Water baptism, as a Biblical theme, has been a foremost doctrine and practice taught in several churches around the globe. Some profess that it’s significant to do it if a believer wants to make it to heaven. Some also don’t regard it as necessary for salvation. But what does the Bible say? I believe the right answer to every Biblical question is in the Bible. However, it’s an accurate revelation that’ll unveil the truth. And today, I pray that you’ll grasp the truth. Let’s dive in.
The menace of water baptism
I searched for the word “baptism” in the King James Version Bible, and the first verse it appeared there is Matthew 3:7. At that time, it was John the Baptist who was baptising people who listened to his sermons and repented from their sins. So it’s clear that the one who introduced water baptism is John the Baptist (even his name makes this obvious).
However, John the Baptist came preaching before Jesus. He (John the Baptist) was baptising people with water as a sign of repentance. Nevertheless, he quoted that when Jesus comes, He’ll baptise people with the Holy Spirit and with fire (see Matthew 3:11). So Jesus, on which the New Covenant rests, doesn’t exist to continue what John the Baptist was doing. He had a different agenda, which was primarily to seek and to save that which was lost (see Luke 19:10).
Before I move on to the next part of this article, let me nail this. You may say that somewhere in the gospel books, Jesus baptised people with water. However, it was stated emphatically in John 4:1-2 that His disciples did it, not He himself. That’s a powerful truth to behold.
Furthermore, take note that it was done only at the early stages of His ministry, not even to the end. And just because Jesus didn’t condemn it (or “okayed” it) doesn’t mean He approved it. He knew that to the Jews, ceremonial washing was their norm, and it was difficult to remove that culture entirely. So He had to allow His disciples to make such mistakes, later for Him to drive their attention off it. Unfortunately, Peter and the other disciples didn’t understand that their mandate wasn’t to keep practising water baptism after Jesus left but to witness Christ everywhere (see Matthew 18:19, Acts 1:8). So they kept doing it in Acts and that is what made it endure to date.
Apostle Paul was the one who studied more intently into these things and came to understand that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is more important to the believer than water baptism. His first attempt to change this is recorded in Acts 19, where he taught some believers about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and helped them to get it (see Acts 19:6-7). Now, the question is, how does water baptism relate to salvation?
Water baptism’s connection to salvation
There’s a scripture that deals with this area very clearly. It’s Mark 16:16 (NKJV). It says,
“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
From the first part of the verse above, believing in Jesus and baptising are prerequisites to receiving His salvation. But for the second part, unbelief in His name will lead to condemnation. Here’s the thing. What leads to condemnation is unbelief, not no-baptism (by water). That means water baptism without belief in Jesus’ name is vain and will still end anyone who does that in hell. However, belief in Jesus’ name without water baptism doesn’t lead a person to eternal condemnation in hell. Have you not read in Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV) that,
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”
You’re saved by grace through faith, not by water baptism practice. With or without water baptism, once you believe in Jesus with your heart and have confessed His Lordship over your life, your salvation is secure(see Romans 10:9). Therefore don’t allow the customs practised in churches to sway you from this truth.
Public recognition of your faith
One of the reasons why people go for water baptism is that it tells the general public that so-and-so is a Christian, and there’s no problem with it. But God is a God who is more interested in what’s in people’s hearts than what they do for others to see (see 1 Samuel 16:7). In fact, He’s an open rewarder of people who do good things for others in privacy (see Matthew 6:2-3). He knows deep with each person whether a person is saved or not. You can go for water baptism if your church mandates you to. However, if you don’t but you know that you’re saved, don’t let anybody lie to you that you’re not saved. In Christ is the security of your salvation, not water baptism.
I hope this article has answered your questions. You’re a blessing!
