A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article about the church. The title was similar to this one. I presented this question:  how can I make it any more clear that Christ’s church isn’t a denomination. This got me to thinking about something else that needs to be made perfectly clear. That is, that being baptized in water when you believe in Jesus does not necessarily mean you have been baptized scripturally.  

I have had people who belong to various denominations quote Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38, telling me they believe in Jesus and they were baptized in water. From the surface, it sure seems like that if anyone would say such, that they have done exactly what the Lord demands. How could there ever be a scenario where their baptism didn’t work and they simply just got wet?

Before I answer this question, let’s make something clear. It doesn’t matter what Chuck says. No one is lost or saved because I say so. This also means that it doesn’t matter what your preacher, family members, friends, or even yourself has to say. The truth is that those who are right are only those who do exactly what the Lord demands (II Jn. 9). Therefore, it matters not how strong someone believes and feels. After all, there are people that strap on bombs and walk into crowds killing themselves and others, being thoroughly convinced they are doing what God wants.

Have said all of that, now let’s take a close look at situations where people who do believe in Jesus and were baptized in water, only got wet and they are not Christians:

Believed one was saved prior to being baptized

This is the most common misunderstanding I hear. People tell me that they were saved and then they went ahead and got baptized. Folks, the Bible does not teach that. No one can get saved prior to having their sins washed away by the blood of Christ (Rev. 1:5). This is accomplished when baptized into Christ (Rom. 6:3-7). Peter comes right out and stated that baptism saves us (I Pet. 3:21). Not that there is any power in the water, the power is in the gospel message that we are to obey (Rom. 1:16; II Thes. 1:8).

Believing any baptism is okay, even if done wrong, it doesn’t have to be redone as long as they now have the proper understanding

The Bible does indeed teach there is only one baptism (Eph. 4:5). Yet, it is wrong to conclude that you can have a proper baptism without proper knowledge. This would authorize baptizing people before they hear the message, which is contrary to Christ’s words (Mk. 16:15-16). Of course, what would dispel this idea is if there is a passage in the Bible where people were baptized in water already and were told to do it the right way. There is, and it is found in Acts 19:1-5. Remember, the understanding must come first, which leads us to our next point.

Being baptized without meeting the prerequisites

There was a man who was taught about Jesus and wanted to get baptized. With his desire, he asked if there was anything that could hinder him from being baptized (Acts 8:36). He was told that he needed to first confess his faith in Jesus being the Son of God (vr. 37). This supports what Paul stated in Romans 10:9-10, where the apostles said that with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. We also read in Acts 2:38, a person must also repent prior to being baptized. This means a person changes their mind and decides to turn their back on sin and follow Jesus. Now this leads us into our next point.

Making an appointment to get baptized, not done immediately

In every example of people getting baptized properly,  they did not wait. The reason is they wanted to be saved. This makes sense since we are told that godly sorrow leads to repentance (II Cor. 7:9). Who has this kind of sorrow for their transgression and then opts to wait to be baptized? The answer would be someone who doesn’t understand Bible baptism. This is why a whole household was baptized a little after midnight (Acts 16:25-33). The Ethiopian did it right away with just he and the preacher present (Acts 8:38). Note that these points often overlap. Many times, the reason people don’t do it immediately is because they think they are already saved.

Stating you have been baptized properly without proper reasoning

I have personally had people quote Acts 2:38, where we are told to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins. But when I ask them when they were saved, they tell me it was prior to their baptism. How can someone be saved prior to being baptized when Saul/Paul was told, after he believed, confessed, repented and prayed, to arise and be baptized and wash away his sins calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16)? To reason that you have done exactly what the Lord commands, yet at the same time demonstrate your inconsistencies is just not proper thinking.

Believing when you are baptized, you are baptized into the local church

The Bible teaches us that we are to be baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:3). All those who do this are added by Christ into His church (Acts 2:47). Many religious groups perform baptism ceremonies. They turn it into some sort of event for onlookers. However, as noted earlier, in Acts 8 there were just two people there: the preacher and the one wanting to become a Christian. There wasn’t a ceremony of any sort. Man likes to go beyond what is written, especially when it comes to conversions.

Being convinced your baptism was valid by folks convincing you with non-Biblical phrases.

Ever hear, “Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace”? Or, “Accept Jesus as your personal Savior and you will be saved.” These sound Biblical, but they aren’t. Please make sure you did not just get wet. Look at this from a Biblical point of view. It’s the only way!

Chuck

Over the years I have seen people get baptized in an animal’s water trough, in a swimming pool, in a lake, in a church baptistery and even in a household bathtub. Can any body of water really work for someone wanting to be baptized? Let’s take a closer look at this and learn some valuable lessons.

