The only condition for salvation
The clearest statements of Scripture declare that eternal salvation is by grace through faith alone in
Christ alone (John 3:16; 6:47; Eph. 2:8-9). Since grace means a free undeserved gift, any act or
commitment intended to merit salvation is necessarily excluded (Rom. 11:6). Faith is the persuasion
that God's promise is true, therefore it also excludes any deed or commitment because it simply
accepts what has already been promised and paid for (Rom. 3:24; Eph. 2:8-9). When we say that our
faith is in Christ alone, we mean that Christ did all that was necessary to accomplish our salvation and
we can add nothing - no commitment, no act of obedience, no good work - to gain our salvation. We
should therefore understand controversial passages on baptism in light of the clear scriptural teaching
that faith alone in Christ alone obtains eternal life.
Some misunderstood Bible passages on baptism
John's baptism. John the Baptist came to baptize unto repentance (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3). His
baptism called the Jewish people to prepare themselves for the coming Messiah by repenting of their
sins and their associations with apostate Judaism. That his baptism was not unto salvation is clear from
Acts 19:1-5 where his disciples were told that they had to believe in Jesus Christ to receive the Holy
Spirit.
Mark 16:15-16. It is disputed whether the end of Mark (16:9ff.) was in the original New Testament.
Assuming it for the sake of argument, Jesus commands the disciples to preach the gospel saying, "He
who believes and is baptized will be saved." But He then makes the only condition of condemnation "he
who does not believe" (v. 15), not "he who does not believe and get baptized." Baptism is not a
condition for salvation or condemnation.
John 3:5. There are a number of interpretive options for the meaning of "born of water and of the
Spirit," but if the context is considered, baptism is certainly not the best. Some take water as a
reference to physical birth, since that is what Nicodemus asked about (v. 4). It may be better to take
water as a reference to the Holy Spirit ("water, even the Spirit" or "water, that is, the Spirit") since
spiritual birth is the focus of the ensuing discussion (vv. 6-8) and something that Nicodemus, as Israel's
teacher, should have known was promised in the New Covenant (v. 10; cf. Eze. 36:25-27; Isa. 44:3; See
also John 7:38-39; Titus 3:5).
Acts 2:38. Several interpretations of this difficult passage deny the necessity of baptism for eternal
salvation. Perhaps the one most consistent with the text holds that these Jews had believed when they
were convinced of Peter's message, as is clear from their grief and their question "what shall we do?"
(2:37). Repentance and baptism was Peter's prescription urging these new Jewish believers to identify
with the Christian community in order to escape the imminent judgment coming upon their sinful
generation for crucifying Christ (v. 40). Forgiveness of this sin (not their eternal salvation) was
conditioned on the repentance signified by their baptism. Their repentant baptism was also the
condition for receiving of the Holy Spirit for these Jews in this transitional period. Later, Gentiles
received the Spirit immediately upon believing in Christ (Acts 10:43-44; 15:7-9).
Romans 6:3-4. It is very clear in this passage that Paul is speaking of the act of Spirit baptism which
places (immerses) all who believe into the body of Christ. This Spirit baptism was predicted by Christ
(Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5) and is essential to all believers (1 Cor. 12:13).
1 Peter 3:21. In light of verse 20 which states that Noah and his family were saved through water
because they were in the ark, so also believers are figuratively saved through the water of baptism only
because they are in the resurrected Christ. In the context, these believers who faced suffering can be
saved from a guilty conscience, which would come from denying their faith, by pubically identifying with
Christ through baptism (cf. v. 16).
