WHAT MUST I
DO TO BE SAVED?
Is Baptism Necessary? Does it Matter How I’m Baptized?
There are varying beliefs
and teachings concerning what a person needs to do in order to be saved. Some believe that all you have to do is just
believe on Jesus and their saved. Some believe baptism is optional.
Jesus Himself said in
John 5:39 to “SEARCH the Scriptures for in them ye THINK ye have eternal life…”
We find in Acts 17:11
that those in Berea not only received the Word with all readiness of mind, but
they also would search the Scriptures daily to confirm that what they were
being taught was accurate.
Acts 17:11
These are more noble than
those in Thessalonica,
in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind,
and SEARCHED the Scriptures DAILY,
whether those things were so.
Is Baptism really
necessary? Does a person really need to
be baptized? Does it matter HOW a person
is baptized? Can a person just believe
and be saved? We’re going to look at what the Bible says concerning Salvation.
Where do we begin?
If we want to know HOW to be saved, we look to the
Book of Acts – that is where the birth of the Church is recorded and we can
find evidence of how the first believers came to be saved = They believed,
repented, were baptized in Jesus Name, and were filled with the Holy Ghost
evidenced by speaking in other tongues.
Then to grow as a Believer in Christ and learn how
to be a Christian and what we need to continue to do AFTER we’re saved, we look
to Romans through Jude = where we find instruction, correction, admonition, and
inspiration.
Let’s
turn to John 3 and look at a discussion between Jesus and Nicodemus….
Nicodemus
– was a Pharisee and a Religious ruler of the Jews
The word Pharisee means “One
who is separated.”
The
Pharisees were considered the most expert and accurate expositors of
Jewish law. (Expositor
= explains complicated ideas or theories.)
Jesus
referred to Nicodemus as a “master” of Israel (John 3:10)
*Anyone called “master” was considered an expert concerning
the Law
Nicodemus
was considered an expert concerning the Jewish law
* yet he recognized
there was something different, something extraordinary
about Jesus.
*There
was something different about the way Jesus taught and expounded
the Scriptures.
*He
recognized that Jesus spoke as one having authority - Mt 7:29
Nicodemus
wanted to talk to Jesus and ask Him more questions but he knew the other
Pharisees did not like Jesus and so he came to speak to him privately late at
night. (Jn 3:2)
Read John 3:1-7
*Nicodemus
recognized and acknowledged that Jesus was a teacher sent from
God (vs 2)
*But Jesus’ words concerning being born
again puzzled Nicodemus
*He was
thinking of a natural birth but did not understand Jesus was speaking
of a spiritual birth
*Jesus explained:
unless a person is born of water (Baptism) AND of the Spirit
(Holy Ghost), he or she can NOT ENTER
the Kingdom of God.
*That which
is born of flesh is flesh (the first birth)
*But that
which is born of the Spirit is spirit (the second birth which is spiritual)
*Marvel
not that I said unto thee, ye MUST be BORN AGAIN (Spiritual Birth)
*Jesus
did not mince words….He taught that being born again of the spiritual
birth is not optional.
*He said
if you want to enter into the Kingdom of God you MUST be born again
of Water (Baptism) AND of Spirit
(infilling of the Holy Ghost)
What does
it mean to be “BORN AGAIN”?
Peter –
walked with and was taught by Jesus for 3 ½ years after Jesus began His
ministry plus an additional 40 days after His resurrection.
That time
was not spent just casually hanging out as a friend
That time
was spent learning and being taught by Jesus daily the things concerning
the Word
of God, the Kingdom of God, and salvation
Not just
daily but throughout the day and sometimes into the night
(Ex:
Nicodemus)
Peter was
there when Nicodemus came and talked with Jesus
So he was present when Jesus said we
MUST be born again
Peter was
there on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Ghost was first given and
120 were
filled with the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in other
tongues.
The Jews
who came to Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost heard a loud sound and began
to follow the sound to find out where the sound was coming from and what was
going on.
They
came to what is called the “Upper Room” where Jesus had told His Disciples to
go and wait for the Promise that would be given. (Acts 1)
120 Disciples of Jesus gathered in the Upper Room, waiting for the Promise
Jesus had told them of.
The 120
who had been praying had just received that Promise and were speaking in other
tongues.
But the
other Jews who gathered in did not know or understand what was going on.
