I received the following question from a preacher in Africa:
I am studying with an evangelico (AG) He believes that baptism does not save and that people are saved once they receive Jesus into their hearts by faith. According to him, being baptized means that salvation is by work. I have showed nearly every passage on conversion in the book of Acts but he did not care.
Do you have any idea or any way I can deal with that man?
Thanks,
My Response:
CONCERNING YOUR DISCUSSION WITH THE MAN ABOUT BAPTISM:
1. Does God ever command baptism? (Mark 16:16). If so, can one be saved while purposely disobeying a command from God?
2. Jesus is the only Savior (Acts 4:12). That is, if one is not saved by Christ, he will not be saved. However, He is NOT the Author of salvation for everyone. Heb. 5:9 says He is the “author of salvation to all who obey Him.” (Did Jesus ever command baptism? – Mark 16:16).
3. He will save all who “call on Him” (Ax 2:21). How did Paul “call upon the name of the Lord?” (Acts 22:16).
4. For what reason was Paul told to “Arise and be baptized?” (Acts 22:16).
5. Whatever the 1st Century Christians had to do to be forgiven of their sins (Acts 2:38), we have to do in the 21st Century because “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Heb. 13:8).
6. Jesus was baptized to “fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15). Psalm 119:172b tells us that *all the commandments of God are righteousness,* therefore, Jesus was baptized because it was a command from His Heavenly Father. When God tells us to be baptized (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3; Colossians 2:12; Galatians 3:27), are we to follow Christ’s example in obeying the Heavenly Father? (1Peter 2:21).
7. When did the Spirit descend upon Jesus? before or after His baptism? (Matt. 3:16).
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8. Jesus truly does come into one’s heart by faith; but “faith comes by hearing the Word” (Rom. 10:17), and we are to be “doers of the Word and not hearers only” (James 1:22). If one doesn’t do / work the Word, then they have no genuine faith – – which means Jesus is not in their heart. How does one prove his faith? by obeying the word – – Peter said we “purify our souls by obeying the Truth (1Pet. 1:22), and the Truth is God’s Word (John 17:17). Therefore, one purifies his soul by obeying the Word of God.
Also, at my website: www.tenthandjacksoncoc.org is my “Bible Basics” workbook in both English and French. I have a section in there concerning the things the Bible tells us are “in Christ,” followed by a section where the Bible tells us “How” to get “into Christ.” You might find that helpful.
More thoughts:
1. 1Pet. 3:21 literally says, “…the like figure whereunto baptism now saves us.”
2. If baptism is unnecessary then so is repentance, as they are both mentioned in the same “breath” by Peter and the rest of the apostles in Ax 2:38.
3. If baptism is unnecessary, then so is “belief,” as Jesus mentions both in the same “breath.” (Mark 16:16)
4. James 2:24 says, “You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” Since we are saved by grace (Eph 2:8), then the works James is referring to are works of obedience.
5. Why did “Noah find GRACE in the eyes of the Lord? (Gen. 6:8) – – because he obeyed all the commands of God (Gen. 6:22). Had Noah not obeyed God, he would have never “found Grace” and would have been lost with the rest of the world.
6. If baptism is a “work,” by which we “earn” salvation (as the man said), then living the Christian life is a “work,” therefore, we don’t have to live the Christian life to be saved, (according to his reasoning). Baptism is no more a “work” than living the Christian life.
7. After we have obeyed all that God says, we are still unprofitable servants (Luke 17:10). However, if we do obey, then the righteousness of Christ will be applied to us (Rom. 4)
8. In Heb. 11:33, it refers to righteousness as a work. If there are no “works” (of obedience) for us to do to be saved, then righteousness has nothing to do with our salvation. If working righteousness in our lives has nothing to do with salvation, then Jesus Christ has nothing to do with our salvation because He is our Righteousness! (1Corinthians 1:30)
–Toby Miller
