Baptism (Immersion) essential to salvation

Lessons from Acts | 1991 | Ken L. Miller, Ed.D.

[arrogantduck]

What do you when 3000 persons respond to a sermon and want to be immersed in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins? What do you do when this number of 3000 is added to daily?...

[Jaded]

.

[JohnnyM]

So you have never disobeyed God or sinned since you were saved?

However, I would question the belief of anyone who willfully refuses to get baptized.

JM

[Tribune7]

More appropriately, can you disobey any the commandments and still be "secure" in salvation?

That changes the point being made entirely :-)

[asformeandformyhouse]

Well, baptism is a "act" or "deed" or "work" and your statement can be interpreted that this "act" is a requirement of salvation which strikes me as taking away from the glory and sacrifice of Jesus.

I was once told by a debate teacher that the one who defines the terms will win the argument. Why do people insists that baptism must be a 'work' as defined in Ephesians 2:9? This is not a biblical concept. It was developed by man. Even Martin Luther, when asked if baptism was a work, said "Yes, but it's God's work, not man's."

Following that logic, faith can't save us; as the Bible tells us that faith is a work.

1 Thessalonians 1:3  Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

2 Thessalonians 1:11  Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:

[jkl1122]

Once someone becomes a Christian, they must ask forgiveness of their sins and God will forgive them.

Acts 2:38 says that baptism is "for the remission of sins". Can you become a Christian before your sins are remitted?

Acts 22:16 says that baptism "washes away sins". Can you become a Christian before your sins are washed away?

Galatians 3:27 says that "as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ". Can you become a Christian before you "put on Christ"?

[Tribune7]

So you're saying that baptism (by immersion) is a requirement for salvation?

[mike182d]

So before Christ people made it all the way to heaven apart from Christ?

How could Moses and Elijah appear to Christ in the transfiguration if they were in Sheoul and not in heaven?

[dangus]

>> All Greek/Hebrew works are defined buy their using, not by what a person prefers it according to their denomination. We don't have a magic dictionary from Bible days that tell us what each word means. We come up with the meaning because of context. <<

So since the Catholic Church assembled the bible, one must look to what the Catholic Church meant?

[mike182d]

Do you really think Jesus Christ was unaware when He appointed Judas Iscariot that he would be the one to betray Him to the Romans for the purpose of His appointed suffering and death on the cross? For that matter, when do you think He figured out Isaiah 53 (for example) was all about Him and His appointment with the cross?

This is sort of like the infamous problem of evil; God can know that something is going to happen, but His knowing it isn't the cause of it happening. God knows it because it happens, not be he knows it, and there are causes apart from God (i.e. us and free will) that cause things to happen.

I believe absolutely that Christ knew what Judas was going to do to Him, but this does not mean that He destined this fate for Judas or desired for it to happen. Christ does not tempt anyone with the intent of them leading them into sin. Likewise, it is contrary to God's all-loving nature to a)desire for a person to go to Hell, b)intentionally present circumstances that would cause a person to go to Hell, or c) destine someone to go to Hell.

Jesus' Passion would not have been much different if Judas hadn't betrayed Him. Judas wasn't an integral part in the authorities finding Jesus, and it could have happened another way (not at the expense of someone's soul). What happened to Judas was Judas' decision and not Christ's or God's.

[Always Right]

No mention of Baptism for everlasting life? None and this is Jesus speaking. If Baptism was the prerequisite for it, dont you think He would have mentioned it.

He DID more than mention baptism, He was baptized Himself.

[biblewonk]

Why couldn't they?

[biblewonk]

But somehow we've managed to rabbit trail to a much less interesting subject. Where were we?

[Always Right]

So you're saying that baptism (by immersion) is a requirement for salvation?

It does not matter what anyone says because no one knows how God will judge an individual. But if one is aware that baptism is at least recommended by the Bible and Jesus was in fact baptized by immersion Himself, I would strongly recommend doing it.

[jkl1122]

It is more than stronly recommended. It is commanded by Jesus personally, and also by His Apostles.

[JohnnyM]

So Jesus was wrong when He said, beleive in Him and have eternal life. What He really meant was believe in Him AND get baptized to have eternal life.

We can play Scripture tag all day long. There are passages that make no mention of baptism in regards to salvation and there are those that do. So we need to reconcile the two. Baptism SAVES you from the world, just as Moses' baptism saved them from the Egyptians. The angel of death did not pass over those who had been baptized, but over those who had believed and placed the blood of the lamb on the doorpost.

JM

[jkl1122]

I am not wanting to play "Scripture tag". Please answer the 3 questions I asked in post #145. Thanks.

[Always Right]

So Jesus was wrong when He said, beleive in Him and have eternal life. What He really meant was believe in Him AND get baptized to have eternal life. We can play Scripture tag all day long. There are passages that make no mention of baptism in regards to salvation and there are those that do. So we need to reconcile the two.

I would not be so certain they need to be reconciled. Part of believing in Him could include being baptized.

[tmp02]

No! Context!

[jo kus]

"My post was a question for him to ask his pastor. To help clear things up for him.
And yes, I believe someone can be saved making a "death bed confession"! Thus ruling out the idea you must have a water immersion baptism to be saved"

Thanks for clarifying for me.

Take care

[newgeezer]

Let's not lose sight of your earlier claim, that Judas Iscariot lost his salvation, after once having it.

Earlier, you wrote, "are you suggesting, then, that Jesus appointed someone who did not believe Christ's teachings to carry on these very same teachings?"

I responded, "He didn't appoint Judas Iscariot to carry on His teachings. He appointed Judas to betray Him."

Do you agree? Or, do you still hold to your claim that Judas must have been a true believer in order to be appointed to the twelve? Maybe he tagged along because he thought it could be advantageous to align himself with this guy who might be the promised Messiah who'd overthrow the occupying Romans. At any rate, Jesus knew his heart.

Oh, and be sure to check Romans 9 for the answer to that "God destined someone for Hell?" question you posed. At the very least, no matter what we might think of the idea, it's apparently not unthinkable.