Baptism, is it Necessary for Salvation?
The Dilemma
The reason for this article is that some hold that baptism is necessary for salvation and others do not. This piece will be short, to the point, and will bring the reader to a decision.
In order to arrive at the proper decision you the reader must agree to the italicized statement below. It is simple, concise, and not a trap as you can see for yourself.
“If baptism is not necessary for salvation then let’s agree that baptism is not by God’s authority, and on the flip side, if baptism is necessary salvation then let’s agree it is by God’s authority.”
Can we agree upon that statement?
Good.
One day while Jesus was teaching in the temple courts the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him and asked, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?”[1]Matthew 21:23 [2]Note: The important issue to know here is that the elders and the priests were NOT going accept any answer from Jesus. That is unless, of course, he said that one of them gave him permission.
Jesus, knowing that they would brush off any answer of his[3]Jesus wasn’t going to answer their question if they weren’t going to answer his asked them a question instead, “John’s baptism –where did it come from? Was it from heaven or from human origin?[4]Matthew 21:25
The leaders discussed the question among themselves and said, “If we say from heaven, then he’ll say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say it is of ‘human origin’ –we are afraid of the people, for they hold that John was a prophet.” So they said, “We don’t know.”[5]Matthew 21:26-27 In other words they were afraid to lose the respect of the people.
So dear reader I ask you, “Was John’s baptism from heaven or from human origin?”
Ok great. Let’s move on to where you may make your own conclusion in regard to salvation.
The Great Commission
After Jesus appeared to the eleven he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”[6]Mark 16:16
Dear reader, Jesus’s baptism;{Matthew 28:19, and Mark 16:16}} is it from heaven or human origin?[7]If you want to argue this conclusion then know that you’re arguing against God and not with me or any human.
Baptism is not only necessary for salvation, it is necessary to enter the Kingdom of God. I will write on this later, but here’s a link to David Bercot’s audio Kingdom of God study, he’s a former lawyer, Jehovah’s Witness and evangelical, who sought God with all his heart. The link will take you to his Scroll Publishing Youtube channel.
References
| ↑1 | Matthew 21:23 |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Note: The important issue to know here is that the elders and the priests were NOT going accept any answer from Jesus. That is unless, of course, he said that one of them gave him permission. |
| ↑3 | Jesus wasn’t going to answer their question if they weren’t going to answer his |
| ↑4 | Matthew 21:25 |
| ↑5 | Matthew 21:26-27 |
| ↑6 | Mark 16:16 |
| ↑7 | If you want to argue this conclusion then know that you’re arguing against God and not with me or any human. |
