Category: Salvation

The Great Commission Commands Water Baptism, Not Prayer

Do you know how John prepared people for the Savior? He was “preaching the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mk. 1:5; cf. Lk. 24:47; Acts 2:38). People were being baptized “to flee the wrath to come…unquenchable fire” (Mt. 3:7-12). John was getting people ready for the Great Commission of Jesus, who had come to save people from their sins and would thus command the whole world to be baptized in water for the forgiveness of sins.… Read more

“Behold, I Stand at the Door and Knock”

Revelation 3:20 records encouraging words from Jesus to His church at Laodicea, urging them to repent. It is sad that many have taken His words and twisted them into a false plan of salvation that Jesus never authorized. Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). Some have used this passage to teach that all one must do to become a Christian is to believe and pray a prayer to Jesus.… Read more

An Honest and Good Heart

Today there are a lot of people in “the Bible belt” of the USA and many other places in the world who would be described by most as good people—good religious-minded people who believe in Jesus, but are they all saved? Are they truly honest about what God’s Word requires for man’s salvation, or have many chosen to believe what seems convenient and comfortable? In religious discussions, whether online or in person, it is common to see many known as “good religious people” being dishonest, denying what the Scriptures plainly say.… Read more

Calvin or Christ?

Some have never heard the name John Calvin (A.D. 1509-1564), but it is likely that they have heard of his doctrines. Widespread teachings such as babies inheriting sin and the impossibility of falling from grace became staples of many types of denominations because of Calvin’s influence. He caused people to believe that God “freely and unchangeably ordained whatsoever comes to pass,” which implies that man has no free will to make his own choices. The main tenets of Calvinism can be summarized by the acronym T.U.L.I.P.… Read more

Simple Logical Arguments for Baptism

  • Salvation/reconciliation to God is only in the one church/body of Christ (Eph. 2:16; 5:23; cf. 1:22, 23; 4:4). One is not in the one body/church of Christ until he is “baptized into one body” (1 Cor. 12:13; Acts 2:38-41, 47); therefore, one is not saved/reconciled until he is baptized (cf. Jn. 3:5; Mk. 16:16; Acts 22:16; Gal. 3:27; Eph. 5:26; Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:11-13; Titus 3:5; Heb. 10:22; 1 Pet. 3:20, 21).

  • Salvation is “in Christ” (2 Tim.
… Read more

Sincere, but Sincerely Lost

Just because someone is sincere and religious, that does not mean that he is a saved child of God. Even if he believes in Christ, that does not automatically make him saved. There were sincere religious people in the Bible who were lost, and even people who believed in Jesus were still lost until they were “baptized into Christ” (Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:3; cf. Acts 2:36-41; 1 Pet. 3:20, 21).

The Ethiopian was sincere, but sincerely lost until baptism (Acts 8:26-39).… Read more

Holy Spirit Baptism, or Water Baptism?

When Paul wrote his first inspired epistle to the church at Corinth, he wrote these words: “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” (1 Corinthians 12:13).

When reading the verse above, those who are familiar with the Bible probably automatically think of similar passages, such as Acts 2:38-47, when people were added to the church upon baptism, or Galatians 3:26-28, where Paul said we are “baptized into Christ” and “there is neither Jew nor Greek…neither bond nor free,” etc.… Read more

Which Comes First – Salvation, or Baptism?

Can alien sinners (sinners who have never been saved) be saved before water baptism, or without water baptism?

Notice the Biblical order:

  • Believeth…baptized…saved (Mark 16:16).
  • Born of water and of the spirit…enter the kingdom (John 3:5).
  • Repent…be baptized…remission of sins (Acts 2:38).
  • Gladly received his word…baptized…added to the church (Acts 2:41, 47).
  • Be baptized…wash away thy sins (Acts 22:16).
  • Baptized into Jesus Christ…raised to newness of life…made free from sin (Romans 6:3-18).
  • The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God…And such were some of you: but ye are washed…sanctified…justified in the name of the Lord Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; cf.
… Read more

20 Things to Understand About Romans 10:9, 10

Romans can be a difficult book to understand. Even Peter said some of Paul’s writings are difficult to understand (2 Pet. 3:15-18), but one should not get discouraged like those of John 6:66. Be like Peter, who persevered (Jn. 6:67, 68). Sadly, Romans 10:9, 10 has been misunderstood or twisted by untold numbers of people. Some seem to think this is the only passage in the Bible telling man how to be saved, and many have interpreted this confession to be “the sinner’s prayer.”… Read more

NOBODY

  1. Nobody can predict when Jesus will return; Jesus Himself did not know (Mt. 24:36, 42, 43, 50; 25:13; Mk. 13:32, 33, 35; 1 Thess. 5:1-3; 2 Pet. 3:10).
  2. Nobody today can perform miracles (Zech. 13:1-3; Jn. 11:17; 1 Cor. 13:8-12; Eph. 4:8-14).
  3. Nobody today is an apostle—an eyewitness of the resurrected Christ, able to give others miraculous powers (Acts 1:22; 8:12-18; 1 Cor. 9:1; 15:8, 9; Rev. 2:2).
  4. Nobody today receives Holy Spirit baptism, because only “one baptism” remains: “the washing of water” (Eph.
… Read more

If Repentance is Required, So is Baptism

The honest person will concede that repentance is required for salvation; however, when he does, he simultaneously concedes that John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9, and Romans 10 do not explicitly state everything a person must do to be saved (because repentance is not mentioned in any of those passages). In fact, neither “repent” nor “repentance” is found in the Gospel of John or Ephesians at all, and repentance is only mentioned twice in the 16 chapters of Romans, though it is absolutely necessary for salvation.… Read more

Cornelius Does Not Help “Faith Only” Advocates

The account of Cornelius’ conversion in Acts 10 does not support the false doctrine of “faith only salvation.” If one actually reads the entire book of Acts, by the time he gets to chapter 10 he has already read of thousands of people who were required to be baptized for their sins to be forgiven. In Acts 10 and subsequent chapters the reader will find even more people who were required to do the same. In fact, Luke had already recorded the purpose of baptism in Acts 2:38, 40 (for the forgiveness of sins, to be saved).… Read more