Baptism and belief essential to salvation
When Christ instructed his disciples “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”, he also said “he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:15,16). With such a clear statement, it seems irrational that there are Christians who do not regard baptism as necessary for salvation. In fact, from the same simple statement, it is equally hard to understand the thinking of those who reject the importance of knowledge and repentance prior to baptism, by practicing infant baptism or sprinkling.
Most commonly baptism is dismissed on the grounds that salvation is a gift of God to those who have faith. It is argued that baptism is “a work” and therefore those who insist on baptism are in effect teaching that salvation is earned. Of course the key to refuting this false line of reasoning is a correct understanding of why salvation is a gift. As sinners we are not worthy of salvation. Instead we are in need of forgiveness, which is described as the gift of grace in the book of Romans (chapters 3 and 5). This gift of righteousness does not preclude works of obedience but rather as James says, “faith without works is dead”, and again “by works was faith made perfect” (James 2:20,22).
Another reason some would dismiss baptism as important is because of verses like Romans 10:9, a verse which says, “if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Taken in isolation this verse would seem to teach that only faith and confession are necessary for salvation. However a little study quickly shows that the baptism of adults, following careful instruction and belief, is the consistent pattern of the apostles in the book of Acts, as they diligently took the gospel to the ends of the earth.
In the city of Philippi, the jailor of Acts 16, spurred on by a great earthquake, asked of his prisoners: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” The response of Paul and Silas was, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” In faithful obedience, we soon find him and his household welcoming the disciples into their home and being baptized.
In like manner, when Paul on the road to Damascus was humbled enough to ask a similar question of Christ, he was led into the city where he too was instructed and baptized. Earlier in the book of Acts, we find 3000 men who, upon hearing the truth of the gospel of Christ, followed the same steps (Acts 2:37-44). While, no doubt, there are other steps in the road to salvation, two of the first are belief and baptism.
Need for Rebaptism?
With a host of other proof verses to reference, it is not difficult to explain the importance of belief and baptism to those with whom we teach the truth. However, it is not uncommon to encounter those who have already been baptized prior to contact with the truth of Scripture. Here we often find difficulty convincing them of the importance of being baptized again following a change in their beliefs.
In Acts 19, when Paul comes to Ephesus, he encountered a group that knew only of the baptism of John. These men were well aware of their position as sinners and of the need for repentance, but they were lacking a complete knowledge of the gospel message. Therefore, after further instruction concerning the life and death of Jesus, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
This Biblical precedent for being baptized a second time follows almost an identical event at the end of Acts chapter 18. Here we are told that there was an eloquent man, so mighty in the Scriptures that he was a diligent instructor of others. But again he was deficient in his knowledge. A faithful couple took him and “expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly”.
The case of Apollos and his interaction with Aquilla and Pricilla serves as a help as we seek to impress on would be servants of Christ the importance of preparation and study for baptism. It also reminds us of another prominent teacher who needed to be instructed more perfectly in the ways of God. Jesus said to Nicodemus, who came to him by night: “Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?” (John 3:10). The context of this gentle rebuke was that of Jesus’ teaching regarding being born again: “Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” How appropriate it was when Jesus went on to explain to Nicodemus that those that come to the truth come to the light. Truly all those who would be born again, must first leave the darkness and come to the light of the knowledge of truth, being instructed in the way of God more perfectly.
One Faith, One Baptism
Scripturally speaking, it is appropriate to say that a person can only truly be baptized once. “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Eph 4:4,5). Previous baptisms, undertaken without a correct knowledge of the gospel, are really not true baptisms at all. Bro. John Thomas when he was baptized for the final time in February 1847, thereby making a clean break with other religious groups, wrote these words: “After a journey of 14 years, I had found the truth.”1
Many times the initial hesitation about being re-baptized fades as a believer comes to see the number of key teachings that they misunderstood before coming to the truth of the gospel. However there are cases where despite admitting a significant change in beliefs, a contact is still hesitant to submit to the waters of baptism a ‘second’ time. In one such case, the concern expressed was that a person is baptized into Christ and not into any Christian group or church. Despite conceding to the wrong doctrines once held, our friend could not be convinced to be baptized again. While agreeing that one is not, in fact, baptized into “Christadelphia”, the fact is that re-baptism, if the previous baptism was on the basis of wrong doctrines, is important when it enables the individual to become truly part of the “one body”.
