Ask Doc: Is baptism necessary for salvation? - Michael
FIVE-POINT BUILDER
1) Mark 16:16 (KJV): "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." — Faith and baptism are linked to salvation.
2) Acts 2:38 (KJV): "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins..." — Baptism accompanies repentance and the forgiveness of sins.
3) Ephesians 2:8–9 (KJV): "For by grace are ye saved through faith... not of works..." — Salvation is a gift of grace through faith, not by works.
4) Romans 6:3–4 (KJV): "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?..." — Baptism symbolizes burial and resurrection with Christ.
5) John 3:5 (KJV): Jesus said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." — The new birth involves water and Spirit.
WORD STUDY
Baptizo (Greek; βαπτίζω) — to immerse or dip under water. This act symbolizes dying to sin and rising to new life in Christ, representing a spiritual transformation.
INSIGHT
Baptism expresses the believer’s union with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. While Scripture describes baptism as linked with repentance and salvation, it points to faith as the root means by which one receives saving grace. Baptism is a sacred, God-ordained ordinance, an outward testimony of an inward change commanded by Christ in the Great Commission, reflecting our cleansing and new birth. The Apostles’ Creed acknowledges Christ's death and resurrection as the heart of salvation, into which believers are baptized, symbolizing entrance into His body, the Church.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
- If you have not yet been baptized, prayerfully consider this act of obedience alongside your faith commitment.
- Use baptism as a public declaration of your faith and new life in Christ.
- Reflect regularly on Romans 6:3–4 as a reminder of your identification with Christ’s death and resurrection.
- Encourage new believers to understand baptism’s significance without elevating it above faith in Christ alone for salvation.
- Keep growing in grace and knowledge, knowing baptism marks a beginning, not the completion, of your salvation journey.
CLOSING PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Help us to obey Your command to be baptized as an outward sign of the grace You have lavished upon us. May our hearts be always fixed on Christ, by whom we are born again and made new. Guide us to live faithfully as Your children, bearing witness to Your redeeming love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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