New Testament Examples of Salvation Without Baptism
Since people in the Old Testament were all saved without being baptized, you would expect to find cases in the New Testament where people were saved but never baptized.
Luke 7:37-50 tells the story of a woman who was saved without being baptized. JESUS said unto her, " Thy sins are forgiven." And HE went on to say, " Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." Luke 18:35-43 tells about the healing and conversion of a blind man who was saved by faith without baptism. Here is the record: " And JESUS said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee."
The publican in Luke 18 was saved without baptism. The story is recorded in Luke 18:13, 14. This poor sinner simply cried out, " GOD be merciful to me a sinner." And JESUS said of him, " I tell you, this man went down to his house justified..." But there is no record of his ever being baptized.
The thief on the cross is the classic example of one being saved without being baptized. The story is recorded in Luke 23:39-43. This poor thief, dying on a cross, requested of JESUS in verse 42, " LORD, remember me when THOU comest into THY kingdom. " And JESUS answered him in verse 43, saying, " Verily (truly) I say unto thee, to day shalt thou be with ME in paradise. " He was never baptized; but according to the very words of JESUS, he was with CHRIST that very day in Paradise.
Salvation Is a Gift
Baptism, then, cannot possibly be a part of GOD's plan of Salvation. Salvation is clearly a gift of GOD which is not deserved, is not bought and cannot be paid for. Therefore, no church nor preacher nor any individual has a right to claim the credit when a soul is saved.
Salvation is a gift to be received, not a prize to be earned by our good works, including the good work of baptism. The sinner's only part is to receive by faith what JESUS CHRIST has purchased with HIS own blood. John 1:12 says, " But as many as received HIM, to them gave HE power to become the sons of GOD, even to them that believe on HIS name." In the words of the old song:
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on JESUS' name.
It is fatal to trust anything other than JESUS CHRIST for Salvation. "...he that believeth NOT the SON shall NOT see life; but the wrath of GOD abideth on him." John 3:36
There are so many clear Bible verses that teach one is saved by simple faith in CHRIST that even those who argue that baptism is necessary for Salvation cannot deny them. So some of them say, " Yes, Salvation is by grace through faith, BUT believing includes baptism." However, such is not the case. It is one thing to believe on the LORD JESUS CHRIST and a totally different thing to be baptized. Mark 16:16 clearly says, " He that believeth and is baptized...." If baptism were included in believing, then it wouldn't have been necessary to add the expression, " and is baptized." Acts 2:41 plainly says, " Then they that gladly received his word were baptized...." No, believing does not include baptism. Baptism is an act of obedience. As a matter of fact, it is the first act of obedience for those who trust CHRIST as SAVIOR, but it is NOT an instrument of Salvation.
Supposed Proof Texts for Salvation by Baptism Examined
Those who teach that water baptism is necessary for Salvation misuse, misinterpret and misapply a number of Bible verses in an effort to prove their point. When studying the Bible, we must never use an obscure passage to contradict many clear passages.
If a verse seems to indicate that one must be baptized in order to be saved, we must remember that the Bible never contradicts itself. In the light of John 3:36, John 3:18, John 3:16, John 3:14 and many, many other clear passages, baptism CANNOT be essential to Salvation. We have already shown that one is saved by simple faith in CHRIST, HIM alone and nothing else.
Second Peter 1:20 says, " Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation." This verse does not mean that one cannot study his Bible privately. It simply means that we're not to build a doctrine on one verse, ignoring all the Bible has to say on the same subject in many other verses.
Those who teach water baptism is necessary for Salvation have made this mistake. They build their doctrine from a few selected verses, disregarding all the Bible has to say about Salvation by grace through faith.
Acts 2:38
One verse, used by those who teach that water baptism is necessary for Salvation, is Acts 2:38. Here the Bible says, " 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."
Does this verse contradict the many clear verses in the Bible that teach Salvation by grace through faith ? It does not. The only thing that remits sin is the blood of CHRIST. Hebrews 9:22 clearly says, "...without shedding of blood is no remission." If one had to be baptized to have his sins remitted, then what would he do with the sins he committed after he was saved ? Suppose a man was baptized twenty years ago. Since then he has committed many sins. No one lives absolutely perfect and above sin.
First John 1:10 says, " If we say that we have not sinned, we make HIM a liar, and HIS WORD is not in us." If baptism were necessary to remit sin, then this man should be baptized again in order to remit the sins he has committed since he has been saved. But if he does, what would he do about the sins he commits after he gets out of the water ? Must he go back and be baptized again and again and again, every time he commits a sin in order to have the sins remitted ?
If baptism is necessary to remit sin, then a person not only should be baptized, he should get into the baptistery and refuse to ever get out, lest he commit some sin after he gets out of the baptistery and dies before he could be baptized again.
If water baptism actually remits sins, then why sing, " What can wash away my sin ? Nothing but the blood of JESUS ? " Why not sing what one really believes and teaches, " What can wash away my sin ? Nothing but the water in the baptistery ? "
What does " baptized...for the remission of sins " mean ? If you use the word "for" in this passage just as you use it nearly every day of your life, then it is very simple to see what the verse really means and to see that it does not contradict Salvation by grace through faith.
