Dr. Mike Jones

Q: Dr. Mike, is Water Baptism ‘Essential’ to my salvation?

Q: Dr. Mike, I’ve been brought up believing that [water] baptism is ‘essential’ to my salvation. Is this statement true?

A: Biblically speaking, the answer is emphatically “NO!” Scripture declares through the writings of the Apostles that a person can be saved who has not been baptized. However, scripture also declares that baptism is extremely important and individuals that have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and have become true disciples of Christ, will be baptized. Permit me to explain this:

Upon reading verses/passages of scripture, such as those found in the Gospel of Mark that says, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (16:16), and in the Gospel of Mathew that says,“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” (28:19-20) If we read just these verses alone, one would come to the conclusion that it is virtually impossible to be saved without being baptized. However, the Bible emphatically declares that salvation is an act of “GRACE” alone! We know this because Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Therefore, to say that baptism is necessary for salvation is to say that we have to add our own deeds (or good works) and obedience to Christ’s death to make water baptism sufficient for salvation.

I can hear my spiritually-minded colleagues saying, “Dr. Mike, what about Acts 2:38, where the Apostle Peter said, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Good question: and in light of the fact I have proven that baptism is not necessary for our salvation – because salvation from Christ stands alone, now explain the Acts 2:38 passage in line with other water baptism references. What the Apostle Peter is saying in the Greek text is: REPENTANCE is required for the remission of our sins, if one is to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost; and also, as an act of obedience to Christ, He commands us to be baptized in Water, because it is a public declaration to bystanders, that we have accepted Christ Jesus and we are turning our backs on the old life of sin and we are now trusting Him to live a new life as a Christian.