<< Previous | Index | Next >>"BAPTISM: SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH!" INTRODUCTION 1. In Eph 2:8-10 we find a most wonderful passage of scripture regarding our salvation in Christ... a. In which we learn we are saved by grace through faith b. It is not of ourselves - i.e., salvation is not that which we earned or deserved c. It is not of works - i.e., works done to earn or merit our salvation d. It is the workmanship of God - i.e., that which He worked in our salvation e. Whereby we were created in Christ that we might do good works 2. Unfortunately, many have taken Eph 2:8-9 to teach such things as... a. We are saved by "faith only" 1) Yet the Bible clearly teaches we are not saved by "faith only" - Jam 2:24 2) Yet Christ is the author of eternal salvation for those who "obey him" - He 5:9 3) This would also preclude the need for repentance of sins and confession of faith in Jesus Christ, both of which are taught in the Scriptures - Lk 24:47; Ac 17:30; Ro 10:9-10 b. That baptism has no part in our salvation 1) That it is an act that takes place after we have already been saved 2) That its purpose is solely to publicly profess one's faith in Christ a) A purpose for baptism nowhere stated in the scriptures; only in some church manuals b) A purpose precluded by the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch, whose baptism took place when only he and Philip were present - Ac 8:35-38 3. But when we carefully consider what the Bible teaches about baptism... a. We learn that the baptism of a penitent believer into Christ is the moment in which he or she is saved b. And it is by grace through faith in Christ and by the working of God! [To confirm this is true, let's consider what the Bible teaches about baptism...] I. BAPTISM WAS COMMANDED BY JESUS CHRIST A. MATTHEW'S ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT COMMISSION... 1. To make disciples of all the nations - Mt 28:18-20 2. How? Baptizing them and then teaching them to observe all He commanded B. MARK'S ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT COMMISSION... 1. To preach the gospel to every creature - Mk 16:15-16 2. For what purpose? Those that who believe and are baptized will be saved! 3. Some will say: "He didn't say 'but he who does not believe and is not baptized will be condemned!'" (supposedly ruling out the necessity of baptism for salvation) 4. It was not necessary for Jesus to say "and is not baptized" a. For one who does not believe wouldn't be baptized b. Even if one is baptized without faith, their baptism is invalid, cf. Ac 8:36-37 5. Consider this illustration: "He who puts food in his mouth and eats it will be filled, but he who does not put food in his mouth will go hungry" a. It is not necessary to add "and does not eat it" b. For he who does not "does not put food in his in mouth" will not eat the food! [Jesus clearly expected people to believe and be baptized in order to be saved and become His disciples! Notice therefore how...] II. BAPTISM WAS PROCLAIMED BY HIS PREACHERS A. PETER, PREACHING THE FIRST GOSPEL SERMON... 1. Commanded his audience to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit - Ac 2:36-38 2. Exhorted them to "be saved from this perverse generation", and those who gladly received his word were baptized (about three thousand souls!) - Ac 2:40-41 B. PHILIP, PREACHING TO THE SAMARITANS AND ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH... 1.In Samaria, both men and women, along with Simon, believed and were baptized - Ac 8:12-13 2. In the desert, to the Ethiopian eunuch, Philip preached Jesus, and the Eunuch's first question was "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" - Ac 8:35-38 3. Note well: Preaching Jesus involves mentioning the need to be baptized! C. PETER, PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO THE GENTILES... 1. Witnessing the Holy Spirit falling on the Gentiles (just as He did on the apostles on the day of Pentecost, cf. Ac 2:1-4) astonished the six Jewish Christians with Peter 2. The purpose of the Spirit's outpouring on the household of Cornelius was to convince the Jews that Gentiles could be saved "in the same manner" - cf. Ac 11:1-18; 15:6-11 3. And thus Peter commanded the Gentiles to be baptized just as he had commanded the Jews on the day of Pentecost - Ac 10:47-48 D. PAUL, PREACHING THE GOSPEL DURING HIS MISSIONARY JOURNEYS... 1. Lydia and her household, were baptized to heed the things spoken by Paul - Ac 16:14-15 2. The Philippian jailor and his family, baptized immediately - Ac 16:30-34 a. Note that this was "in the same hour of the night" - Ac 16:33 b. This was shortly "after midnight" - cf. Ac 16:25 c. Note well: There was no delay (like waiting for some special baptismal service once a month as commonly practiced by some churches) 3. Paul recounting his own conversion experience - Ac 22:6-16 a. How Ananias was sent by Jesus to tell Paul (among other things): "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins..." b. Note well: Paul was still in his sins when Ananias came to him... 1) Though Paul believed in Jesus as Lord on the road to Damascus - Ac 22:6-10 2) Though he prayed & fasted for three days (indicative of his repentance) - Ac 9:9,11 3) It wasn't until his baptism that his sins were washed away (by the blood of Christ) [The preachers of Christ clearly expected people to believe and be baptized in order to be saved and become His disciples! Notice now how...] III. BAPTISM WAS EXPLAINED BY HIS APOSTLES A. PAUL EXPLAINED THE DESIGN AND PURPOSE OF BAPTISM... 