Some denominations teach that you must believe and be baptized to be born again.
Acts 2:38
"And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
The denominations that teach one must be baptized to be saved have confused the previous scripture to mean that baptism is a means to salvation.
When Peter said; "Repent and be baptized" He was not saying one must be baptized to be saved. Notice that "repent" came first and baptism was second, meaning becoming baptized was an expression of salvation not a means to it.
We know this to be true because the thief on the cross was never baptized and yet Christ told Him he would be in paradise with Him that very day. He promised the thief he was saved merely by believing in Christ.
Baptism is a picture of being cleansed after one believes in Christ. The act of baptism does not cleanse us, it is an expression of our desire to be cleansed by Christ.
I wonder about people who have no desire to be baptized after they have believed in Christ. I also wonder about those who still believe in infant baptism, even saying their having been baptized as a baby counts for them as an adult. This is not Biblical and shows a lack of obedience to the words of Christ.
Romans 6:3-4
"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."
Matthew 3:11
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
Water baptism is the expression of our desire to be cleansed by Christ and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit coming to live in us is God's seal upon us to be able to obey Him. Without the Holy Spirit, no one is saved!
Romans 8:9 "9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact, the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him."
Ephesians 1:13–14
"13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."
These verses in Ephesians do not say "when you were baptized you gained salvation", it says to be saved one must believe and then the Holy Spirit is given. After this one chooses to be baptized in obedience to God.
1 Corinthians 12:13
"13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit."
The emphasis for salvation is on believing then in obedience to Christ after being baptized with the Holy Spirit we choose to be baptized in water.
Ephesians 2: 8-10 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life."
Titus 3:5
"He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."
When we believe in what the Lord Jesus Christ did on the cross and place our trust in Him, He then sends to the Holy Spirit to cleanse and guide us. When this happens we desire to obey Him, this includes and is one of the first things we desire is to be baptized in water as an expression of a changed person. We go down under the water in baptism to show we believe Christ is cleansing us and come up a new man as a result of that cleansing. It is all a work of Christ in us, not of our own works.
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
He saves us in response to us believing Him, then He cleanses us and seals us with the Holy Spirit of Promise as a guarantee of our inheritance.
Ephesians 1:13-14
"13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, 14 who is the first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory."
You see it is all God and He gets all the praise, we cannot have a sense of pride in following Christ because it is all about Christ in us, He gets all the glory. Hallelujah!!!!
Trust in Christ today and He will do all the rest of the work in you. Listen to His still small voice and obey even when it doesn't make sense to you or even when it might hurt, He will reward those who follow Him.
