What Is Baptism? — No 7

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            Is immersion in water an act done by a Christian (one who is already saved) or is it an act done in order to become a Christian (be saved)? We have previously seen that Jesus placed both faith and baptism before salvation (Mark 16:16). We have also seen that repentance and baptism were both placed before remission of sins in the sermon on Pentecost (Acts 2:38). Let us examine further evidence showing the relationship between baptism and salvation.

1. If one can be saved without or before baptism, then he can be saved outside of Christ, for baptism is “into Christ” (Rom. 6:3).
2. If one can be saved without baptism, he can be saved without “putting on” Christ for in baptism, one “puts on Christ” (Gal. 3:27).
3. If one can be saved without baptism, he can be saved without being buried with Christ, for one is “buried with Him through baptism” (Rom. 6:4).
4. One can be saved without baptism if he can be saved without being raised with Christ to live a new life, for it is from baptism that one is raised to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).
5. One can be saved without being baptized if he can be saved outside of the body (the church) which Christ will save (Eph. 5:23), for one is “baptized into one body” (1 Cor. 12:13).
6. If one is saved before baptism, he is saved before his sins are washed away, for it is in the act of baptism that sins are washed away (Acts 22:16).
7. If baptism has no bearing on the sinner’s salvation, why is it specifically mentioned in every detailed case of conversion, while faith, repentance and confession of Christ are not? (cf Acts 2:38 – faith is not mentioned); Acts 8:12 – neither repentance nor confession mentioned; etc.)

There is no escape from the conclusion that God has made baptism a condition of pardon and the salvation He provides through the blood of Christ.

[Note: I wrote this article for, and it was published in the “Bible Thoughts” Column for the Hood County News, Granbury, Texas, April 9, 1978.]

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