Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation? 3/4

Let's suppose something. There is another way of making this clear, and it is to use an illustration. Let's suppose that a person, under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, believes in Jesus as his Savior, Romans 10, verses 9 -10 and Titus 2 .13, and has received Christ, John 1 .12, as Savior.

Is that person saved? Of course he is. Let's further suppose that this person confesses his sinfulness, cries out in repentance to the Lord, receives Jesus, and then walks across the street to get baptized at a local church.

In the middle of the road, he gets hit by a car and is killed. Does he go to heaven or hell? If he goes to heaven, then baptism is not necessary for salvation. If he goes to hell, then trusting in Jesus by faith is not enough for salvation.

Justification by Faith and Salvation as a Free Gift

It would mean they are not justified by faith. Doesn't this go against the scriptures that say that salvation is a free gift, Romans 6 .23, received by faith, Ephesians 2 .8 -9? Doesn't that go against the scriptures that say that salvation is a free gift, Romans 6 .23, received by faith, Ephesians 2 .8 -9?

Yes, it does. Saying that baptism is necessary for salvation is dangerous because it is saying that there is something we must do to complete salvation. It says we must do a ritual, a ceremony, adding it to the faith that we have in God in order to be saved.

Why Baptism Cannot Complete Salvation

That is wrong. See Galatians 2 .21 and 5 .4 which condemns that very thing. This sounds reasonable, but still, what about those verses that seem to say that baptism is part of salvation? I'll address those now, but because this subject can become quite lengthy and, in fact, sufficient for a book in itself, I will only address a few verses and then only briefly because we just don't have the time to do everything.

John 3:5 and the Meaning of Born of Water and the Spirit

One of the verses most commonly used to support the idea that baptism is necessary for salvation is found in John 3 .5 where Jesus says, I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

Some say that water here means baptism, but that is unlikely since Christian baptism hadn't yet been instituted when Jesus said this. If this verse did mean baptism, then the only kind of baptism it could have been was the baptism of repentance administered by John the Baptist.

Just check out Mark 1 .4. If that is so, then baptism is not necessary for salvation because that baptism, the baptism of repentance, is no longer practiced. It is my opinion that the water spoken of here in John 3 means the water of the womb referring to the natural birth process.

Jesus said in the verse that Nicodemus needed to be born again. This meant that he had been born once, though this was through his mother's womb. Nicodemus responds with a statement about how he cannot enter again into his mother's womb to be born.

Then Jesus says that he must be born of water and the Spirit. Then in verse 6 he says that flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit. The context seems to be discussing the contrast between the natural and the spiritual birth.

Water therefore could easily be interpreted here to mean the natural birth process. I'd like to add that there are scholars who agree with this position and there are scholars who do not agree with this position.

Some believe that the water refers to the Word of God, the Bible. The others claim it means the Holy Spirit. You do the research and decide for yourself. Let's look at Acts 2 .38. Peter replied, Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38 and Repentance, Forgiveness, and Baptism

This verse is very often used to say that baptism is part of salvation, but we know from other scriptures that it is not, lest there be a contradiction. What is going on here is simply that repentance and forgiveness of sins are connected.

In the Greek, the word repent is in the plural, and so is the word your of your sins. They are meant to be understood as being related to each other. It is like saying, all of you repent, each of you get baptized, and all of you will receive forgiveness of sins.

Repentance is a mark of salvation because it is granted by God, 2 Timothy 2 .25, and is given to believers only. In this context, only the regenerated, repentant person is to be baptized. Baptism is the manifestation of repentance, that gift from God that is the sign of the circumcised heart.

That is why it says, repent and be baptized. Also, please note that there is no mention whatsoever in Acts 2 .38 of faith. If this verse is a description of what is necessary for salvation, then why is faith not mentioned?

Simply saying it is implied is not good enough. Peter is not teaching a formula for salvation here, is he? Because if he were, faith would have to be included. He is talking about the covenant obedience, which is what a good Jew would talk about.

Which is why the next verse even says that the promise, this promise he is talking about, is for their children as well. These children were always included in the covenant of God in ancient Israel. That is how God works.