Baptism and Salvation

So, you ask somebody if they're saved and on their way to heaven.
Sometimes their answer will be "Yes", I've been baptized.
Sometimes their answer will be......"YES! I've been saved by the grace of God and I'm sure of my standing before Him."
Sometimes their answer will be "I hope so."
Sometimes their answer will be "Yes, I've been saved and baptised."
hmmm,
what do you do with this last answer?
How do you reply to somebody that says they think you have to be saved AND baptized to make it to heaven????

Well, I talked to a man not long ago about this very thing and I didn't do so well.
Hopefully this will help you if you meet up with somebody like this........and hopefully it will help you if you think baptism has a saving quality.

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1 Peter 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Baptism happens after you are made right with God.
It does not put away the filth of the flesh.

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Romans 10:9 That 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.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

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Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

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John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

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John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

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John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

(born of water means the physical birth, we are all born of water.....but we need another birth)


These are just a few verses that are in the Bible explaining how we DO receive Christ, how we do get right with God, saved, born again!
It's a heart thing.
Baptism is an outward expression of what has already happened in your heart.

Here are verses some people will try to use to convince you that you must be baptized as a part of the saving process:

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Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Believing and getting baptized shall make you saved......but read the rest of the verse........if you do not believe, that is what damns you. It doesn't say, believe and be baptized or you will be damned.
Believing does the saving, not the baptism.
Lack of baptism does not damn you.

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Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

There is a little word in this verse that makes all the difference in the world......
the word is 'for'.
It can mean 'because of'.

Think of it this way........

A man got put into prison for murder.
You're in prison now, go murder.
Is this so he CAN? murder?
He got put into prison TO murder?

OR, he got put into prison because of murder.
(He already murdered, and that is why he's being locked up.)

Repent and be baptized 'because of' the remission of sins.
You have repented, you have been forgiven, now be baptized.

So, if somebody uses these verses trying to show you the need of baptism for part of the salvation process, hopefully you can use these thoughts.

The New Testament is full of verses showing us that salvation is free, we need faith and repentance, and God will forgive.

Then, the man went on to say they believe you can lose your salvation.
Just how bad do you have to be I asked?
Nobody seems to be able to answer that question.
If I had a religion that taught that I could lose my salvation, I would SURELY want to know what it would take to do so.
I would want a clear line, so I would know when I stepped over it.
But, that's another story for another time.