Today in our worship services we concluded our study in the Gospel of Mark.\u00a0 If you weren\u2019t there, I would encourage you to go to iTunes-podcasts-search Westlake Baptist Church and click on the microphone, and you can listen to the message for free.\u00a0 We were in Mark 16 and the theme for the sermon was that Jesus, the Servant of God, sends us.\u00a0 However, there is a verse in Mark 16 that often causes some confusion and brings up questions.\u00a0 Actually, there are two passages there in Mark 16.\u00a0 There is one about handing snakes and drinking poison and not being hurt.\u00a0However, that\u2019s not the one I am going to deal with in this post.\u00a0 Though I might deal with that in another post, we will see.\u00a0 The controversial verse I\u2019m speaking of in Mark 16:16 which says, \u201cHe that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.\u201d\u00a0 So the question that is brought up is this, is Jesus teaching that baptism is necessary for salvation?\u00a0 In something that is a little different, I want to present the two main arguments on this topic.\u00a0 One argument says it is necessary.\u00a0 The other argument says it isn\u2019t necessary.\u00a0 Then I will share where I fall theologically on it, and finish this post up with why this matters to us today.<\/p>\n
Theological Belief 1: Baptism is necessary for salvation<\/strong>.\u00a0Proponents of this view simply say, \u201cread the text.\u201d\u00a0 The text clearly says, \u201che that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.\u201d That seems pretty straightforward.\u00a0 Of course they would also point to other passages such as Peter\u2019s sermon in Acts 2 where he says, \u201crepent and be baptized\u201d (Acts 2:38).\u00a0 They will also point to James 2 where James says that \u201cfaith without works is dead\u201d (James 2:17, 26).\u00a0 They say that baptism is the first work that we do.\u00a0 Then finally they will point to 1 Peter 3 where Peter says ,\u201dWhich sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.\u00a0 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), by the resurrection of Jesus Christ\u201d (1 Peter 3:20-21).\u00a0 Again they will say, read the read and it makes is pretty clear.\u00a0 So that is view one.<\/p>\n Theological View 2: Baptism is not necessary for salvation<\/strong>.\u00a0Proponents of this view say that baptism is an outward symbol of the inward work done in our heart by Jesus when we surrendered to God\u2019s grace through faith and were saved.\u00a0 They will point to Romans 6:3-4 where Paul says, \u201cKnow ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?\u00a0 Therefore, we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life.\u201d\u00a0 Here Paul is saying that baptism is a symbol of Jesus\u2019 death, burial, and resurrection. That as we go into the water we are dying to ourselves, and we bury the old us, and God raises us into this new life given to us by His grace through the blood of Jesus Christ.\u00a0 Proponents of view 2 will also say that is baptism is necessary for salvation then there are two indisputable conclusions in Scripture.\u00a0 First, the thief on the cross was not saved, because he was not baptized. Second, if baptism is necessary for salvation, then that means salvation is by works.\u00a0 However, we know that Scripture clearly teaches the opposite, especially in Ephesians 2:8-9 which says, \u201cFor by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.\u201d\u00a0 So there are the two views on baptism.\u00a0 Now to the next section of this post.<\/p>\n My personal theological conviction<\/strong>.\u00a0 I, personally, come down on the second view side of this argument.\u00a0I do not believe that baptism is necessary for salvation for the previous reasons mentioned.\u00a0 While I do understand that the previously stated passages including there in Mark 16 can be confusing, I believe as we understand the context of the passages we can get to the true meaning of them.\u00a0 First, we must understand that baptism was a given in those days.\u00a0 If a person placed their faith in Jesus Christ, the way that they would demonstrate that would be that they would be baptized. They wanted people to know that they had been saved by grace through the blood of Jesus.\u00a0 They wanted to demonstrate to people that God has washed away their sins, and that they were now a child of God.\u00a0 Jesus, certainly would have believed that any true follower of His would follow in His example of being baptized.\u00a0 Elsewhere in the Gospels, Jesus says if you confess Me before men, I will confess you before My Father.\u00a0 But if you don\u2019t confess Me before men, then I will deny you before My Father\u201d (Mt. 10:32).\u00a0 One of the ways that a believer confesses Jesus as Lord is by public baptism. If a person says they believe in Jesus and claims to be a Christian, yet will not publicly follow through with baptism, one should wonder why they won\u2019t do that.\u00a0This understanding of baptism was the natural result of confessing faith in Jesus helps explain Mark 13 and Acts 2.\u00a0But what about 1 Peter 3?\u00a0 Again, context is important here.\u00a0 Peter in this passage is talking about how a Christian should live in a fallen world.\u00a0 Peter uses Noah and the flood as a symbol.\u00a0 What did the water represent in the flood of Genesis 6-9?\u00a0 It represented God\u2019s judgment and death because of sin.\u00a0Peter even says that baptism doesn\u2019t wash off the external filth, but rather is a sign of a good conscience towards God.\u00a0 In other words, I am baptized as a public declaration that I have been inwardly washed of my sins by the blood of Jesus Christ.\u00a0 I also fall on the side of the second view point because Jesus Himself was baptized (Mt. 3).\u00a0 Certainly Jesus wasn\u2019t being baptized because He needed to be saved.\u00a0 He was and is the Savior, the one who is saving sinners like me.\u00a0However, in understand that baptism is a symbol of having a right relationship with God because of Jesus\u2019 death, burial, and resurrection; Jesus\u2019 baptism then gives us the example of what we should do because of what He has done for us.\u00a0 So while I believe that baptism is a symbol, I also believe that it is more important than that as well.\u00a0 If it is just a symbol, then we can downplay the need for baptism and I believe that is a mistake.\u00a0 I believe baptism is important for two reasons.\u00a0 First, Jesus was baptized.\u00a0 If I call myself a Christian, which means \u201clittle Christ\u201d, then I am going to strive to emulate the one I claim to follow.\u00a0 Second, baptism is commanded by Jesus Christ in the Great Commission passage of Matthew 28, \u201cGo, make disciples of all nations, baptizing<\/strong>them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Mt. 28:19, bold is mine for emphasis).\u00a0 Now what?\u00a0 I want to close this with a few practical items.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pastor Justin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today in our worship services we concluded our study in the Gospel of Mark.\u00a0 If you weren\u2019t there, I would encourage you to go to iTunes-podcasts-search Westlake Baptist Church and click on the microphone, and you can listen to the … Read More \n