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"And take...the sword of
the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17)
In this issue:
Answering
Arguments Against the Necessity of Water Baptism for Salvation
Sermon Outlines:
Noteworthy News:
The List Keeps Growing
Answering Arguments Against the
Necessity of Water Baptism for Salvation
Joe R. Price
A friend and fellow gospel
preacher shared a letter with me that a Christian received from a man who
does not believe in the necessity of water baptism for the salvation of
sinners. He asked if I might write a brief reply, and I am happy to do so.
Those who twist the Scriptures do so to their own destruction, and their
attempt to shake the faith of good brethren should not go unchallenged (2
Pet. 3:16; 2 Ths. 2:1-3; Gal. 1:6-10).
Argument #1:
“No intelligent person can actually believe that water baptism can remit
sins.”
Immediately, an ad hominem
approach is presented: an attack on the person instead of his teaching.
The apostles were “uneducated and untrained men,” but they were
inspired by the Holy Spirit, and by that inspiration they preached
“repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins” and that water “baptism doth also now save
us” (Acts 4:13; 1 Cor. 14:37; Acts 2:38; 1 Pet. 3:21). I would not so
easily indict the intelligence of the Lord, who said, “He who believes
and is baptized will be saved,” (Mk. 16:16). The Bible teaches water
baptism is necessary in order to be saved, and it does not matter what
intelligent people say to the contrary. “For the message of the cross is
foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is
the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the
wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent’” (1 Cor.
1:18-19).
Argument #2:
“Such a theory takes salvation out of the hands of Christ and places it into
the hands of other mediators between God and man, for example, the
administrators of baptism.”
When the lost man from Ethiopia
heard Christ preached he asked, “See, here is water. What hinders me
from being baptized?” (Acts 8:36) Philip did not object with a cry of
“other mediators” or “baptism will take salvation out of the hands of
Christ!” No, Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may”
(Acts 8:37). When Philip baptized the Ethiopian he did not usurp the
mediatory work of Christ to save sinners (Acts 8:38; 1 Tim. 2:5-6). If he
did, why does the Bible tell us the man “went on his way rejoicing”
(Acts 8:39)? Did Philip give him a false hope by baptizing him? No. Those
who oppose the necessity of water baptism deny the Mediator’s right to
command obedience in order to be saved (Heb. 5:8-9).
The Scripture
says, “with the mouth confession is made unto (in order to)
salvation” (Rom. 10:10). Does the fact that one must “confess with
your mouth the Lord Jesus” take salvation out of the hands of Christ and
place it into the mouth of the confessor? (Rom. 10:9) No! Yet it must, if
this man’s objection is to be believed.
The apostle Paul taught that
who does the baptizing is immaterial to one’s salvation (1 Cor.
1:11-17). It is crucial, however, that the person who is baptized believes
in Jesus, confesses his faith and repents of his sins (Mk. 16:16; Rom.
10:9-10; Acts 2:38; 8:35-39).
Argument #3:
“When the penitent sinner is ready to receive Christ no power in the
universe can prevent his forgiveness and salvation for one moment.
Baptismal forgiveness teaches and REQUIRES baptism by man BEFORE the work of
Christ can be effective. Any baptizer then would be more powerful than
Christ and could in theory halt the work of Christ in the penitent and make
the work of Christ of no effect.”
This man is right about one
thing; no power can prevent Christ from forgiving sins (Rom. 8:33-34).
Since Jesus said He would use His power to save the sinner who “believes
and is baptized” (Mk. 16:16), what if a preacher will not “preach
Christ” to the lost sinner so that he can believe and be saved? Is he then
“more powerful than Christ” and making “the work of Christ of no effect”?
No!
The great commission baptism is
by the authority of (in the name of) Jesus Christ, not man (Acts 2:38;
19:5). Its power comes from Jesus and does not depend on the person doing
the baptizing.
Argument #4:
“Forgiveness through baptism also limit’s the efficacy of the blood of
Christ to the physical element of water.”
