Replies

Sad to say, but just because someone claims he’s a new Christian doesn’t mean that he is in fact a Christian.

This fellow claims to be a new Christian, but then he indicates that he hasn’t been baptized.

On the first Pentecost following the resurrection of Christ, the apostle Peter preached the first gospel sermon in fact. In Ac. 2.37-41, Luke recorded the reaction of Peter’s audience on that occasion:

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him. And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation. They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls.

Here is an important statement made about baptism, i.e., it was for the remission of sins.

If our new Christian was saved before he was baptized, he was saved without the remission of sins. Jesus poured out his blood for the remission of sins (Mt. 26.28). If we can be saved without the remission of our sins, could we also have been saved without the blood of Christ?

In many other New Testament passages, we find clear statements about its importance. For example, in Ac. 22.16, Ananias told Saul: And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.

These were words were spoken to Paul who saw Christ on the road to Damascus. He knew he wasn’t a Christian yet, but he was told what to do to wash away his sins.

In Rom. 6.3-4, Paul taught that baptism puts us into Christ and into His death: Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.

Note that newness of life and the benefits of Christ’s death
came in baptism.

In I Cor. 12.13, Paul affirmed that baptism puts us into the body of Christ (which is the church, Eph. 1.23, 24, Col. 1.18): For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit.

Here Paul teaches that baptism puts us into the body of Christ. If our friend claiming to be a Christian before baptism is correct, he’s saved outside the body of Christ. Who can believe it?

In Gal. 3.26-27, Paul taught again that baptism puts us into Christ and makes us children of God by faith: For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ.

Again, if our friend claiming to be a Christian before baptism is correct, does he really believe he’s a Christian without being a child of God by faith, which he becomes in baptism, and saved outside of Christ?

So, I would congratulate the person and suggest he looks more closely at the role of baptism in his salvation. He might also look for a mentor or a church that teaches him correctly about the role of baptism in his becoming a Christian.

Thanks for reading, and considering.