A man is stopped by the state patrol and given a ticket "for" speeding. A lady takes an aspirin tablet "for" her headache. A child is scolded "for" being careless. A soldier is given a medal of honor "for" bravery. In none of these cases does the word "for" mean "in order to receive" or "to secure," but rather, "because of." The man is not given a ticket so that he may break the speed limit; he is given a ticket because he has already broken the speed limit. The lady doesn't take an aspirin tablet to get a headache; she takes an aspirin tablet because she already has a headache. The child is not scolded in order to be careless; he is scolded because he has already been careless. In the same way one is not baptized to have his sins remitted; he is baptized because his sins have already been remitted.
Dr. John R. Rice said the Greek word here is "eis" and is sometimes translated in the Bible "against, among, unto and upon." He went on to say, " It might properly be translated here, 'baptized upon the remission of your sins.'"
What Peter was saying in Acts 2:38 is that one should repent and then, because his sins are remitted, he should be baptized, showing that he is trusting CHRIST as SAVIOR and his sins have been remitted. If the placing of one under water and bringing him up again actually remitted sins, then it would be the preacher baptizing the convert who remitted the sins, and not CHRIST HIMSELF.
If baptism remitted sins, then JESUS never remitted or forgave any man of his sins, because JESUS never baptized an individual. John 4:2 says, " JESUS HIMSELF baptized not, but HIS disciples." Those who teach that one must be baptized in order to be saved also teach that one can lose his Salvation. They claim, if you fail to continue on for CHRIST, then you are lost again.
Suppose a man believes in CHRIST, confesses HIM, repents, is baptized and joins the church of the preacher who teaches baptism is necessary for Salvation. Thus, according to the preacher, he is saved. After a few years he goes back into sin and loses his salvation. Being disturbed about his condition, he goes back to the church and wants to regain his salvation or be saved again. Does that same church insist that he be baptized again ? NO, they do not.
If water baptism was necessary for Salvation the first time, then how could he possibly be saved the second time without being baptized ? That is just one of the contradictions and inconsistencies of those who teach that water baptism is necessary for Salvation.
Mark 16:16
Mark 16:16 is another verse misused by those who teach that baptism is essential to Salvation. Here the Bible says, " He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved..." Those who teach water baptism as necessary for Salvation claim that this verse clearly says that one must believe and be baptized in order to be saved. But they fail to see the rest of the verse, which says, "...but he that believeth not shall be damned." When the verse is read in its entirety, it is clear to see that believing, NOT baptism, is the determining factor in Salvation.
The Scripture does not say, 'but he that believeth not and is baptized not shall be damned.' One is damned simply by not believing on the LORD JESUS CHRIST. This is consistent with all the other clear passages in the Bible on Salvation by grace through faith. John 3:36b says, "...he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten SON of GOD."
The Bible is consistent in teaching that one is lost for one simple reason: because he has not believed on the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Nowhere does the Bible say that one is condemned, lost or damned because he has not been baptized.
Suppose I went to the airport to take a flight to California. I could say, " He that getteth on the jet plane and sitteth down shall fly to California, but he that getteth not on the plane shall not fly to California." Now, anyone who heard that statement would understand that getting on the plane was the determining factor in getting to California, not sitting down. Of course, if one got on the plane, he should sit down. It would be the proper thing to do. But he would make the trip whether he sat down or not.
And so it is with baptism: when one believes on the LORD JESUS CHRIST, he should be baptized. It is the right thing to do. It is the first thing the LORD commands us to do after we are saved. But baptism itself is not an instrument of Salvation. It is simply the first act of obedience for the believer.
Let me give you another illustration. I could say, " He that says, ' I do,' and puts on a wedding band shall be married; but he that does not say, ' I do,' shall not be married." It's the saying, " I do," that gets you married--not putting on the wedding band. The wedding band is only a symbol. It shows others that you are married, but it certainly doesn't constitute a marriage. I know married people who have never worn a wedding band. They were simply too poor to afford one when they married, but they're just as married as someone else who wears an expensive wedding band. A couple is married when they vow to take one another as their lawful marriage partners. The wedding band is placed on the finger as a token and symbol of their love and commitment.
So it is with Salvation. One is saved the moment he trusts CHRIST as SAVIOR. He should go ahead and be baptized as a public profession of his faith, showing that he believes that JESUS died, was buried and rose again. But he is saved whether or not he is ever baptized.
By Dr. Curtis Hutson
Is Water Baptism Essential to Salvation ?
Well we are going to stop at this point in Part 2 of a 3 Part series about whether baptism is needed for Salvation. We have seen in Part 1 that it definitely is NOT required for Salvation and in Part 2 we have also seen that it is NOT required for Salvation. As I said last night when I posted Part 1; I have been engaged on many occasions by people who really believe that their baptism was necessary for them to be saved. And as I said last night, " I would not want to be the one who stands in front of our dear LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST and tell HIM that HIS blood was NOT enough to save me." Think about it and don't miss the final part tomorrow evening !
Your servant in CHRIST,
Julie
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