If this is true, we are forced by
the same logic to believe that “forgiveness through confession of faith
also limit’s the efficacy of the blood of Christ to the physical element of
the tongue.” Such objections are pure sophistry based on human reasoning
without Scriptural basis and support.
The Bible assures us the power of
baptism is not in the external washing of the flesh with water (“not the
removal of the filth of the flesh,” 1 Pet. 3:21). Yet, Christ
sanctifies and cleanses the church “with the washing of water by the
word” (Eph. 5:26). That is, the power of Christ’s blood (His death) is
applied when the sinner will be baptized “and wash away” his sins
(Acts 22:16). This is because the sinner, when baptized in water, is
“baptized into” the death of Christ (Rom. 6:3). The sinner is
“buried with Him through baptism into death” to sin, now no longer to
continue in sin (Rom. 6:4, 2; Col. 2:12). Thus being saved, the Lord adds
him or her to His church (Acts 2:41, 47).
Argument #5:
“According to this, where water cannot be found the efficacy of the blood of
Jesus cannot be found either…and, we would have to find it in sufficient
quantity for one to be IMMERSED of the blood of Jesus would have no
efficacy.”
More sophistry. A sinner who
heard Jesus preached to him understood his need to be baptized (immersed)
into Christ’s death to be saved, and in a desert he found enough water to do
so (Acts 8:35-39). I suppose if he could find enough water, we can, too.
Water is among the most plentiful resources on earth. About 60% of our
physical body weight is water! Without water, our outer man (the flesh)
will die. Without water baptism the inner man will remain dead in sin.
“Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of
God” (Jno. 3:5).
Argument #6:
“This theory also contradicts hundreds of Scriptures which say clearly that
men are forgiven, saved, justified, sanctified and washed from their
sins…not one time is baptism referred to in any one of the passages as
NECESSARY in the forgiveness of sins!!!”
One of the
passages cited as proof that water baptism is not necessary for salvation is
Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and
that not of yourselves; it is the
gift of God, not of works, lest
anyone should boast.”
We wholeheartedly believe that
salvation is “by grace through faith.” If this anti-baptism use of
Ephesians 2:8-9 is correct, then neither can we require repentance of
sins in order to be forgiven, since repentance is not mentioned in this
passage! Nor can we require confession of faith, for it is not
there, either! Once more, what proves too much proves nothing. Such wisdom
of men misuses the word of God in a vain attempt to condemn what God
approves!
God’s plan of salvation for
sinners is not wholly revealed in one verse, but in one gospel, the New
Testament of Christ. The sum of God’s word is truth, and we must not
interpret one verse so as to contradict and nullify another (Psa. 119:160).
God’s word is without error, being completely inspired by Him (2 Tim.
3:16-17). When “rightly divided” we can “understand what the will
of the Lord” is (2 Tim. 2:15; Eph. 5:17).
It should be noted that those who
love Jesus keep His commandments, and that “faith working through love”
is potent to save (Jno. 14:15, 21, 23, Gal. 5:5-6). On the other hand,
faith that does not have works (of obedience) is of no profit, dead, unseen,
of demons, barren and will not justify (Jas. 2:14, 17-20, 24). It is those
who love Jesus and trust His power to save who fully obey Him in faith by
confessing faith, repenting of sins and being baptized for remission of
sins.
Argument #7:
“There are MANY concrete examples of people being saved and having their
sins forgiven WITHOUT water baptism.”
The Old Testament saints are
offered as examples of this. OT prophets did not even know Jesus of
Nazareth was the Christ (1 Pet. 1:10-12). Does that mean we do not have to
believe Jesus is the Christ to be saved (they didn’t)? No! Water baptism
was not commanded of OT people. But, the gospel commands it of us (Mk.
16:16). Will you obey Jesus, or rebel? Obey Jesus now!
Top
You can find the
complete outline of this sermon at
BIBLE ANSWERS
My Condition of Heart
Scripture Reading: Psalms 7:6-17
1.
Heart: Chief organ of life; Seat of our inner
life.
