How Can You Say That Baptism Is
Essential For Salvation When The Bible Says
We Are God's Children "By Faith" In Such
Passages As Galatians 3:26 And Romans 5:1?
Garland M. Robinson
Without faith, it is impossible to
please God (Hebrews 11:6). No one can be a child of God and not
have faith! However, "faith alone" does not make one a child of
God. If so, the Pharisees (John 12:42-43) and even the devil would
be saved (James 2:19).
When one "obeys the gospel" (which
you cannot go to heaven without; 2 Thessalonians 2:8), you are
simply doing the "work" God would have you to do. When one
performs or works the works of God, he has not earned his
salvation. Jesus said, "When ye shall have done all those
things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants:
we have done that which was our duty to do" (Luke 17:10). If
one claims that "baptism" is a work of man, then he must also of
necessity accept that "faith" is a work of man. The truth is,
neither of them are the works of man. They both are the works of
God! On one occasion Jesus was asked, "What shall we do, that
we might work the works of God?" His answer was,
"...this is the work of God, that ye believe on
him whom he hath sent" (John 6:28-29). Even "believing" is
a work, but it is not man's work, it is God's work. It is the work
God has commanded we do! The same is true of water baptism. It is
all a part of the plan of God's salvation which has been preached
from the time Peter uttered it (Acts 2:38) until today and will
continue to the end of the world (Matthew 28:19-20).
It is odd that many fight so hard
against God's Word when it is so plain. Jesus himself gave the
command for all time what people must do to be saved, but so few
believe it. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved" (Mark 16:16). What would he have had to say to
make people believe baptism is essential to salvation? This
is precisely what Saul was told in Acts 22:16. "Arise and be
baptized and wash away thy sins." There's no forgiveness
without the blood of Christ and one only contacts the blood in
water baptism (Ephesians 1:7; Revelation 1:5; Rom. 6:3-6,17-18).
Galatians 3:27 tells HOW we are
children of God by faith, "FOR as many of you as were
BAPTIZED...." Baptism is the point at which faith justifies,
not before (James 2:17-26). The plan of God fits so perfectly
together! Won't you believe?
Is It True That All One Has To Do To Be
Saved Is "Believe And Be Baptized Into Christ?"
Garland M. Robinson
No, it is not true. Though
salvation does not and can not come without obedience to these two
essential commands, it must be understood that obedience to these
two commands alone does not secure salvation. There is more that
one must do to be saved.
Jesus did indeed say, "He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved;
but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16).
Denominational preachers preach anything and everything but the
commands of this verse! Jesus here speaks of at least two things
that are essential to be saved: belief in him and water baptism.
However, there are other things Jesus commanded one must do in
order to be saved that are not stated in this verse.
The Lord made repentance
of sins an essential element for salvation. In Luke 13:3 he said,
"I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise
perish." Repentance means to change the mind, to think
differently. Such a change in mind leads to a change in action or
manner of living. A liar no longer lies. A thief no longer
steals. An adulterer no longer commits adultery. Without
repentance, no one will or can be saved (Acts 17:30; 2:38)!
The Lord made confession
of faith in him a requirement for salvation. In Matthew 10:32-33
he said, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him
will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But
whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my
Father which is in heaven." No one will be saved that does
not confess that Jesus is the Christ the divine Son of God. It was
necessary that the man from Ethiopia make this confession. When he
asked if he could be baptized "Philip said, If thou believest
with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I
believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:37).
Living faithful to the
Lord's commands after faith, repentance, confession and
baptism is also essential to salvation. "...Be
thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of
life" (Revelation 2:10). Without continuing to live
according to the Lord's Word, no one will be saved regardless of
how much they believe or how many times they are baptized.
Belief and baptism are essential to
salvation but certainly not ALL one must do to be saved. Obey all,
not just a part!
It is not only misleading, but also
incorrect to so teach.