Question

Some people teach that you must be Baptized in order to be saved, that unless you have actually been baptized with water then you are still lost and condemned to hell.  What would you say to them?

Answer

Whatever we come up with for the Gospel, (what a person has to do (or whatever God does in the person)), this gospel that we proclaim must be a never changing gospel, called the "eternal gospel" in Revelation 14:6.  To be an "eternal gospel" it must be the same from eternity past to eternity future.  Therefore, however people got saved in the past must be the same in the future.  The gospel message that saved Adam, Eve, Abraham, Moses, Paul, Timothy, you, and me, must have all been the same message.  Whatever had to be done has to be the same through the ages--nothing added, nothing removed.  Now I know I was saved by faith and faith alone, the Bible says that if Abraham, ROM 4:2-3 "was justified by works, he had something to boast about - but not before God. What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."    

The point is that we don't see baptism as a requirement to be saved, nor even mentioned as part of the salvation of Adam, Eve, Abraham, etc.  But the big test of the "Baptism Gospel" is the thief on the cross.  Did he get saved that day?  He did.  Did he get baptized?  No.  So the false gospel that says one must be baptized to be saved is another of the lies and deceptions of Satan, but the true gospel of salvation by faith and faith alone works from Adam to the very last person saved in the Millennium Kingdom of Christ.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "Tony Capoccia's Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 119
Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
Websites: www.biblebb.com and www.gospelgems.com
Email: tony@biblebb.com
Online since 1986