What does God's Holy
Word, the King James
Bible, have to say about
baptism saving me from
my sins?
As Jesus Christ hung
As Jesus Christ hung
dying on the cross, one
of the criminals who
was hanging on a cross
next to Him stated that
Jesus was innocent and
had done nothing to
deserve death. But he
admitted that he himself
was guilty of this
punishment. That
means that this criminal
believed Jesus to be
innocent of any crime,
and that this man
repented of (was
sorry for) his sins.
But there is more to
the story...
Him Lord and then asked
Jesus to remember him
He came into His
kingdom, meaning this
thief recognized that
Jesus was a King who
had a kingdom. Jesus
responded to that thief
by telling him that he
would be with Him
(with Jesus) in
Paradise THAT DAY!
Now, this thief would
Now, this thief would
never have a chance
to be baptized and
yet Jesus Christ told
him that he (a thief
nailed to a cross for
a crime worthy of
death) would be with
Him (Jesus) that day
in Paradise! This
proves that you do
not need to be
baptized to get into
heaven when you
die because Jesus
Christ, the Son of
God, said so!
Jesus Christ was baptized,
Jesus Christ was baptized,
but not to take away His
sin (for He was the
Sinless Son of God); but
to obey God's command
to be baptized as an
example to us to obey
God.
Baptism was meant to
Baptism was meant to
be a ceremony for
those people who were
old enough to repent
of their sins (be sorry
enough for them and to
stop doing them) and
trust that Jesus Christ, the
Sinless Son of God,
died to pay for our sins.
When God the Father in
When God the Father in
heaven raised Jesus
from the dead (and
there were over 500
witnesses who saw
Him alive in a physical
body after He arose
from the dead) showing
us that God had
accepted Jesus
Christ's death as
payment for your
sins and mine.
Baptism is also a time
Baptism is also a time
to share with others
how your acceptance
of Jesus Christ as
your personal Saviour
has changed you and
that now you are
willing to live your
life in obedience to
God's Holy Word
(the KJV).
Luke
Luke
23:39 And one of the
malefactors [criminals]
which were hanged
railed on him, saying,
If thou be Christ,
save thyself and us.
23:40 But the other
23:40 But the other
answering rebuked
him, saying, Dost not
thou fear God,
seeing thou art in
the same condemnation?
23:41 And we indeed
23:41 And we indeed
justly; for we receive
the due reward of our
deeds: but this man
hath done nothing amiss.
23:42 And he said unto
23:42 And he said unto
Jesus, Lord, remember
me when thou comest
into thy kingdom.
23:43 And Jesus said unto
23:43 And Jesus said unto
him, Verily I say unto
thee, To day shalt
thou be with me in
paradise.
John the Baptist said he
baptized people with
water "unto repentance".
In other words baptism
is a witness to God and
to others that we have
repented of our sins
and accepted Jesus
Christ as our Saviour.
Matthew 3:11
I indeed baptize you
Matthew 3:11
I indeed baptize you
with water unto
repentance: but he
that cometh after me
[Jesus Christ]
is mightier than I,
whose shoes I
am not worthy to
bear: he shall
baptize you
with the Holy
Ghost, and with fire:
Who then should be
baptized?
Only those who are old
Only those who are old
enough to have repented
of their sins (been sorry
enough to admit to God
that they are a sinner and
that now they want to
live in obedience to God
by His Holy Word, the
King James Bible) and
have accepted Jesus
Christ as their personal
Saviour should be
baptized.
Nowhere in the Bible
Nowhere in the Bible
does it say to baptize
babies because they
are not old enough to
make a choice to
repent of their sins
and choose to accept
that Jesus Christ
died on the cross
and rose from the
dead to pay for
their sins. Also,
babies are innocent
of sins.
There are many verses
There are many verses
in the Bible that say
believers in Jesus
Christ were saved
from their sins by
repenting of them
FIRST, and THEN
they were baptized.
Here is just one
example...
In the following Bible
verses Jesus Christ's
disciple, Philip, tells
the eunuch that he
must believe first
that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God,
THEN he could be
baptized.
Acts
Acts
8:37 And Philip said,
If thou believest with
all thine heart, thou
mayest. And he [the
eunuch] answered
and said, I believe
that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God.
8:38 And he commanded
8:38 And he commanded
the chariot to stand
still: and they went
down both into the
water, both Philip
and the eunuch; and
he baptized him.
Peter, one of Jesus'
Peter, one of Jesus'
disciples, told people
that they needed to
repent of their sins (be
sorrowful enough to
ask God's forgiveness
of their sins) before
they were baptized.
Once again, the
baptism was an act of
obedience to God
after they had
repented of their
sins and asked God's
forgiveness of their sins.
Acts 2:38
Then Peter said unto them,
Acts 2:38
Then Peter said unto them,
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.
In this next verse
In this next verse
Peter preached to
this large crowd of
people, and three
thousand people
received the gospel
of Jesus Christ
that he was
preaching; and
THEN they were
baptized!
Acts 2:41
Then they that gladly
Then they that gladly
received his word [FIRST]
[THEN] were baptized:
and the same day
there were added
unto them about
three thousand souls.
Philip, another of Christ's
Philip, another of Christ's
disciples, preached the
gospel of Christ, and
then people believed
[FIRST], and THEN
afterward they were
baptized.
Acts 8:12
But when they believed
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.
Is baptism more
Is baptism more
important than salvation?
Paul (who wrote
most of the New
Testament) says it is
not. He is not saying
that baptism is
unimportant; just
that salvation is
more important
and must come
BEFORE baptism.