No power in the water

The first thing we need to talk about is the water itself. Throughout Biblical history, water has often been connected with powerful events.  In every case, the power is not in the water itself. Whether it be Moses turning the waters of Egypt into blood (Ex. 7:2), the parting of the Red Sea (Ex. 1421), Naaman dipping seven times in the Jordan river to remove his leprosy (II Kings 5:14), Jesus turning water into wine (John 2:8-9) or people being baptized (Acts 2:41), there was no inherent power in any of those waters. The power was always God’s.

Does not matter where the water is

In Acts 8, the Ethiopian saw water and said “See here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” (vr. 36). Was he looking at a pool, pond, river or lake? It does not matter. The emphasis was on the water, not where the water was located. Some think that because John baptized Jesus in the Jordan river, all baptisms need to be done in a river. Is this correct? No. Certain characteristics are required of the water used in a baptism, but there are no requirements placed on the location of the water (the geographic spread of even just the early church supports this).

More than a puddle

When we are talking about water, we are not talking about a small amount. When Peter asked “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” (Acts 10:47), he was not speaking about a cup of water to sprinkle them or pour on them. The word baptize means to immerse, to plunge. The water that is required must be enough for a person to be totally submerged in. 

Can a bathtub really work?

Just because someone uses a bathtub it does not mean they are taking a bath. That’s is the very point Peter was making about baptism. He said the baptism was not for removing the filth of the flesh but rather the answer of a good conscience (I Pet. 3:21). Obviously, the average bathtub is just not going to work for everyone. If a person cannot be totally immersed (covered by the water), than some other source of water must be used. It might seem like a mockery of God to use a bathtub or water trough, but please keep in mind the purpose and urgency of baptism.

Being baptized into Christ

I once baptized a man in the Ohio River. I was not baptizing him into the Ohio River, I was using the Ohio River to baptize him into Christ (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27). Jesus preached from boats and on mounts. Those places were used as a means to an end – to get the message out. Similarly, swimming pools, rivers and baptistries are just a means to an end. They can all be used to immerse people into Christ’s death for the remission of sins (Acts 22:16; 2:38; Rom. 6:4-7). If a person’s heart is not right, if they do not believe in Christ, do not confess Him and do not repent, then the person is just getting wet (Acts 8:36).

By turning baptisms into a ceremony with all the pomp and show, religious groups offer vain conversions. Many even think a special garment must be warn. Let’s beware of the danger of mishandling the words of truth.

Chuck

I had a gentleman call last week after watching our TV program. He wanted to let me know that he agreed with what we taught about Bible baptism. He went on to tell me about what he did after reading in the Bible that he needed to be baptized into Christ (Rom. 6:3) to be converted to Him (Acts 3:19).

After reading the Bible and realizing what he needed to do, the man called a Baptist preacher and asked if he would baptize him. The minister said to him, “Do you plan on coming to the church here?” He said no. Then the Baptist preacher told him, “I will not baptize you because you are to be baptized into the church.” The man eventually found someone to baptize him into Christ.

The point of this article is not to slam the Baptists. Like so many other religious sects, the Baptists teach a form of baptism that is not God-approved. Is that even possible? Yes, because it happened in New Testament times too. When you read Acts 19:1-6, you find that a group of people realized they were taught wrong about baptism. They were told that their previous baptism did not profit anything.

Does it really matter whether someone is baptized into the church? If the church is the body of Christ and a person is baptized into the church, are they not also inherently being baptized into Christ? The scriptures show that this is incorrect. We must understand why or else we might go through life thinking we are saved when we are actually still in our sins!

People are not baptized into a church because no person has the spiritual authority to do this. Closely read Acts 2:47. After the people were baptized into Christ for the remission of their sins, then the Lord added the newly-saved to His body, the church. The scriptures are also clearly showing that the Lord added them to His spiritual body, not a denominational church or a local congregation.

When you study these verses with most people, it becomes clear that they are confused about the idea of being baptized into a church but also about whether salvation comes before baptism. It is vital that we think this through. Again, Acts 2:47 depicted people being baptized into Christ for salvation, and then Christ added those saved to His church. The Baptist preacher believed that the man on the phone was already saved but wanted to baptize him into the church.

You might be scratching your head right now. If a Baptist was going to compare what they do with what Christ does, they would realize that trying to baptize “the saved” is essentially trying to save the already-saved. Remember, the Lord added the saved to His church. The Baptists are also trying to add the saved to their church. Since baptism now saves us (I Pet. 3:21), the Baptist teachings regarding baptism, salvation and church membership become a circular argument.

As the phone conversation came to a close, I commended the gentleman for seeking out proper baptism. However, I did not want him to think that becoming a Christian meant he did not need to belong to a local church. Again, he was not baptized into the church – rather, the Lord added him to His church (Matt. 16:18). Having become a Christian, the man now has an obligation to assemble with other Christians so they could come together as a church (Christ’s) and worship (I Cor. 11:17-18; Heb. 10:25).