They
thought they had been drinking too early in the morning and had all become
drunk.
Peter,
hearing their mocking, stood up with the other 11 Apostles and began to preach
to them about Jesus and what was taking place.
Some of
them became convicted in their heart and asked “What shall we do?”
Acts 2:37-38, 41
(37) Now
when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and
to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
(38) Then
Peter said unto them….
1.
Repent
2.
And be
baptized every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,
3.
And ye shall receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost
As Peter
preached, many listened and heeded his words….
(41) Then
they that gladly received his word were
baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about 3,000 souls.
The first thing Peter commanded them
to do was REPENT
Means to experience sorrow and
conviction over past sins
To think differently, i.e. reconsider
what you’ve done
When a person repents, they’re going to be sincere when they ask God to forgive
them of their sins.
They’re not going to want to continue to do things that displease God.
Godly
sorrow works repentance to salvation
2 Cor
7:10
Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation
not to be repented of:
but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
In other words, a person should never feel or think they shouldn’t cry tears
before the Lord. Godly sorrow leads to
true repentance. Those tears are showing
God the sincerity and sorrow for things they’ve done to displease Him.
Sin leaves a person with regrets and leads to eternal death away from God but
when a person truly repents, those sins are forgiven which is the start of a
change of life and walk toward God.
When a
person truly repents – they will not walk the same way they used to walk, they
won’t talk the same way they used to talk, they won’t go to the places they
used to go that were not pleasing to the Lord.
There will be a change!
Second thing Peter instructed was to…
Be
baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ
For the
Remission of sins = freedom from, pardon, deliverance,
forgiveness, liberty
Peter and
the other Disciples remembered Jesus’ instruction that:
Repentance
and remission of sins (which is Baptism)
should be preached in His Name among all nations.
Luke 24:47
So by repentance
we gain forgiveness but the stain of the sin is still there
Baptism
washes away all of our sins. Paul asked and instructed in ACTS 22:16…
And
now why tarriest thou? (what are you waiting for????)
Arise, and be baptized, and
wash away thy sins,
Calling on the name of the
Lord.
When a
person repents and then is baptized, they will feel so clean inside
Notice Apostle
Peter and Apostle Paul both said to be baptized in the NAME of Jesus Christ. Yet many like to quote Mt 28:19 as the
formula for baptizing….
Does it
really matter HOW a person is baptized?
Jesus was
getting ready to ascend up into heaven and was giving his disciples final
instructions.
In Matthew 28:19 He instructed….
Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the NAME of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Jesus
said in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Yet Peter
said to be baptized in the name of Jesus in Acts 2:38
So, does it really matter how you’re baptized as long as you’re baptized?
Let’s
examine the Scriptures to see what God’s Word says.
John 5:39
Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life:
and they
are they which testify of me.
Peter was
there when Jesus spoke those words recorded in Mt 28:19 and yet on the Day of
Pentecost and every time after, he baptized in the NAME of Jesus Christ.
WHY did
he use the name of Jesus to baptize and not merely say “in the name of the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost?
Did you
know Jesus taught Peter and the rest of
Apostles HOW to baptize?
John 4:1-2 says…
Jesus
made and baptized more disciples than John,
(though
Jesus Himself baptized not, but His disciples,)
There
were 120 Disciples in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy
Ghost was first poured out, yet not one of the Apostles or disciples argued when
Peter stood up and told everyone to be baptized in the NAME of Jesus. Why?
Because Jesus had already taught them HOW to Baptize.
They
realized and knew that Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are merely titles - they are
the roles Jesus was filling, but they are not His name.
Everywhere
we look, throughout the Book of Acts, we see they baptized using the NAME of
JESUS
Acts 4:12
Neither is there salvation in any other:
for there is NONE OTHER NAME under heaven given among men,
whereby we MUST BE SAVED.
Colossians 3:17
And
whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all
in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.
Some
people teach and believe that all you have to do is believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and they’ll be saved. But Jesus
said in….
Mark 16:16
He that
believeth AND is baptized shall be saved;
but he
that believeth not shall be damned.
Believing
is only the first step! Jesus taught
them that once they believe, they need to be baptized.
Acts 8:12
But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the
kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus
Christ, they were baptized,
both men
and women.
Acts 8:16
shows
how they were baptized….