1 Corinthians 1:17
1 Corinthians 1:17
For Christ sent me not
to baptize, but to
preach the gospel:
not with wisdom of
words, lest the
cross of Christ
should be made of
none effect.
Baptism is important.
Baptism is important.
Jesus Christ's last
command to His
disciples was to
teach His Word and
to baptize all nations.
Matthew
28:18 And Jesus came
28:18 And Jesus came
and spake unto them,
saying, All power is
given unto me in
heaven and in earth.
28:19 Go ye therefore, and
28:19 Go ye therefore, and
teach all nations,
baptizing them in the
name of the Father,
and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost:
28:20 Teaching them
28:20 Teaching them
to observe all things
whatsoever I have
commanded you:
and, lo, I am with
you alway, even
unto the end of the
world. Amen.
Our baptism is a public
Our baptism is a public
witness to others that
we have repented of
our sins and are now
followers of Jesus
Christ, and to testify
how He has changed
us inside – and will
continue to change
us to become more
like Him as we study
God's Holy Word (the
KJV) and use it to
guide our daily lives.
That’s the most
awesome thing about
salvation. As we grow
closer to God through
our Lord Jesus Christ
and through God's Holy
Word (the King James
Bible), we change
what we do, how we
do things, what we say,
how we think, what we
watch, what we read,
where we go, what
friends we hang
around with, how we
dress, and how we
treat others. If we
continually study God’s
Word we will be
changed from the inside
out – and people will see
God's Holy Spirit (which
comes to live inside all
believers) working in
our lives to change us
into the image of our
Saviour Jesus Christ,
and hopefully, it will
draw others to want
to know Jesus
Christ as their
personal Saviour, too.
***
***
How Can I Get To Heaven?
How can I be saved
from my sins and know
that I will go to heaven
when I die? God's Holy
Word, the King James
Bible, tells us how:
Agree with God in
heaven that you are
a sinner and need a
Saviour. GOD SAYS
WE ARE ALL
SINNERS. But keep
reading because
there is Good News
for you:
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned,
and come short of the
glory of God;
Be willing to turn from
your sin (repent).
Acts 17:30
And the times of this
ignorance God winked
at; but now commandeth
all men every where to
repent:
Believe that Jesus
Christ, the Sinless Son
of God, shed his blood
on the cross to pay
for your sins and
mine, was buried,
and that three
days later He rose
from the dead.
Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess
with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe
in thine heart that God
hath raised him from
the dead, thou shalt
be saved.
Repent of trusting in
anything or anyone
other than Jesus
Christ (i.e. baptism,
good works, idols,
false gods, $/tithes,
man-made church
rules or traditions,
or religious
ceremonies) to
save you.
Titus 3:5
Not by works of
righteousness which we
have done, but according
to his mercy he saved us,
by the washing of
regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy
Ghost;
Jesus said that we do
not get to heaven by our
good works (stuff we
have done). See verses
7:22 and 7:23 below!
Matthew
7:21 Not every one that
saith unto me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter into
the kingdom of heaven;
but he that doeth the
will of my Father which
is in heaven.
7:22 Many will say to
me in that day, Lord,
Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy
name? and in thy
name have cast
out devils? and in
thy name done
many wonderful
works?
7:23 And then will I
profess unto them,
I never knew you:
depart from me, ye
that work iniquity.
Accept God's Free
Gift of eternal life
through his Sinless
Son, the Lord Jesus
Christ. It is a free gift
to you, but it cost Jesus
Christ his life! You do
not have to work to
earn a Gift - It is free!
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is
death; but the gift of
God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ
our Lord.
Ask Jesus Christ to be
your personal Saviour
and Lord of your life.
Romans 10:13
For whosoever shall
call upon the name
of the Lord shall be
saved.
So, if you did that and
sincerely meant it,
then you are now a
Christian! Welcome
to the family.
Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess
with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe
in thine heart that God
hath raised him from
the dead, thou shalt
be saved.
And when you die, you
will go straight to heaven
to be with Jesus Christ
forever and ever! The
following Bible verse
is one of my favorites.
It gave me comfort when
I went through double
breast cancer surgery
for I knew that if I died
on the operating table
I would immediately be
in heaven with Jesus!
Knowing that is why I
no longer fear what
comes after death.
What freedom there is
in knowing that.
2 Corinthians 5:8
We are confident, I say,
and willing rather to be
absent from the body,
and to be present with
the Lord.
One note to all dear
Catholics: The Catholic
church says that it is
wrong to believe that
you can know you are
saved before you die.
Please think about
this: God is a God of
love. After all he sent
his Son to die for your
sins so you could be
with him in heaven for
eternity! That is love!
Why would a God of love
want you to worry all of
your life whether you will
go to heaven or hell when
you die? God in heaven
wants us to have peace
and joy in this life as we
live for him and draw
others to him as their
Saviour. Only a cruel
God would want us
worried and stressed
about what comes after
death. But GOD LOVES
YOU and wants you to
have peace knowing that
you are saved now and
can know now that you
are going to heaven when
you die! Please trust your
loving heavenly Father's
Holy Word (the King James
Bible) when God tells you
that you will be with Him
after death if you trusted
Jesus Christ as your
Saviour!
And now that you have
become a Christian, it
is important to learn how
to live a life that glorifies
God in heaven who gave
you the Gift of salvation.
Link here to my Bible
study on 'What Do I Do
Now That I Am Saved?'