What Must I Do to be Saved? Be Baptized!

For the last several weeks we have been seeking an answer to this question. We have pointed out several things that we must do in order to be saved. One must hear the Word of God and believe that Jesus is the Son of God. One must repent (turn from) his life of sin and confess his faith in Christ. It is only after one has done all of these things that he can fulfill the final obligation to become a Christian and have his sins washed away.

The Bible teaches that baptism is the final step in God’s plan of salvation.

Biblical baptism is an immersion in water for the remission of sins. Jesus said that we must believe and be baptized in order to be saved, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16). Paul is a wonderful example of this. He was a person who was genuinely sorry for his sins and desired to have forgiveness, but his sins were not washed away until he was baptized, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16). If one could simply pray for salvation and receive it without being baptized, Paul would not still have needed to have his sins washed away. It took one final act of obedience on his part to wash those sins away.

One might argue, “Well, what about the thief on the cross? He was saved and he wasn’t baptized.” The answer to that objection is simple. We live under the Law of Christ today. The Law of Christ (the New Testament) says that we have to be baptized to be saved. The thief lived under the Old Testament. The New Testament did not come into force until Christ died, “For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.” (Hebrews 9:16-17). Therefore, the thief did not have to be baptized.

Have you been Biblically baptized?

Ralph Price

"Have You Heard" articles posted with permission.

For free tapes or CD’s of sermons, call the Streetsboro Church of Christ at: (330) 626-4282 or listen to sermons online at S treetsboroChurch.org

1386 Russell Dr., Streetsboro, Ohio 44241

New Site at GJCOC.us!

P.O. Box 307408, Gahanna, Ohio 43230 • Meeting at 7816 Havens Road, Blacklick, Ohio

10/05/2012

New Site at TheGJCOC.com!

This Page Has Moved!