Why do I say that? Because
Jesus Christ told the
repentant thief hanging on
the cross next to Him that
that very day that thief
would be with Him (Jesus)
in Paradise. Now that
thief would never have a
chance to be baptized
before he died on that
cross, and yet Jesus
Christ promised this
man that he would be
in Paradise with Jesus
that very day! If you
need to be baptized in
order to be saved and
get into heaven, then
Jesus Christ lied to that
man. And if Jesus lied,
then Jesus is a sinner
just like the rest of us
and He never could be
the Saviour of this world!
And now to continue this
study on baptism from
God's Holy Word, the
King James Bible,
please keep
reading.
said to the dying thief
is so important to our
understanding that
baptism (SOMETHING
WE DO) does not, and
cannot, save us!
If we could earn our
salvation by being
baptized, then Jesus
Christ died for no
reason!
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 (sinless)
and had done nothing
to deserve death. But
the thief admitted that
he himself was guilty
of this punishment.
That means that this
criminal believed
Jesus to be innocent
of any crime, and
that he recognized
that he (the thief) was
a sinner and he was
sorry for his sins.
But there is more
to the story...
This thief then
This thief then
called Jesus Lord
and asked Jesus to
remember him
when 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 (the thief) would
be with Him (Jesus Christ)
in Paradise THAT DAY!
I repeat this because it
is important to know:
Now, this thief would
never have a chance to be
baptized to 'earn' his way
to heaven and yet Jesus
Christ told him that he
would be with Him
that day in Paradise!
God was showing us
proof according to His
Son, the Lord Jesus
Christ, that you do not
need to be baptized to
get into heaven!
I repeat this: If you
have to be baptized
(SOMETHING WE DO)
to be saved from
your sins then
Jesus Christ died
for no reason!
Jesus Christ was
baptized - not to
be saved from his
sins because He
was sinless - but
to obey God's
command. Baptism
in the Bible was
always done AFTER
someone had repented
of their sins and then
trusted Jesus Christ
as their Saviour, and
to witness to others
about God's grace
and mercy in saving
them from their sins.
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
BEFORE BEING
BAPTIZED.
Matthew 3:11
I indeed baptize you with
water unto repentance:
but he that cometh after
me is mightier than I
[Jesus Christ], whose
shoes I am not worthy to
bear: he shall baptize
you with the Holy
Ghost, and with fire:
Who then should be
baptized? This is not
my opinion. This
information is from
God's Holy Word, the
King James Bible.
Only those who are old
enough to have
repented of their sins
(are sorry enough to turn
away from their sins) and
have trusted Jesus Christ
as their personal Saviour
should be baptized.
Nowhere in the Bible does
Nowhere in the Bible does
it say to baptize babies
because they are not old
enough to make the 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.
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
Ethiopian eunuch that
he must believe first
that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God,
then he could be
baptized.
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
the chariot to stand still:
and they went down both
into the water, both Philip
and the eunuch; and
[then] he baptized him.
Another example is:
Peter, one of Jesus
Christ's 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 in
heaven for forgiveness
of their sins.
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 Peter
preached to this large crowd
of people, and three
thousand people received
the gospel of Jesus
Christ that he was
preaching; and THEN
AFTER THE PREACHING
AND GLADLY RECEIVING
THE GOSPEL OF
SALVATION THROUGH
JESUS CHRIST
THEN THEY WERE
BAPTIZED.
Acts 2:41
Then they that [FIRST]
gladly received his
word were [THEN]
baptized: and the same
day there were added
unto them about three
thousand souls.
Philip, another of Jesus
Christ's disciples,
preached the gospel of
Christ, and 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 [FIRST], and the name
of Jesus Christ, [THEN]
they were baptized, both
men and women.
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 that
it must come BEFORE
baptism.
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. Jesus
Christ's last command to
His disciples was to teach
His Word and to baptize
all nations. But He
commanded us to share
the gospel of salvation
with everyone we can;
and baptism comes after
the salvation from sins.
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
teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost:
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
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
from the inside out – and
will continue to change us
to become more like Him
as we study God's Holy
Word, the King James
Bible, and use it to guide
our daily lives to bring
honor and glory to God
our heavenly Father
in all that we do and say;
and hopefully, our lives
will reflect Jesus Christ
and will draw others to us
to find out why we have
joy and peace and hope,
and that hopefully, they
will then accept Jesus
Christ as their personal
Saviour, too.
And now if you would like
to know how to be saved
from your sins and know
that you are going to
heaven when you 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;
Believe that Jesus
Christ, the Sinless Son
of God, shed his blood
on the cross to pay
for your sins (and
mine). Three days later
He rose from the dead.
Romans 5:8
But God commendeth
his love toward us, in
that, while we were
yet sinners, Christ
died for us.
Repent of trusting in
anything or anyone
other than Jesus
Christ (i.e. baptism,
good works, 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.
God tells us that as
many as received
Jesus Christ as their
Saviour and believed
on his name (trusted
him as Saviour), he
gave them power to
become the sons
(and daughters) of
God the Father in
heaven!
John 1:12
But as many as received
him [trusted Jesus], to
them gave he power to
become the sons of God,
even to them that
believe on his name.
So, if you confessed to
God in heaven that you
are a sinner in need of
a Saviour, and you
believe that Jesus Christ
died for your sins and
that God raised him
from the dead, then
you shall be saved.
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?'