Introduction
A few people suggest that the ordinance of baptism is not part of the gospel, but while it is true that the ordinance of baptism is not the gospel, it’s a command of the gospel, Matthew 28:19-20 / Mark 16:15-16. What is the gospel? Paul tells us what the gospel is.
“Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
I’m sure you noticed that baptism is not mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, but, nevertheless, we cannot separate baptism from the gospel without doing violence to the great commission.
“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.” Mark 16:15-16.
I’m also sure you noticed that repentance or confession are mentioned in the gospel, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. Baptism is much a part of the gospel as faith, repentance and confession.
Faith
Faith is necessary for salvation, but it is the faith that works through love, Galatians 5:6. Faith becomes God’s condition of salvation and in Romans 1:16 Paul says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes”.
It is not unconditional, faith itself is a condition of salvation. The gospel is the power of God, but it does not save everybody. It only saves those who believe.
Believing is a work of God, simply because it is that which God has commanded, John 6:27-29. If I am employed by somebody, whose work do I do? Do I do his work, or do I do the work that he tells me to do?
We can work the work of God, and believe on His Son, and be saved by faith, but have you earned your salvation? Certainly not!
There is no merit in faith. There is nothing in faith that makes God have to save us, nothing at all. There is no merit at all. But faith saves because faith and baptism have both been commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ, Matthew 28:19 / Mark 16:16.
Repentance
Is repentance necessary to salvation? Can one be saved who refuses to repent? Certainly not! Acts 17:30 says, “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.” But where does repentance come? Before or after faith?
It is really immaterial whether it’s repentance then faith or faith and repentance. It does not really matter. It is not repentance without faith and it’s not faith without repentance. It is repentance plus faith so, even there our faith is not alone.
2 Corinthians 7:10 teaches us that repentance comes BEFORE salvation. Surely no one would suggest that repentance wasn’t necessary for salvation. Repentance is joined with baptism with the same purpose in view, which is salvation, and we cannot separate the two.
If people say that faith alone saves us but argue that a person needs to repent to be saved, they have just nullified the first statement. We cannot be forgiven simply by believing, we cannot be saved without also repentance and baptism.
Confession
Paul says in Romans 10:9, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”. Is confession of Christ necessary to salvation? If we say that confession of Christ is necessary to salvation, then this is not faith alone.
Remember this confession comes AFTER faith because we do not confess Christ first and then have faith, it is impossible. We can only confess that which we believe that which we have.
So, the order evidently is, faith first and then the expression of that faith in confession. But according to Paul’s argument in Romans 10:10 your salvation is not until after confession, “with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Baptism
In 1 Peter 3:21 the apostle Peter, speaking of the salvation Noah had in Old Testament times says, “this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you ALSO—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God”.
Baptism is a penitent appeal of faith for the forgiveness of our sins. It is trusting God that He will wash away our sins.
Question
Noah and his family were saved by the water or by the ark in the water. How does baptism save?
Is this some present salvation or is it some future salvation referred to here?
And how can baptism be the request to God for a conscience that’s right with Him, if we’ve already got that conscience by believing in Him?
Is baptism simply a response from an already clean conscience?
Water baptism does not save us because of some inherent power found in water, but rather through the word, the blood, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, John 8:51 / John 14:23 / Romans 5:9-10 / Ephesians 2:13. It seems pretty plain in this passage that Peter says that baptism does now ALSO save us.
Questions
How can anyone read the account of the Jews being converted, Acts 2:37-38, and separate baptism from the gospel?
We read that when the Samaritans believed Philip, preaching the good news concerning the Kingdom of God and in the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptised. Evidently something that Phillip said about the good news involved these people being baptised, Acts 8:6 / Acts 8:12.
How can anyone separate baptism from the gospel?
How can anyone read this account and separate baptism from the gospel?
How can anyone read the account of the Samaritans being converted, Acts 8:37-38, and separate baptism from the gospel?
How can anyone the account of Cornelius and his household, Acts 10:33 / Acts 10:43 / Acts 11:18 / Acts 10:47, and separate baptism from the gospel?
In Acts 16:14-15 we read that when the Lord opened Lydia’s heart so she could respond to Paul’s message and then be baptised. The Lord had opened her heart, in other words, she listened to the things spoken by Paul and as the most natural thing in the world we are told she was baptised. How can anyone separate baptism from the gospel?
In Acts 18:8 many of the Corinthians heard, believed and were baptised. How can anyone separate baptism from the gospel?
How can anyone read the account of some Ephesians being converted, Acts 19:4-5, and separate baptism from the gospel?
When we look at the conversions mentioned in the Books of Acts in the table below, we see that baptism is as much a part of the gospel as faith, repentance and confession. All are necessary for salvation.
Question
If baptism isn’t a necessity for salvation, then why did every single person who became Christian as recorded in the Book of Acts get baptised?
What other explanation is there for their baptism if it wasn’t connected to the forgiveness of sins?
Conclusion
“Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that CHRIST DIED for our sins according to the Scriptures, that HE WAS BURIED, that HE WAS RAISED on the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Notice that Jesus died, was buried and rose again. Let’s look at what happens when a person is baptised.
“Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized INTO CHRIST Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore BURIED WITH HIM through baptism INTO DEATH in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, WE TOO MAY LIVE A NEW LIFE.” Romans 6:3-4
When a person is baptized, they are baptised into a relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19. It is at baptism we find ourselves ‘in Christ’, with every spiritual blessing in Christ, Ephesians 1:3. They are baptised into His death.
It is at baptism they died to sin, were buried, and are raised to walk in newness of life. It is at baptism that we begin our Christian life. It is at baptism we come into contact with the blood of Jesus, which washes away our sins, Matthew 26:27-28 / Acts 2:38 / Acts 22:16 / 1 Peter 1:18-19.
Baptism is a penitent appeal of faith for the forgiveness of our sins, 1 Peter 3:21. It is trusting God that He will wash away our sins.
