Jim McDonald

The apostle has written of the ill effect that Adam’s sin had upon mankind, and the wonderful grace available to us in Christ Jesus. He had asked, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” To this question he responded, “God forbid! We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live there? Or, are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ, were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death that like as Christ was raised from the head through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection …” (Romans 6:1-5).

Those who say that Paul taught the sinner is saved through faith before and without baptism need to read what the apostle actually said, rather than to trust what some man thinks Paul meant. In this Roman passage Paul teaches that baptism is the turning point in the sinner’s life: He is a different person after baptism than he was before his baptism. Before baptism he walked in “oldness of life;” after baptism he walks in “newness of life.” If, as the world affirms, the sinner is saved before he is baptized, then after he is baptized his life is exactly the opposite before his baptism; he is lost. Ridiculous as that may sound, there is no other conclusion which man could reach.

In baptism, however, we not only rise to walk in newness of life, we wash away our sins (Acts 22:16). In baptism we do not put away the filthiness of the flesh (take a bath) in baptism; we find the answer of a good conscious toward God (1 Peter 3:21). We can never have such an answer if we stop short of baptism. Paul wrote, “For we also once were foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward man appeared, not by works done in righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration (water, John 3:5) and the renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:3-5). The apostle told Titus we are not saved by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves; rather, we are saved through God’s mercy in “the washing of regeneration.” This passage tells us then that baptism is NOT a work of righteousness; it is the means through which God’s mercy is richly poured out upon us. This agrees perfectly with Romans 6:4 where the same writer tells us that from baptism we rise to walk in newness of life. Baptism is the pivotal point, having a “before” and “after”. Before baptism we walk in “oldness of life,” and after baptism we walk in “newness of life.” And as already observed, if we are saved before baptism, we are lost afterward; if we are lost before baptism, we are saved afterward.

Everything the Scriptures teach about the consequence of water baptism agrees with this conclusion. Look at each of these passages and see what results follows one’s baptism: Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 6:3-5; Galatians 3:26-27; 1 Peter 3:21. So one, reading what these passages say, declares, “I understand. Baptism is for remission of sins.” But then he adds, “But I was baptized.”

Unfortunately, that does not solve the problem, even if one was baptized in times past. Baptism must be an act of faith, for “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). If one believes he is already saved before he is baptized, then his baptism is not an act of faith. Unless one understands and believes that his baptism puts him into Christ — into Christ’s death, is the water of the new birth, and that he is not saved until he is baptized — his baptism is an empty act. There is no way he can remedy his circumstances until he does what Jesus commanded, believes that command, and is baptized to be saved.

Was your baptism done that you might be saved? If it was not, you need to be baptized again for the reason Jesus said all must be baptized (Mark 16:15-16).