There is a lot of confusion floating around about baptism.
 
Often I talk with someone about coming to church and they say they are Christian. When I ask when they became a Christian, often, very often, the answer is “I was baptized as a teenager” or if I ask how long they’ve been saved, they say, “I was baptized five years ago, so I’ve been saved five years.” In other words, their assurance of eternal life is based upon an event in which they were dunked in water by a preacher.
 
This can be a touchy subject, because baptism is an emotional issue with many people. Every denomination does it different. Some immerse, some pour, some sprinkle, and some even dip babies under water. I talked with one lady who told me she was going to Heaven because a priest dipped her under water shortly after she was born! I hope she has a better reason when she stands before God’s throne later…
 
Some people claim to feel physical things happen to them, like feeling lighter, feeling like someone (God) was pulling on their heart, or even seeing some sign. Perhaps their stories are true, but anything important and monumental in a person’s life makes them feel great feelings – your life flashing before you when you feel danger, heart racing, adrenaline rushes during an athletic event, etc. – but most of them are not necessarily spiritual!
 
I’m sure many of the people I’ve talked with really are believers and they are just confused, but what worries me is that so many people are trusting in their baptismal experience to get them to Heaven.
 
We scoff at religions like Catholicism, which taught centuries ago that God will allow you into heaven if you climb up the “stairs of Pilate” on your knees while praying. We scoff at religions like Islam, that teach if you blow yourself up in a train station or crash a plane into a bunch of Americans, God will let you into Heaven. These are absurd teachings, but no less absurd than someone teaching that a bath will “wash away their sins”. Before you read on, I want you to understand why I am writing this. I do not hate those who teach that baptism washes away sins, but I do hate their doctrine. I am not against those who have been baptized thinking God would save them because of the experience, but I do want them to realize that salvation has nothing to do with being dunk under water. This is a major issue with me for this reason: It has to do with where you will spend eternity!
 
If you have a Bible, open it to Matthew chapter three and follow along with the verses below:
(v.1-2)
John Baptist was Jesus’ cousin. They were only a few months of age apart, because Mary and John’s mom were sisters pregnant at the same time. Both John and Jesus were about 30. Jesus had not started doing miracles yet. He had not started preaching to large crowds yet. He didn’t even have His disciples yet. All He was so far was an average man about to start His “earthly ministry.” What John is doing is preparing everyone for Jesus. He cries, “the Messiah Christ is here! You need to repent of your sins, stop going through the rituals of being a Jew, and listen to this guy!” (v.2) “Repent” means to turn from sin (stop sinning) and turn to Jesus (commit your life to Christ).
 
(v.3-4)
It was prophesied that a man would come out of the wilderness and tell to people to get their lives ready for the Christ. John was the man prophesied of, and he was quite a sight (v.4). He definitely attracted attention with long hippy hair, his cave-man outfit made of camel’s hair, his leather fanny pack, and a bowl full of locust (large grasshoppers with wings) and honey!
 
(v.5-6)
This is the first ever record of anyone, anywhere being baptized that I know of.
 
This is important to realize: John’s baptisms were CEREMONIES. Those who believed in John’s message, and were accepting the Christ John was preaching about, wanted to symbolically show that. We do ceremonies for everything – boy scouts, graduations, weddings, sports banquets, homecomings, or birthdays.
 
Question:
Does wearing a blue robe and a funny-looking flat hat with a tassle in your face and a scroll make you a high school graduate? No, passing the classes does.
Does a badge on your vest with a campfire picture make you a scout? No, completing different challenges does.
Does a letter sports jacket and a trophy make you an athlete? No, making the team, practicing, and playing the game does.
Does wearing a white dress, walking an isle, and putting on a diamond ring make you married? No, the signed papers and the preacher or administrator does.
QUESTION: does getting dipped in water make you a Christian? Does being baptized guarantee your entrance into Heaven? Does being baptized wash away your sins? NO! Trusting in Jesus as your Savior and confessing your sins to Him does! The ceremony is just the celebration and public announcement of that!

