Does Baptism Accomplish Salvation?
Many people believe and are taught that baptism is a Sacrament – that is a means of God’s grace, a channel through which our salvation comes.
But what does the Bible say?
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
What is the channel of god’s saving grace? By grace are ye saved through Faith. What are we not saved by? Works.
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Not thru baptism.
Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
How are our sins washed away?
Our sins are not washed away by a tank of water or a river. In fact in most cases the water is not even clean, and if your drank it you would probably get sick.
Baptism has nothing to do with getting saved. Probably the greatest example in the Bible of this is the thief on the cross.
Luk 23:32 And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.
Luk 23:33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
The book of Mark gives us an added detail.
Mar 15:31 Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
Mar 15:32 Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
Both of the thieves were also reviling Jesus.
Luk 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
Luk 23:35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided [him], saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
Luk 23:36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
Luk 23:37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
Luk 23:38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Luk 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
Now only one of the thieves was railing on Jesus.
Luk 23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
Luk 23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
What a change in the one thief. Just a short while before this thief was railing on Jesus. But now he is defending Jesus. Why the change. This thief had watched Jesus pray Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
This thief watched firsthand how Jesus reacted to all of the vile treatment.
The thief saw first hand what is said in
1Pe 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously:
The thief saw first hand the just dying for the unjust.
He saw Jesus for who He was. The Christ. The Messiah. He believed that Jesus was The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
And then the thief acted upon it.
Luk 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
The thief called upon the name of the Lord.
Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The thief could not do works for his salvation, because his hands were nailed to the cross.
The thief could not have a better walk with God for his salvation, because his feet were nailed to the cross.
The thief could not live a better life, because his life was being drained away by the cross.
The thief could not somehow make up for all the wrongs that he had done. He only had at most a few hours left to live.
The only thing that the thief could do was to call upon the Lord to save him. He could not get baptized. And immediately the thief heard those blessed words.
Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
The repentant thief got assurance of salvation from the lips of Jesus.
Oh the Love of Jesus. Even in all of the anguish. He gave words of comfort and assurance to a sinner who asked for salvation.
Jesus was not too busy dying to save a soul and offer comfort.
The thief was saved. Was he ever baptized? No.
From these verses of Scripture what part does baptism play in your salvation. No Part.
Why Jesus came.
Luk 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Jesus came to save souls.
Now if Jesus came to save souls, and if baptism saves, then you have a serious problem because Jesus did not baptize.
Joh 4:1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
Joh 4:2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
Jesus came to save souls, but Jesus did not baptize.
What about Paul? Was he called and sent to save souls? Yes. Was he called to baptize?
1Co 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
And Paul wrote
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Paul was sent to preach and not to baptize.
It is the gospel that is the power of God unto salvation.
The Bible is a perfect book that has no errors and no conflicts. If what you think about one part of the Bible teaches is in conflict with another part, then you have something wrong in your thinking. The problem is not with the Bible.
Now with that foundation having been laid, we need to take a look at the nine water passages in the New Testament. These nine verses are the verses that are used by people like the Church of Christ who teach that baptism is required for salvation.
Water Verse number 1
Joh 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
Joh 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Jesus did not say that ye must be baptized.
First of all notice that the word baptize is not to be found anywhere in this passage. It is not in the context at all.
They want to believe so bad that baptism saves that they will make assumptions to fit their man made doctrine.
Because water is mentioned they make the assumptions that it is baptism. Even though there is nothing in this section of scripture that even hints at baptism.
The passage is talking about two different births. Born of water (1st birth) born of the Spirit (2nd birth).
The first birth is physical and the second one is spiritual. When the baptismal – regeneration crowd tries to make the water and the Spirit refer to the same birth, it clearly does not fit neither the context nor the wording of Scripture.
Baptism does not symbolize or picture birth. If you remember from the earlier lesson, it is a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection.
So what is the water talking about? According to the Bible when are you considered a person? At conception.
And while you are in the womb, what are you in? what are you surrounded by? Water.
Born of water is the fleshly physical birth and is not baptism.
Water Verse number 2
Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
This is probably the number one verse that they go to to try to prove that baptism saves.
It might look that way on the surface, but we need to take a closer look.
First lets look at the part before the semi colon. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. Ok is that a true statement? I am saved and I am also baptized and I am going to go to heaven. People who are saved and baptized do go to heaven. Baptism does not undo your salvation.
I don't loose my salvation when I get baptized.
It is also a true statement that he that believes is saved. There are two groups of people in relation to baptism who are going to be in heaven. Those who believe and were baptized. And those who believe and were not baptized.
The next part of the verse after the semi colon makes this more clear for it defines who is not going to go to heaven.
;but he that believeth not shall be damned.
It does not say that he that is not baptized shall be damned. No. The only thing that damns anyone is if they do not believe. The verse makes that very clear.