2. Heart
represents one’s true character (1 Pet. 3:4); emotions, reasoning, will,
conscience.
3. cf. the heart’s relation to right & wrong – Jer. 17:9-10 (Prov. 14:12;
28:26; 3:5-6).
4. Vigilant protection necessary – Prov. 4:23.
I. GOD KNOWS OUR HEART
– Lk. 16:14-15.
A. Astounding & Sobering
Truth. (Heb. 4:13)
B. Things to Know about God’s Knowledge of Our Hearts:
1. God
sees things differently than we do – 1 Sam. 16:6-7; Lk. 16:14-15.
2. God searches & tries the heart – Jer. 17: 10; Psa. 7:9-11 (Prov.
15:10; Lk. 6:8; Acts 1:24; 15:8)
3. Our conduct is attributed to our heart & judged accordingly – Jer.
17:10 (Mk. 7:20-21).
4. Our hearts are laid bare before God! (Heb. 4:13)
II. WE MUST EXAMINE & IMPROVE
OUR HEARTS IN ORDER TO EXAMINE & IMPROVE OURSELVES
(2 Cor. 13:5).
A. Before We Will Ever
Carefully Examine Our Hearts We Must Want to Improve Ourselves– Psa. 17:1-3.
B. By Looking at Our Hearts we See Ourselves – Prov. 27:19 (Matt. 12:35;
15:7-9); Matt. 15:18-20 (23:25-26); Jno. 3:19-21.
C. God’s Word Will Improve Our Hearts & Lives – Heb. 4:12 (Psa. 37:29-31;
119:11); Heb. 10:15-17 (Col. 3:16).
III. LIKE DAVID, WE CAN BE
PEOPLE “AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART”
– Acts 13:22; 1 Sam. 13:14.
A. Obedient Heart, Acts 13:22;
Rom. 6:17.
B. Servant Heart, Psa. 89:20; 32:5; 1Pet.5:5-6 (cf. Jesus, Matt. 20:28;
Jno. 13:12-17; Gal. 5:13).
C. A Loyal Heart, 1 Sam. 17:37; 2 Sam. 22:1-4; 24:10, 14, 24; Lk. 8:15.
David looked at things the way God does…so must we (Matt. 5:8; Prv. 4:23).
Top
NOTEWORTHY NEWS
(Current events in the
light of Scripture)
The List
Keeps Growing
Joe R. Price
The number of diseases directly
and indirectly attributable to cigarette smoking continues to grow. Last
Thursday, U. S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona made his first official
assessment of smoking.
“The surgeon general’s report
concluded that smoking causes a number of diseases not previously attributed
to smoking. They include: acute myeloid leukemia and cancers of the cervix,
kidney, pancreas and stomach; abdominal aortic aneurysm, cataracts,
periodontitis and pneumonia.” (“Surgeon
General Expands List of Diseases Linked to Smoking,” USA Today,
May 27, 2004;
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-05-27-smoking_x.htm)
There are plenty of physical and
spiritual reasons not to smoke or to quit smoking cigarettes:
1. You will be healthier and
live longer. “About
440,000 Americans die of smoking-related diseases each year…On average, the
surgeon general says, smokers die 13 to 14 years before nonsmokers.” (Ibid.)
2. You will have more money to
provide for yourself, your family, and others.
A person who smokes one pack a day spends about $900 annually. The health
costs are much more. “The report says treating smoking-related diseases
costs the nation $75 billion annually. The loss of productivity from smoking
is estimated to be $82 billion annually.” (Ibid.)
3. The addictive nature of
cigarette smoking puts one under the control of nicotine.
Self-control is part of the fruit
of the Spirit that Christians are to bear (Gal. 5:23). Saints ought not be
“brought under the power of anything” that hinders self-control (1
Cor. 6:12).
4. Our body is the temple of the
Holy Spirit and is to be used for the glory of God
(1 Cor. 6:15, 19-20). Be careful to treat your body with respect and
usefulness in the Lord’s service. Take care of it. One day we will answer
to the Lord for what we did with our body (2 Cor. 5:10).
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