Dear Christian Please Stop Saying Baptism Is NOT Necessary for Salvation

This idea or some variation of it proliferates the greater Christian world. I can’t figure out why.

The Pre-Jesus movement was characterized by baptism.

John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Mark 1:4-5 ESV

The Jesus’ movement began with his own baptism.

But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him. Matthew 3:15 NLT

Jesus’ last words command baptism.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

The apostles started the church with baptism.

Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”

Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. Acts 2:38-41

The early church assumed all believers were baptized.

When we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism… Romans 6:3

Baptism unleashes spiritual power we cannot comprehend.

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2:9-15

So please, dear one, if you call your self a Christian, please stop saying baptism isn’t necessary. Everything Jesus said, did and promoted is necessary if we want to belong to him.

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” – Simon Peter

Jan 19, 2018Serena

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Comments: 17

Barbara
5 years ago
I believe in baptism, but it’s a part of discipleship. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
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- Serena
  5 years ago
  Could you explain more?
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  - Marc
    5 years ago
    Faith requires action and following a pattern.
    
    The walls of Jericho fell by faith… But we know there was action firmly behind that faith.
    The marching, shouting and blowing on horns but it simply states … the wall fell by faith. The faith in doing everything that was asked.
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Barbara
5 years ago
I’m very familiar with the verses Serena uses, but they are narrative literature. To say baptism is necessary for salvation contradicts other scripture, like Paul’s clear teaching. It’s been a constant temptation over my life of knowing Jesus to think I can add something to the free gift of God, pay God back for his tremendous sacrifice for me, or try to do good works as assurance (even subconsciously) of my salvation. Yet that’s not being true to my new identity in Christ as his adopted child. I’m accepted and loved even when I behave poorly; I really can’t boast about anything. Once we add on baptism for salvation, the list keeps growing of what we must do, and we fear we’ve never done enough. I think we need to be clear on the gospel to let people know that Christ has already done it all; indeed it’s a free gift. We just need to put our faith or trust in him as our Lord and Savior to receive eternal life. (Remember the thief on the cross beside Jesus? Jesus assured him his faith was sufficient.) May a suggest a study of Ephesians or Romans? I know it’s a very complex task to try to interpret the whole of Scripture, but I feel strongly we must be clear on the basic gospel message of salvation. God bless you, Serena.
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- Serena
  5 years ago
  Thank you for sharing that Barbara. I’m just not sure it is fair to the entirety of scripture. Salvation is free. It cost me nothing. But at the same time it costs everything.
  
  And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23
  
  Certain actions will certainly cause us to loose our salvation correct? Gal. 5:21
  
  How can deliberate steps of obedience be disregarded?
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  - Chicagobluesgirl
    5 years ago
    Spiritual baptism and water baptism. One is an inward acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior; one is an outward expression. I agree with Barbara–water baptism is not needed for salvation. There is nothing we can do but accept Him. Romans 10:9. Serena, maybe this would help in your concern about losing salvation: https://www.gotquestions.org/once-saved-always-saved.html
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    - Serena
      5 years ago
      I do not have a concern about losing salvation?? I’m not sure if I left that impression. My concern is that a large segment of Christians say something is not necessary that is all over the bible. If we get to say baptism isn’t necessary then is love not necessary, is mercy not necessary or grace. If the bible says something it has come from the mind of God and we have no right to tell him something he says is not necessary.
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Barbara
5 years ago
It seems like a contradiction when you say it costs everything. Is it free or not? Salvation is indeed free, and we need to be clear about that when we share the gospel with someone! But perhaps you’re now discussing discipleship or the necessity for church discipline?
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- Serena
  5 years ago
  Barbara,
  Perhaps this is the crux of our different perspectives. I believe that that the scripture insists that one must “die with Christ” (Gal. 2:20; Col. 2:20). Sinning against the Holy Divine Creator requires death. God allowed substitutionary death from the moment he introduced animal sacrifices. Remember the Old Law is our tutor to lead us to Christ (Gal.3:24). Something MUST die. The blood of bulls and goats was only a temporary fix to the problem of sin and necessity of the wrath of God being appeased. (Heb 10:4)
  
  Jesus is the sacrifice. Jesus paid the cost of our sin. Jesus died.
  