1. To Christians in Rome - Ro 6:3-7 a. Those who are baptized into Christ Jesus are baptized into His death - Ro 6:3 b. Those who are buried with Him through baptism into death, are raised to walk in newness of life - Ro 6:4 c. United together in the likeness of His death (via baptism), we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection - Ro 6:5 d. Our old man was crucified with Him (when baptized), that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin - Ro 6:6; cf. Ro 6:11-19 e. He who has died with Christ (via baptism) is freed from sin (its bondage) - Ro 6:7 f. If we died with Christ (in baptism), we shall also live with him - Ro 6:8 -- As made clear later, all this takes place by the working of God in baptism! 2. To churches in Galatia - Ga 3:26-27 a. We are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus - Ga 3:26 b. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ - Ga 3:27 -- Note well: Paul explains how we became sons of God through faith in Jesus, i.e., when baptized in Christ (as Jesus said: "He who believes and is baptized...") 3. To the church at Colosse - Co 2:11-13 a. They experienced a "spiritual" circumcision of Christ - Co 2:11 1) When they were "buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him for the dead". - Co 2:12 2) And then it is said of them: "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He (i.e., God) has made alive together with Him (i.e., Christ), having forgiven you all trespasses," - Co 2:13 b. Note well: the role of grace & faith 1) God's work (i.e. His grace): It is God's working that made them alive, having forgiven all their trespasses (sin) - the Great Physician doing the surgery 2) Their role (i.e., their faith): While being immersed and raised in baptism, their role is simply faith (not works!) - like patients humbly trusting in the skill of a surgeon 3) Consider these words of Martin Luther to those who call this understanding of the necessity of baptism a kind of works-salvation: "Yes, it is true that our works are of no use for salvation. Baptism, however, is not our work but God's." c. So let's now compare Eph 2:8-10 with Col 2:11-13 1) Both Ephesians and Colossians are "prison epistles" written about the same time 2) In Eph 2:8-10 Paul writes that we are saved by grace through faith, and are God's workmanship (but does not explain how or when the process occurs) 3) In Col 2:11-13 Paul explains how we are saved by grace through faith: when we in faith submit to the command of Christ to be baptized, grace in the form of God's working on us makes us spiritually alive with all our sins forgiven! -- So when baptized into Christ, by God's grace and our faith we have remission of sins and are raised to walk in newness of life: salvation by grace through faith! 4. To Titus the evangelist - Ti 3:3-7 a. God saved us, not by works of righteousness which we have done (i.e., works of merit by which we earn our salvation) - Ti 3:3-5a b. But according to His mercy He saved us - Ti 3:5b c. "through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit" - Ti 3:5c 1) For 1500 years this was understood as referring to baptism - cf. Ac 2:38 2) As were the words of Jesus: "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." - Jn 3:5 -- Note well: by God's grace, the blood of Christ, the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, together with faith in Jesus Christ, we are saved by God's mercy (grace) through faith! B. PETER VERY SUCCINCTLY TAUGHT THAT BAPTISM SAVES US... 1. Like the flood saved Noah and his family from a sinful world - 1Pe 3:20 2. So baptism now saves us - 1Pe 3:21 a. "not the removal of the filth of the flesh" - i.e., it is not a physical cleansing involving water cleansing the body b. "but the answer of a good conscience toward God" (or as the ESV translates it: "as an appeal to God for a good conscience") - i.e., our baptism is an appeal for God to cleanse our conscience (through forgiving us of our sins) - cf. He 9:14; 10:22 -- As the KJV clearly states: "...even baptism doth also now save us" CONCLUSION 1. Baptism is not a work of man to earn or merit salvation! 2. Baptism involves a working of God, in which the penitent believer in Jesus Christ is made alive together with Christ, forgiven of all sins! Putting it simply... BAPTISM: SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH! Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, Colossians 2:12-13<< Previous | Index | Next >>
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