Automatic Transcript Generated:
Speaker 1
So Harold is asking, if a person accepts Jesus and doesn’t get baptized submerged, will that person have a chance to be in heaven with Christ?
Speaker 2
All right, my friend Harold, I’m going to answer this for you in three Bible verses, and I think you’re going to be pretty I think the answer is pretty clear. So I think that this is a very valid question, because if you look in the Book of John, chapter three, verse verse five, jesus is speaking to Nicodemus. This is that very famous conversation that he has with him. And in verse five, Jesus says to him, verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born of water. So water baptism and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. And so Jesus definitely made baptism a requirement for salvation. Now, you might say, well, what if I was planning to get baptized and I couldn’t? Am I lost? That’s not fair. What kind of a loving God would do that? And so that’s where I think Jesus always plans ahead. Just like he created this Earth, he wasn’t planning on sin ever coming in, but he had a plan of salvation in case sin did enter, and that was to sacrifice Himself. So in the same manner, I think that Jesus made a similar provision for us, for those who maybe wanted to get baptized, but it just wasn’t able to happen for them.
Speaker 2
And there can be various situations and reasons, and God is a righteous and merciful God and a righteous judge. So let’s go ahead and see why I believe Jesus or what provision Jesus made in certain cases. So if you go to the Book of Matthew, chapter three, and verse basically verses 14 through 15, this is the the story of Jesus being baptized. And Jesus came to John the Baptist and basically asked him, you know, to baptize him. And, you know, John said, no, like, you need to baptize me. You know, why are you coming to me for baptism? And Jesus is something very important in Matthew three, verse 15, and he answered unto Him, saying unto Him, suffer it to be so now, for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. So Jesus being baptized, I mean, it was definitely a symbol of the beginning of his ministry. But when we take on Christ, it’s Christ in you, the hope of glory. It’s Christ’s righteousness that covers us. And so if Jesus was baptized, his perfect baptism covers us and covers our sin. So even in the case that we couldn’t be baptized, jesus’s baptism covers those people.
Speaker 2
So, yes, you can still have salvation of access to heaven. And we see the perfect, most perfect example of this, of that thief on the cross that you read about in Luke, chapter 23. And I’ll read this really quick. It’s racist. Basically, verses 39 through 43, it says, one of the mouth factors which was hanged on the rail by him saying, if you’re the Christ, save yourself and us. So one thief, one bad person on the on one side of the cross is saying, you know, if you’re Christ, you need to save yourself and us. It says in the other rebuked him, saying, do you not fear God seeing you are in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly receive the due reward for our deeds? But this man Jesus did nothing amiss, and he said so this other sinner, this other criminal says to Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom. And Jesus said to him, verily, I say unto you today you shall be with me in paradise. And we know that the thief was killed, you know, on the cross. He never had a chance to be baptized, but Jesus promised him that he would be in paradise, he would be in heaven.
Speaker 2
He was promised that day salvation. And so it can only be because Christ’s perfect baptism that he fulfilled all righteousness, was able to then impart that to his believers, those who believe in Him by faith and trust in Christ’s baptism for their salvation. So, yes, you can be saved by baptism. However, the condition where you are not baptized and you are lost is because the Bible does say if you know to do good and you do it not, it is sin. And so we have to be very careful that if we have opportunity to make ourselves right with God to be baptized, we need to take that opportunity, because Jesus says today is the day of salvation. So if you are being called to baptism, I pray that you would not wait too long. Go through the decision prayerfully, but go forward with it in faith as soon as possible, because it is the best decision you will ever make in your life. Jay or Wendy, any other thoughts?
Speaker 3
Amen. No. Just emphasize that if baptism was the ticket in, then we have salvation by works. And the way you explain it is spot on.
Speaker 2
Praise God. Yeah. Our baptism doesn’t save us. It’s Jesus that saves us. Amen.
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In HIs Service
BibleAsk Team