  The call of the disciple is to die with him. That concept floods the New Testament.
  
  The beauty of the true gospel is that God does NOT require us to be executed. He requires us to SYMBOLICALLY die and be buried in the water as Romans 6 depicts. I don’t know how, but the Holy Spirit washes and regenerates (Titus 3:5). It is then that we are a new creature IN Christ. That language is very significant. Being IN Christ is only accomplished THROUGH baptism in the scriptures.
  
  Do you know of another way to die with Christ? Is there another method, according to scripture, that puts the believer in Christ?
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Barbara
5 years ago
I finally listened to the Francis Chan clip. I’m not sure what was so upsetting. Did you feel he took baptism too lightly?
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- Serena
  5 years ago
  Is this question for me? I love the Francis Chan clip. It is very simple to me that Jesus instructs baptism. Water has been part of salvation from the days of Noah. 1 Peter 3:21.
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Barbara
5 years ago
“Make disciples” is the most important verb in the Great Commission, not baptize. And contrary to you saying baptism unleashes a great power source, it’s the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, who is our power source. I believe we receive the Holy Spirit the moment we put our faith in Christ to be our sin and shame bearer.
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- Serena
  5 years ago
  So how did you come to the conclusion that “make disciples” is the most important verb?
  Furthermore, if the objection the necessity of baptism is that it is a work I assure you that in 27 years of being a Christian my baptism was certainly easier than the life of making disciples.
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Barbara
5 years ago
I agree that church discipline is warranted for the behavior in Galations 5:20ff.
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Randall
5 years ago
Barbara, I appreciate the issues you state. This all comes down to how obedient to God’s word I am willing to be. God commanded Moses to strike the rock. Did Moses have to strike the rock? I would say yes. If this is all put into the category of works then no, works do not bring salvation. Otherwise the more we do the more we get. This is all about what God does in grace, forgiveness, mercy, love and more. God offers this as a sovereign and loving Father. God, the Son Jesus, is fairly clear. Now we have to be careful in not being too legalistic or otherwise we can say that is all that is necessary, I’m dunked and that is all that is important. No it is not. It is a lifetime of being a disciple, learning of God and following. We can realize more and more characteristics of the Father and how to take on more of them as we live. This is just a short entry into the discussion.
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Randall
5 years ago
Romans, chapter 6 is one of several passages that illustrate what baptism is and what it symbolizes. There is a Christian group out there that has a past history of legalism (still does in some parts of the country) that says that baptism is the final act of our salvation and/or some variation. There are so many areas of learning and growing as a disciple that folds into knowing a sovereign God of the whole universe.
There was then the covenant made with Moses that had so many physical requirements yet it was not originally intended to be that way. It became legalistic. Fast forward to the book of Matthew, chapters 5-7 where Jesus sat down with his followers This was a detailed discourses on following him. He said of the old covenant “you have heard it said but I tell you…”. Even though God gives us grace, mercy, forgiveness and love, how can I respond in the way he responds. I can’t but only in following and learning about him can I be more like him in how I behave and act to him and others. Galatians 3:26, 27 comes to mind in baptism but also 5:19-24 of the same book where Paul the apostle refers to the works of the flesh and the fruits of the spirit. The question is not about baptism and should I or should I not but rather the question is about trusting our sovereign God in what he says. Obedience should not be turned into a legalistic check off the box.
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- Serena
  5 years ago
  “Obedience should not be turned into a legalistic check off the box.”
  
  Randall, I think people doing that has been the source of the “not necessary” push. The pendulum swung one way and then another. It isn’t about working and earning. It is about an obedient response of the heart.
  
  Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 1 Pet 3:21
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