….. only
they were baptized in the name of
the Lord Jesus.
Acts 10
God sent
Peter to preach the Gospel to a Gentile named Cornelius.
While
Peter was preaching, the Holy Ghost fell on everyone in that house.
Peter knew
they had the Holy Ghost because he heard them speak in tongues (a language
unfamiliar to them and one they didn’t know how to speak)
As soon
as they received the gift of the Holy Ghost, Peter commanded them
to be baptized in the name of Jesus.
Acts 10:48
And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.
**Peter didn’t leave it
as optional! He didn’t say they could be
baptized IF they wanted to. He didn’t
ask HOW they wanted to be baptized. NO! He COMMANDED them to be baptized IN THE NAME
OF JESUS. Because he knew that is the
only name by which we can be saved and that’s how Jesus taught him to baptize
others.
Acts 19
As Paul
was traveling, he found certain disciples in Ephesus.
These
disciples had been taught about Jesus by John the Baptist but their
understanding was limited because John had been beheaded.
So Paul
began to ask them questions to see what they’d been taught.
Acts 19:2
- And he said unto them,
Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? (***Again, shows us there is
more to salvation then just believing***)
And they
said unto him, we have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
Paul then
asked:
3 And he said
unto them, unto what then were ye baptized? And they said unto John’s
baptism. (***These disciples had been
baptized by John the Baptist***)
4 Then
said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the
people that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on
Christ Jesus.
5 When
they heard this, they were baptized in
the name of the Lord Jesus.
If it
doesn’t matter how a person is baptized, Paul and these ‘disciples’ would not
have felt it necessary to be rebaptized using the name of
Jesus.
WHY DO I NEED TO
BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF JESUS?
Not only have we just
seen several Scriptures showing and exampling to us that the Apostles baptized
in the name of Jesus, but we also see that is how we ‘put on Christ’…through
baptism in His name.
Galatians 3:27
For as
many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
The Reason we
completely Immerse in water instead of sprinkle:
Some Churches sprinkle a
person with water. Why don’t we?
Romans
6:4
Therefore
we are buried with him by baptism into death:
that like
as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father,
even so
we also should walk in newness of life.
Baptism
is
symbolic of being buried with Christ.
When a
person is buried, we don’t just sprinkle a handful of dirt on them and say
they’re buried. No, we completely cover
the body
In the
same way, a person who is being baptized should be completely covered
(immersed) in water as a representation of being buried with Christ.
We’re
burying the old man, the old sinful nature in that watery grave.
When we
come up out of the water, we’re clean and feel new inside.
**No
where in Scripture do we find any reference to anyone being sprinkled with
water.
THIRD The 3rd
thing Peter told them was that the Promise of the Holy Ghost was available for
everyone. (Acts 2:38-39)
There were 3,000 that day
that gladly received Peter’s words and followed his instructions to repent, be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, then they prayed for and received the
gift of the Holy Ghost.
When you receive the Holy
Ghost, you will speak with new tongues just as the Disciples did in the book of
Acts. That is the evidence God gave that
shows a person has received the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:1-4, 16-18, 38-41 + Acts
10:44-46 + Acts 19:2-6 + Mk 16:17)
We’ll go more in-depth
concerning this topic in next week’s study.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE GUIDE
Water Baptism is
essential to Salvation:
Mark 16:16
John 3:3-5
Acts 2:38
Acts 10:48
Acts 11:14
Acts 16:30-33
1 Corinthians 10:1-4
1 Peter 3:20-21
Water Baptism should be
performed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ:
Luke 24:47
Acts 2:37-41
Acts 4:12
Acts 8:12-16
Acts 10:47-48
Acts 15:14
Acts 19:1-5
Acts 22:16
Romans 6:3-5
1 Corinthians 1:12-15
Galatians 3:27
Colossians 2:8-12
Colossians 3:17
Titus 3:5
Baptismal formula – Jesus
is the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:
Zechariah 14:9
Matthew 1:21
Matthew 28:19
John 5:43
John 14:17
John 15:26
Acts 2:38
Acts 4:12
Acts 7:59
Acts 9:5
Colossians 1:27
Hebrews 1:4
Hebrews 2:12
Water Baptism should be
by immersion:
Matthew 3:16
Mark 1:9-10
John 3:23
Acts 8:35-39
Romans 6:4-5
