Is One Saved Before He Is Baptized?
Most people who profess to be followers of Christ say that the sinner is saved before he is baptized. If this is true, all should teach it. If it is false, all should reject it.
When one faces the solving of a problem, to arrive at the right answer, he must use the proper standard of evaluation. The Bible is the standard of evaluation in religious matters. The fact that a church manual, or a preacher, says that one is saved before he is baptized is no proof that such is true. The question is: "What does the Bible teach about the purpose of baptism?"
An Effort To Avoid The True Purpose
Baptism is a Bible subject.' As such, it has some purpose attached to the doing of it. The passages which show the purpose are the passages which mention "baptism." Many seek to avoid Bible teaching on baptism by reading the passages which mention "faith" or "repentance" and do not even mention baptism.
One cannot learn the purpose of baptism by reading John 3:16, which does not even mention "baptism."
Another Effort — The Cry Of "Water Salvation"
Some seek to close their own eyes and to blind the eyes of others to the true design of baptism by crying, "You teach water salvation!" But this is not true. The water of baptism has no inherent power to forgive sin. It is the blood of Christ that saves men from their sins. (Horn. 5:8, 9.) But baptism in water is a condition which must be met before the blood of Christ will be used by the Lord to forgive one's sins.
The Principle Illustrated
God's prophet told the leprous Syrian captain, Naaman, that he would have to dip seven times in the Jordan River before he would be cleansed of his leprosy. But God did not cleanse Naaman until hp had obeyed this command which involved water. In the same way, baptism is a condition involving water which must be met before the blood of Christ will be used to forgive one of sin.
Jesus once anointed a blind man's eyes with clay and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. (John 9.) There is no power in water to heal a man of blindness. Yet this man had to meet this condition which involved water before the Lord healed him of his blindness. So it is with baptism and the remission of sins. Baptism is no man's savior. It is simply a divinely-appointed condition precedent to the forgiveness of sins. Jesus is the Savior of those who obey him. (Heb. 5:8, 9.)
Some Things That Precede
Only believers are to be baptized. (Mark 16:16.) But believers are told to "Repent and be baptized." (Acts 2:38.) Too, prior to baptism, one must confess with the mouth Jesus as Lord. (Rom. 10:10; Acts 8:37.) But baptism stands between penitent believers and salvation.
1. Baptism Stands Between The Sinner And Being "Saved" — Mark 16:16.
This passage reads as follows: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned." The word "saved" in this passage refers to the remission of sins." (Compare Luke 24:47.) The principal statement of this sentence is "He ... shall? be saved." Just who is this "he" that shall be saved?
Modern preachers say, "He that believeth and is NOT baptized shall be saved." But how did Jesus describe this "he"? Jesus said, "He that believeth and IS BAPTIZED shall be saved." May the reader now ask himself, "Which am I following — a preacher or the Lord?"
This passage is stated in plain language. In realms other than religion, men have no difficulty in understanding such statements. But there, many have been blinded by the doctrines of men. (Matt. 15:9.)
If a business concern were to make this offer: "He that believeth and is baptized shall receive a new auto mobile," all would understand that only those who both believed and were baptized could rightly expect to receive a car.
So it is with Mark 16:16. Perhaps the following diagram will help the reader to see that the expression "that believeth and is baptized" is a restrictive clause which describes the man who "shall be saved."
But perhaps someone objects by saying, "But note that Jesus only said 'he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.' He didn't say 'he that disbelieveth and is not baptized shall be condemned.' So, it is evident that one does not have to be baptized to be saved."
A simple illustration will show the fallacy of this argument. Compare this statement with Mark 16:16: "He that eateth and digesteth shall live, but he that eateth not shall die." Note the following: (1) two conditions are necessary to life (just as in Mark 16:16 two conditions are shown to be necessary to gaining salvation), and (2) there is only one condition stated as being necessary to death (just as in Mark 16:16 disbelief is sufficient to cause condemnation).
One does not have to say, "He that eateth not and digesteth not shall die." All know that a mere lack of eating is sufficient to cause death. And, too, one cannot digest when he has not eaten. So the second negative is superfluous.
So it is with Mark 16:16. Jesus points out that one must both believe and be baptized in order to be saved, but a mere lack of faith is sufficient to cause one to be lost. And, if one does not believe he cannot be baptized scripturally.
Thus it is seen that Mark 16:16 furnishes indisputable evidence that baptism stands between the sinner and being "saved."
2. Baptism Stands Between The Sinner And "Remission Of Sins" — Acts 2:38.
In Acts 2:37, believers in Christ asked, "What shall we do?" In answer, Peter told them, "Repent and be baptized . . . . unto the remission of your sins." (American Standard Version) The King James Version says, .... for the remission of sins."
The Revised Version takes this verse out of the realm of controversy. The meaning of "unto" is: ". . . . indicating the direction of movement reaching its object or of approach, inclination, or tendency, in respect of an unreached object." (Webster's International Unabridged Dictionary, P. 2795.) So if one is to be baptized "unto" the remission of sins, he is to be baptized to reach remission of sins, which he has not previously reached. Webster further says that "unto" means: ". . . . indicating aim, purpose, or destiny . . . . indicating result, or attainment or consequent condition."
So, if one is baptized, the aim of such is "remission of sins." If one is baptized, the purpose of such is "remission of sins." If one is baptized the consequent condition is "remission of sins."
Modern preachers say: "Believers already have remission of sins." But Peter told believers to "Repent and be baptized .. . . UNTO the remission of sins." May the reader ask himself, "Which am I following?"
3. Baptism Stands Between The Sinner And Getting Into Christ — Romans 6:3.
Paul said that salvation is "in Christ." (2 Tim. 2:10.) He further said that redemption is in Christ (Eph. 1:7), and that one is a new creature in Christ. (2 Cor. 5:17.) It is evident therefore, that no one can be saved out of Christ. The saved person is IN Christ: the unsaved person is OUT of Christ. How, then, does one get into Christ? Paul answers in Romans 6:3, "Or are you ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?" Not baptized, not in Christ! Not in Christ, not saved!
Conclusion
One may search the Bible from its beginning to its end, and he will never find any other way of entering Christ save by being baptized. How then could any one deny that baptism stands between the sinner and salvation, which is in Christ? The believer has the right to become a child of God (John 1:12), but does not become a child of God until he is baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:26, 27), where all spiritual blessings are. (Eph. 1:3.)