Everything that is necessary as a condition upon or a means by which you are saved will be both positively stated in scripture and negatively stated in the scripture.
For example you must hear the word of God to be saved.
On the positive side.
Rom 10:17 So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
On the negative side.
Act 3:23 And it shall come to pass, [that] every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
Repentance is a condition in order for salvation. Repentance is a change of mind and not works.
On the positive side.
Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Act 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
That is positively stated as something you must do.
On the negative side.
Luk 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
You don't repent you are going to go to hell. It is stated on the negative side.
You must believe to be saved.
On the positive side.
1Jo 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God:
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
On the positive side believe and be saved.
On the negative side.
Joh 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am [he], ye shall die in your sins.
Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
All conditions of salvation are both positively stated and negatively stated. But you will never find anywhere in the Bible where it is negatively stated that if you are not baptized that you will be condemned. It simply is not there.
That is why Mark 16:16 says but he that believeth not shall be damned. The absence of baptism in the second part of the verse makes it clear that baptism is not connected to damning people.
Water Verse number 3
Act 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
What we have here is a compound sentence. We have three independent clauses connected with the word and. In a sentence of this type you can put a period at the end of any phrase and still have a complete sentence.
So wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord is a complete thought. The third independent clause in this verse tells us how to be saved and that is by calling upon the name of the Lord and not by baptism.
The context of this verse is also very important. Paul is telling the story of how he was blind after having seen Jesus and is lying in bed. Ananias was sent by God to Paul and it is the words of Ananias in verse 16 to Paul.
At this point Paul is already saved. Paul got saved on the Damacus road.
The first thing Ananias tells Paul is to arise, and he should do that.
The second thing Ananias tells Paul is to be baptized, and he should do that.
and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Cannot be talking about Paul getting saved because Paul is already saved. You cannot get saved twice. This is why context is so important.
When you look at the sentence structure, and the context of the verse, the passage is not teaching that baptism saves.
Water Verse number 4
Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection:
They will take the phrase baptized into Jesus Christ and will try to teach that that means baptism places you into Christ. That baptism saves.
They are assuming that the word into is used here to mean entrance into.
But the word into can also mean in relation to or in reference to.
The word into can mean literally into or symbolically into. The context of the next verses makes it clear that baptism is symbolic. That like as Christ, and in the likeness of.
Again a look at the context and noting the symbolic language clears up the meaning.
Water Verse number 5
1Pe 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
1Pe 3:21 The like figure whereunto [even] baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
To understand this we need to know how Noah was saved.
Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Noah was saved by faith and not by the water.
Second watch the symbolic language in verse 21. The like figure. What does baptism figure? What does baptism picture. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Baptism is a picture of the gospel.
So the verse says the like figure (the gospel) doth also now save us. It is not teaching that baptism saves but what baptism figures or pictures is what saves and that is the gospel.
Water Verse number 6
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Not only is the word baptize not found in this verse, but it is also not found in the entire chapter, and the word baptize is not found in the entire book of Titus.
This verse makes it very clear that it is according to his mercy he saved us and not by works of righteousness.
The verse is talking about our sins being washed away at salvation. And has nothing to do with baptism.
Water Verse number 7
Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
They will take verse 37 alone out of context once again and say see it says as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Therefore they will say if you have not been baptized then you have not put on Christ and are not saved.
But you have to look at the context. The verse before it tells us that you are the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. It does not say that you are the children of God by baptism.
And the verse does not say that they received Christ but that they have put on Christ.
Think of it like putting on a coat. A coat that is already yours but you do not want to hide your new coat. You want to show it forth. You put it on.
They have identified themselves with Christ; or they have, by baptism, made testimony of their faith. They put Christ on outwardly after they have accepted him by faith inwardly.
Water Verse number 8
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Again is baptism anywhere to be found in this verse?
This passage is talking about the cleansing effect of the word of God on the church.
This is a sanctification passage and not a salvation passage.
Water Verse number 9
Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
This verse comes down to the meaning of the word for.
Say I had to go to the city to pick my wife up from the airport. I could say.
I went into the city for my wife.
That would be a correct use of the word for. In this case for means in order to get.
Say I had to go into to the city to run an errand for my wife because she could not go. I could say.
I went into the city for my wife.
This also would be a correct use of the word for. In this case for means because of
Now read the verse with this in mind.
Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for (because of) the remission of sins,
They can be baptized because their sins have already been remitted. They are already saved.
For can be used as for as in order to get or for as in because of.
They are to get baptized because their sins have been remitted.
After looking at all the Bible has to say on baptism it is very clear that baptism does not save.
It is only a picture, a showing forth of the death and the burial and the resurrection of Christ.
If you have been trusting in baptism to save you, I hope that you now see the error of that.
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
You cannot get to heaven thru baptism. You can only go thru Jesus.
I Pray that you will now trust your salvation to the only one who can save you.
Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Will you not humble yourself and call upon Him now.