BAPTISMAL REGENERATION

 

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5) B-o-r-n does not spell baptized. John 3:5 was a response to the supposition that the new birth could be wrought through physical means, such as childbirth. “Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?” (John 3:4) There are always cases of people assuming that they are saved because they were born and raised in a certain religion or denomination or assuming that they were saved through rituals and ceremonies, and this was true of many when Christ walked the earth. (John 1:12-13; 3:1-6) The new birth is a personal experience with Jesus Christ. (John 3:5-16; 5:39-40; Titus 3:5-7)

If God had wanted Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-5, I Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:27, & Colossians 2:12 to refer to baptism into the body of Christ, which occurs in the initial experience at faith and repentance and can only be done by the Holy Ghost, how would He have changed the wording of these passages? “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16:16) "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) "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." (I Corinthians 12:13) "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Galatians 3:27) "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." (Colossians 2:12)

I Peter 3:21 says that water baptism satisfies the demands of a good conscience and is figurative (symbolic/declarative) of salvation. How can a figure be that of which it is a figure? If God had wanted to convey that Noah's safety during the deluge was the outward confirmation of the grace he had already received years earlier (Genesis 6:8) and that, in the same way, Christian baptism is the outward confirmation of the grace a Christian had already received when he trusted Jesus Christ as Savior how would God have changed the wording of I Peter 2:20-21? "Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 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." (I Peter 3:20-21)

“Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” (James 2:24) This passage is often used to support salvation by works, or salvation by faith plus works. But the wording and context make it clear that this is dealing with a Christian’s position before his fellow man and not his position before God, and refers to what his fellow man sees and not what God sees. A believer is justified before his fellow man by works, and justified before God by faith alone. (Romans 4:5; Ephesians 2:8-9)

Salvation is a personal experience with Jesus Christ and is through the finished work of Calvary, not the blood of Christ and additional supplements. (John 3:13-16; Acts 2:21; 10:43; Romans 5:1-2,8-11; II Corinthians 5:17-19; Titus 3:5-6; I Peter 1:3; I John 5:20) Is believing in Jesus Christ sufficient for salvation or must we combine faith and good works (e.g., water baptism) to qualify for salvation? Note that the New Testament says that salvation is by faith alone without works almost two hundred times. (Consider John 3:15; 5:24; 11:25; 12:46; 20:31; Acts 16:30-31; Romans 3:20; 4:5; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; etc..) While genuine faith produces good works, it is faith alone that brings salvation and not good works. (John 3:16, 18; Romans 1:16-17; 4:5; I Corinthians 3:13-15; Ephesians 2:10; II Thessalonians 1:8-10; Titus 1:16; I Peter 1:3-10; James 2:14-16; consider Isaiah 64:6)