In this instance the words of Ephesians chapter four are once again helpful. Along with the “one baptism”, there is also only “one body”. When we are baptized into Christ we become part of his body. The New Testament has multiple references to the ecclesia, describing it as a building made up of believers who are “lively stones”, built up into a “spiritual house” (1Peter 2:5; also Ephesians 2:19-22). There is great importance to becoming part of a family which has Christ as its head. The New Testament is full of themes that speak to the importance of ecclesial life, themes such as: the unity of the body, the brotherhood of its members, and the breaking of bread. In addition to this there are numerous references to preserving and contending for the faith that has been delivered to us.
Change of Life
As a result of understanding the importance of truth before baptism, preparatory baptism classes have a natural emphasis on the teaching of first principles, as we insure that a candidate’s immersion is a true baptism into the “one faith”. But this preparation should not be done without also teaching that baptism requires a change of lifestyle. The apostle Paul vividly describes baptism as the death of an old way of life: “knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Rom 6:6). Having put to death an old way of life, the new man comes up from the waters of baptism to walk in “newness of life.”
The present writer can well remember classes with an enthusiastic young man which went on for many weeks. After each session, my eager student questioned whether he had finally learned enough to be baptized. The doctrinal sessions continued on and were eventually followed by a number of evenings that could be best described as a summary of the commandments of Christ for a new life in Christ. Following the final session I excitedly announced that our preparation was over and asked my now close friend if he was ready to be interviewed for baptism. Much to my surprise, his careful response was: “I don’t think I’m quite ready.”
The initial excitement of the truth gave way to a mature acknowledgement that baptism into Christ is not a mere academic exercise. Prior to baptism there may also be the need for significant changes to be made in one’s manner of life, choice of friends or even one’s employment. In another of his epistles Paul says, “put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge” (Col 3:10). The Greek word ‘renew’ carries the idea of ‘to renovate’. Anyone that has owned an older home can clearly identify with a renovation project; as one room is finished there is inevitably another which needs to be tackled. This concept is furthered by Paul when he said, “the inward man is renewed (renovated) day by day” (2Cor 4:16).
Bro. Harry Tennant in an article about baptismal instruction wrote these words under the heading “The Life to be Lived”:
“It is perhaps in this area, above all others, that interviews must change from what took place, say, twenty -five years ago. An examination of the Good Confession and the Christadelphian Instructor will show that the prime consideration was to ensure a sound doctrine as opposed to the false doctrine that abounded in the very active churches and chapels of the nineteenth century world. There is still a need for sound doctrine but, to the same degree, we have to take heed to the almost complete collapse of morals in the twentieth century world.”2
More than ever before, we must be sure to teach that baptism into Christ involves sacrifice and dedication. Perhaps this is especially true when teaching our young children who have grown up in the truth from their earliest days. Having learned the first principles at home, in Sunday school, CYC and from attendance at public lectures and seminars they develop an understanding of the doctrines from a very young age. In these cases when they seek to be baptized at a tender age, it is imperative that we help them to understand the commitment which baptism demands.
Christ in Us
Our understanding of what baptism requires and what it represents is analogous to our proper understanding of the atonement. Both doctrines, when correctly understood, require action and obedience on the part of the believer. Christ’s sacrifice was not a substitutionary sacrifice, but rather a representative one, requiring us to die unto sin. In like manner, our salvation does not merely rest on a confession of faith in Christ, but rather a participation in his death and resurrection as represented by complete immersion in water. Paul in Galatians puts it this way, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20).
While baptism is one of the most basic of all first principles, when understood correctly it is a vivid parable which illustrates the beginning of a new man, living in Christ. As a garment dipped in a dye comes out a new color, se we commit ourselves in baptism to becoming like Christ. “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:4). For those of us already baptized into Christ, there is an exhortation to examine ourselves to see if we are living up to our commitment. And if we are blessed to be explaining baptism to another, let us be diligent in explaining both the depth of commitment and the wonder of the blessings inherent in this important step towards salvation.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One