Scripture Reading: Mark
16:16; Acts 2:38
"He that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be
damned." While this verse shows the essential feature of
"faith" for salvation, it also shows the equally important
requirement of water baptism. Of course, no unbeliever would have
submitted to baptism as illustrated by the Pharisees and
lawyers who "rejected the counsel of God against themselves,
being not baptized of him [John the Baptist]" (Luke 7:30). John
the Baptist preached "the baptism of repentance for the
forgiveness of sins" (Luke 3:3) and demanded they ''bring forth
fruits worthy of repentance" (Luke 3:8). Only those who truly
believed John's message submitted to his baptism.
Peter, in like manner in
his great Pentecostal address, brought real conviction to those who
asked, "What shall we do?" He did not counsel them as so
many would today, by sayingthatthey, if they believed would receive
the forgiveness of sins and ought to be baptized. Peter plainly said
they should "repent, and be baptized .. .for the forgiveness of
sins and... receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38).
Obviously, the unbelievers had no part in this. But make no mistake,
water baptism was not optional for the believer. Without it, he
could not express faith nor receive forgiveness but stood with the
rejectors. There was no middle ground. Water baptism was part of
God's program at that time toward srael, and it was not permitted
for professed believers to "pick and choose" what parts of
God's program they would cooperate with. They either did-or they did
not!
If water baptism was so
essential then, what about today? It is from Paul's letters that we
read of "redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of
sins" and this through faith in Christ and His finished work at
Calvary-apart from water baptism!
(A 10 Minute Video)
How
God Saves Men
Believing
Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing
Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read
Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4
(A 10 Minute Video)
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this BIBLE STUDY to all your friends
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