Baptism and Salvation

What does the Bible say regarding Baptism and salvation? Many believe that baptism comes after salvation; it is an “outward show of an inward grace”. However, the Bible never teaches that baptism is an outward show of grace after one is saved. The Bible states “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” 1 Peter 3:21. Baptism, an act of obedience towards God, saves us.

The Bible has many things to say regarding baptism. Paul states that one must put on Christ in order to be saved. Paul answers the question “how does one put on Christ” in Galatians 3:27: “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Notice that we put on Christ by being baptized. Can a person be saved without putting on every aspect of our Lord Jesus Christ? Paul answers “No”.

Paul states that we must partake of Christ’s death by dying unto sin and being obedient to God. He states that we must be buried with Christ and rise up with him to walk in the new life. How does one do this? Paul answers, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection” Romans 6:3-5. We “walk in newness of life”, and share in Christ’s resurrection, by being “buried with him by baptism”.

We also must put off the body of the flesh (our sinful actions) and rise with Christ through faith in order to be saved. The Bible teaches how this is done in Colossians 2:11-12 “In whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.”

The Bible teaches so many things about Baptism: It saves us, it enables us to put on Christ, it raises us up to walk in newness of life, it takes our sins off of us, and allows us to be raised up with Christ through faith. Without these things a person cannot be saved. Without baptism, there is no salvation.

Have you been saved? Jesus stated in Mark 16:16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.” Many other passages also show the vital importance of baptism. Consider Acts 2.38, 8.12, 22.16, I Cor. 12.13, Mt. 28.18-20, Mark 16.16, etc.