 
Important things to realize about this baptizing:
First, this was the first time Baptizing had ever been done. Does that mean that all of God’s people before the NT were not saved? Absolutely not. In the Old Testament, to signify becoming a Christian, people would do other things – being circumsized (glad that’s over with! It would be hard to make new converts!), do lamb sacrifices, etc. Second, there was nothing supernatural or spiritual about what John was doing. He could have shaved their heads or tell them to eat his locust and honey soup for a symbol of salvation! But baptism was the chosen method.
 
Five Reasons Baptism Can’t Save You
 
1.      Salvation is (and always has been) by faith in Jesus

 
People in Bible times made up all kinds of ways to be saved and people still do today.

 
(Acts 15:1-2) “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved .… Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them…”
(Colossians 2:16) “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days”
 
The first Christians dealt with this all the time. In Acts 15 Paul and Barnabus had to conduct a council to tell everyone that those who taught that circumcision was essential to go to Heaven were wrong. All through the book of Acts, Jews were commanding Christians to be circumcised. Galatians was written because of people trying to teach works salvation. Colossians was written to tell people not to follow the Old Testament law.
In every religion except for Christianity, getting to Heaven is all about works! different preacher teach that baptism saves, be a good person, be a member of this denomination, do the sacraments, visit this holy site, pray to this saint, do communion and eat this and drink this, follow the golden rule, obey the 10 commandments, and on and on the list goes. None of these things save a soul – only confessing and accepting Jesus can save you!

 
(Acts 4:11) “there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”
(John 14:6) “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”

 
2.      Baptism is a Picture of faith in Jesus
 
It pictures what Jesus did for you.
 
(Romans 6:4) “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.”
 
It is symbolic of what Jesus did in you
Acts 1:5 “baptized with the Holy Spirit”
I Corinthians 12:13 “we are all baptized into one body”
Colossians 2:12 “buried with him through baptism”
Many other verses make it seem as if baptism saves, but study them. These are usually symbolic, and many verses that say “baptism” are not even referring to water.

 
3.      Baptism is an Identification with Jesus and the Gospel
 
Throughout the New Testament, salvation always comes before baptism: The Ethiopian Eunuch, Christians in Acts 2, Great commission, etc.
 
What did Jesus think about baptism? Jesus was baptized, so did He need to be saved? No, He was agreeing and identifying with the message John the Baptist was preaching. Jesus commands us to baptize others, so does that mean can we save anyone? No.

 
4.      It is Physically and Practically absurd to teach baptism to teach that baptism washes away one’s sins
 
John 3:3-4 tells the story of a man talking with Jesus about eternal life. “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?” Nicodemus missed the picture; Jesus was not talking about a physical birth, but a spiritual one. Don’t get wrapped into thinking that baptism saves – it is just a picture or ceremony of what should have already happened in a person’s heart.
 
Here is something else to think about. What if a criminal went to court for a crime and the judge ruled they should take a long, clean bath, and then they should go free? That would be a ridiculous sentence, because soap can clean a person’s body, but it cannot clean a person’s life. Baptism may wash your body, but it cannot possibly wash away your sins!

 
5.      Many Examples are given in the Bible
 
Jesus never baptized anyone, but He forgave sins and promised people eternal life all the time.
(John 4:2) “Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples”

 
The thief on the cross who was saved died before being baptized.
(Luke 23:43) “Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise”

 
The Eunich was forbidden to be baptized until he admitted trusting in Christ.
(Acts 8:36-37) " the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest."

Salvation is a must.
(Mark 16:16) “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
 
If you have questions about this, feel free to contact the church at (812) 883-5334 to talk with someone. If you are unsure where you will spend eternity, I hope you will soon understand the free gift of salvation Jesus offers all who believe in Him. I hope this article was a help, and God bless!