have chosen not to do what the Lord has
said. Rather they have chosen to do what man has said to do. Romans 10:3
tells us that people are "Seeking to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted to the righteousness of God." The choice is ours. Either
we have tried to establish our own righteousness or we have submitted to
the righteousness of God. Unless we are forgiven the way that Jesus Christ
has specified in the Bible then we will die in our sins and be forever lost
and forever separated from God in eternal punishment. We make the
decision; but we will reap the eternal consequences. Are you ready for
those consequences?
The Lord says in John 12:48, "The word that I have spoken will judge him in
the last day." We are not going to be judged by what man says or by what we
think, but by what our Lord says. This is going to be the standard for
judgment.
For the majority of people, the judgment will be a horrible day, and a day
of many terrible surprises. Obedience to our Lord will save any lost
person, no matter how evil his past has been, but obedience to a mere human
doctrine will not save anyone, no matter how good they have been. Speaking
of Christ, Hebrews 5:9 says, "And having been perfected, He became the
author of eternal salvation to all them that obey Him." Yes, we must obey
our Lord, if we expect Him to save us.
Baptism is not a work of merit that man does. We do nothing for God when we
are baptized, except obey Him; but God does something for us. Baptism is
God's chosen way of imparting His saving grace. Baptism is the submission
to the command of God that saves. As we read in Acts 10:48, "And He
commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord." God offers
salvation to all men, but He conditions that offer with obeying the
requirements which He has set out in His word. The Lord has commanded us to
be baptized. The Lord has no nonessential commands. In Hebrews 5:9 we saw
that no man can be saved by the grace of God without being obedient to the
will of God.
Believing and being baptized to be saved, as Mark 16:16 says, does not
nullify the grace of God, but it activates it. The fact that baptism is
essential to our salvation in no way reflects upon the wonderful grace
offered to all; but rather it honors Christ who commanded it. Baptism is a
very serious matter. According to the Bible, baptism is for the purpose of
salvation.
In the Garden of Eden God told Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. God said in Genesis 2:17, "For in the day
that you eat of it you shall surely die." But later in Genesis 3:4 Satan
told Eve, "You will not surely die." Satan just added the one word "not"
and perverted what God had said. This is what men are doing today.
Jesus said in Mark 16:16, "He who believes and is baptized will be
saved." Men today erroneously teach "He that believes and is not baptized
shall be saved." By adding the word "not" men today are perverting the
word of God just as Satan did.
Satan does not want anyone to be baptized for the purpose of being saved.
Satan tells people that after you think you are saved and your sins are
forgiven then you can be baptized. But this is a lie of Satan which will
cause many people to be lost. But Jesus promised salvation only to those
who believe and are baptized. We cannot afford to be wrong on this vital
point. Our eternal destiny depends on our being right with God.
Questions Lesson 13
Must We Be Baptized To Be Saved?
(click on the button of the answer of your choice)
1) (Mark 16:16) According to the Bible what must we do to be saved?
A Believe only.
B Believe and be baptized.
C Not be baptized.
2) T F He that believes and is not baptized shall be saved.
3) (Romans 10:3) Why do people not submit to the righteousness of God?
A They want to but they don't know how.
B They want to be saved.
C They seek to establish their own righteousness.
4) T F Many people choose not to do what God has says.
5) (John 12:48) What will judge us on Judgment Day?
A What we believe.
B What our preacher says.
C The words of Christ.
6) T F We are going to be judged according to what man says.
7) (Hebrews 5:9) Christ is the author of eternal salvation to
A All who obey Him.
B To everyone.
C To no one.
8) T F Good people who have not obeyed the Lord will still be saved.
9) (Acts 10:48) What were these people commanded to do?
A Only believe.
B Nothing.
C Be baptized.
10) T F Baptism is a command of God.
Click Your Choice
Home page for: "Determine your salvation"
Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA
|