Baptism and Forgiveness

by Robert L. Schales
Baptism is Necessary The Bible presents this requirement very clearly. Jesus said, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” (Mark 16:16). If we accept Jesus as Lord we will gladly follow His instructions. There are many who, motivated by allegiance to human systems of thought, do not hesitate to rewrite this statement of Jesus. Jesus did not say, “He who believes is saved already, and let him be baptized because he is saved.” One who believes will be baptized as Jesus instructed. One who disbelieves will not follow the Lord’s instruction.

Jesus told His disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20).

Saved When Baptized The apostle Paul was not saved on the road to Damascus. He was told to, “rise, and enter the city, and it shall be told you what you must do.” (Acts 9:6). Ananias was sent to him with the message, “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the His name.” (Acts 22:16). If Paul was forgiven when he acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God, why did Ananias tell him, “... be baptized and wash away your sins”?

Peter, speaking of Noah’s obedient faith, wrote, “And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you --- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience --- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21). We receive God’s free gift of salvation through faith just as Noah was saved through obedient faith.

For Forgiveness In Jerusalem the apostles presented evidence for Jesus as the Christ. Those who heard said, “... what shall we do?” They were told, “Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Chris for the forgiveness of sins ...” (Acts 2:37-38). At the point of repentance toward God (changing the mind about sin). and acceptance of Jesus as Savior, one should be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. The word translated “for” means “in order to obtain” the forgiveness of sins.

It has been argued that the command to be baptized was given to people who were already saved. If so, then the command to repent was given to those who were saved. Of what were they to repent if they had already received forgiveness for sin? Both repentance and baptism, together, lead to the forgiveness of sins.

Baptized Into Christ The finest winter coat would be of no value against the cold if it were not put on. In a similar way, unless Christ is “put on in baptism” there is no forgiveness for sin. “For you are all the sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ.” (Galatians 3:26-27). Baptism is necessary in order to be IN Christ and have the redemption made possible by His sacrifice. Have you “Put on Christ” in baptism?

Baptism, a symbol of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, expresses our hope for a resurrection like His. “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Jesus Christ have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we to might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection” (Romans 6:3-5) Have you been united with Christ?

The Response: Baptism Philip, an evangelist, preached in Samaria. Here is the response: “But when they believed Philip preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike” (Acts 8:12). Philip preached Jesus to a man from Ethiopia. The man responded with this question, “Look, water! What prevents me from being baptized?” They both went down into the water and Philip baptized him. (See Acts 8:35-38).

The apostle Peter commanded Cornelius and his household to be baptized (Acts 10:48). The jailer at Philippi was baptized immediately upon hearing the word of the Lord spoken by Paul and Silas (Acts 16:29-33). The response was the same at Corinth, “... many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized” (Acts 18:8). If you accept Jesus as Lord, should not your response be the same today?

If you have not been baptized (immersed in water) for the forgiveness of sins in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you should do so today with the understanding that you are being baptized into Christ for the remission/forgiveness of your sins. Then, you should plan to assemble for worship with other Christians in order that you may continue to grow in the grace and knowledge in your new life in Christ.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? You can accept the authority of Christ by doing what He commanded (Matthew 7:21; John 14:15; 15:10-14; Luke 6:46). Notice the pattern for becoming a Christian as revealed in the Scriptures. The Gospel was heard, resulting in faith (Romans 10:17). Repentance of (turning away from) sin (Acts 17:30) and confession of Jesus as the Son of God followed (Romans 10:10). Believers were baptized INTO Christ for the remission (forgiveness) of sins (See Matthew 28:18-20;Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 8:35-39; 22:16; Romans 6:3-5; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12; 1 Peter 3:20-21), and added to His church (Acts 2:47). Christians were taught to be faithful even to the point of death (Revelation 2:10).

WE WELCOME YOU Following the instructions of the Scriptures, members of Christ’s body assemble as congregations for worship, encouragement, and Bible study. The congregation in your community welcomes you to investigate the Bible with us. With a spirit of brotherly love we would seek to reconcile any differences by following the Bible ONLY. We recognize the Bible as God’s inspired word, the ONLY reliable standard of faith and practice. We desire the unity for which Christ prayed and which the Bible emphasizes in the expression, “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” Together we seek to maintain “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

A friendly welcome awaits you. We do not wish to embarrass you in any way. You will not be asked for contributions. We assemble for Bible study and worship each Sunday morning and we welcome you to meet with us. We would be happy to talk to you about your questions and we want to be of encouragement.

Please contact me, Dennis Crawford, at BibleTruthsToU@gmail.com or 253-396-0290 (cell) for comments, questions, further Bible information, or for the location of a congregation belonging to Jesus Christ near you.