A person who was baptized properly cannot say, “I am a Christian but not a member of the church.” Being part of the church of Christ is not to be overlooked (Rom. 16:16).

                                                                                              Chuck

We are told that there is a “common salvation” (Jude 3). This means that if you are a Christian, then anyone familiar with the Bible should know exactly what you did to be saved. Does that describe you? If not, something is amiss.

Anyone who was born again did so after receiving the word of God, which is what is able to save our souls (I Pet. 1:23; James 1:21).  The gospel of Jesus Christ needs to be heard in order to produce faith (Rom. 10:17; Acts 11:14). There is no way anyone can be saved without first hearing the message about Christ (Acts 8:35).

Not everyone who hears the gospel message believes it.Only those who believe the message can be saved (John 8:24; John 20:31: I Cor. 1:21). Keep in mind that faith makes it possible to be saved, but faith alone does not save (James 2:26). Those who believe the gospel message are those that gladly receive the word (Acts 2:41).

Those who truly believe in Jesus must be willing to confess their faith in Him (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:37). It is possible to believe in Jesus but not be saved if we are unwilling to confess Him before men (John 12:42-43). Again, confessing Christ only makes it possible to be saved, but just confessing faith in Christ does not save you (Matt. 8:28-29).

When someone is willing to confess their faith in Jesus, he or she must make up their mind to change their ways, turn to Christ and repent of their sins (Acts 3:19; II Cor. 7:10; Acts 2:38). There must be a desire to turn away from walking in sin (Col. 3:5). But again, just stopping sinful activity does not save you. It just makes it possible to be saved.

To be born again, one must be born of water and the spirit (John 3:5). This is where one puts off the old man AND puts on the new man by being baptized into Christ (Rom. 6:3-7; Acts 22:16; Col. 2:12). Like the previous point, baptism does not save unless the other steps were also done. If not, one just gets wet (Acts 19:1-5). Does this describe perfectly what you did to be saved? If not, then something is wrong. Please contact us if you want to discuss further.

Chuck 

Experiences do not save 

When Jesus gave the commission to go into the entire world and preach the gospel to everyone, the saving message (the gospel) was the same for all (Mark 16:15-16). Jude 3 says there is a common salvation. Jesus did not provide unique ways to heaven for specific people – the same pathway is available to all of us. Unfortunately, some people want their conversions to be unique. They pursue this by claiming that some experience they went through “proves” they were saved. There are many ways to disprove these claims. However, this article will review some Bible accounts of unique experiences to determine whether those experiences actually saved the person.

Saul and the voice from heaven

In Acts chapter 9, there is no question that Saul of Tarsus had an experience. A light shone from heaven and a voice cried out, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (verse 3-4).  Jesus appeared to him and gave some instructions. However, it was not until Saul went into the city that he heard this message from the preacher: “Why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized washing away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord,” (Acts 22:16). If Saul merely had the experience with Jesus and then did not follow the instructions, he would not have been saved. If Saul had not gone into the city, he would not have heard the preacher’s message, would not have been baptized and ultimately would not have had his sins washed away. It is vital to see that this genuine religious experience did not save Saul. Salvation came when he responded to the same life-saving message that is extended to all of us today.

Cornelius and the Holy Spirit

In Acts chapter 10, we find Cornelius and his family having an experience. While the apostle Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon them (verses 44-45). There were Jewish Christians present, and this proved to them that the Gentiles could become Christians too.  After this experience, Peter proceeded: “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord,” (verses 46-47). Again, we need to see that the experience itself did not save Cornelius. He and his family, like any family today, were saved when they responded to the gospel call and had their sins washed away.

Philippian Jailer and the earthquake

In Acts chapter 16, we find a jailer facing an earthquake. Thinking that all the prisoners had fled and fearing for his own life, the jailer was about to kill himself. The apostle Paul (formerly known as Saul in the first example) called out: “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here” (verses 27-28).  The jailer then brings them out of their cell and asks what he needs to do to be saved (verse 30). He is told to believe in Jesus and receives some additional preaching (verse 32).  The man was then baptized (verse 33). Just like the other examples, the jailer would have been lost if he thought he was saved just because he believed. Salvation came when he responded to the life-saving message via baptism.

These three incidents help us see that even when strange things occur, they are not a substitute for conversion. Things happen that you might not be able to explain. Do not ignore the gospel by using the event as a confirmation of your salvation. The only thing that proves a person is saved is if they obey the gospel message (Acts 2:37-41; Rom. 6:3-7). Remember that it is the gospel message that saves mankind, not mankind having some experience. Beware those who teach a salvation other than the gospel (II Thess. 1:8).

                                                                                       Chuck