____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ March 12, 1995 ____________________________________________________ "Can't Prayer Save--Without Baptism?" by Tom Edwards The religious world is filled with many false teachings today. One such doctrine, sincerely embraced by many, is the idea that a non-Christian can simply pray to become a Christian. The following was uploaded to "The Wholly Bible" Conference on FidoNet: Jeffrey's Statement: Will you say that whoever in prayer asks God for salvation and believes that they have received it, that they have not if they are unable to be baptized? My Reply: I'd like to also answer this, Jeffrey. In my studies, I have not found one passage in all the New Testament (pertaining to the Christian Dispensation) that commands the alien sinner (one who has never been a Christian) to pray a ``sinner's prayer'' in order to become a child of God. Praying for forgiveness is what the Christian who sins must do (along with repent). Verses on this, which are directed to Christians, such as 1 John 1:9, Rev. 3:20, Acts 8:22, etc., have often been misapplied by many denominational people. I admit there are some verses that sound as if one can be saved by prayer, but when we see the context, prayer is not mentioned or indicated. For example, in Acts 2:21, Peter, quoting Joel's prophecy, states that ''....everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'' But the people listening did not interpret this to mean ``pray a sinner's prayer.'' For they called out, ''...what shall we do?'' (v. 37). Peter had already indicated that they needed to believe in the deity of Christ (v. 36), but they still asked ''...what shall we do?'' His answer to them was not ``pray for forgiveness,'' rather he told them to ``repent and be baptized'' (v. 38). Since those who ``call'' on the Lord shall be ``saved,'' and these people obtained the ``remission of sins'' by believing, repenting, and being baptized, then this was how they ``called'' on the Lord--through the act of obeying the gospel. Corresponding to this, Peter shows that ``baptism now saves you''--not by just getting clean in the water, but as an ``appeal'' to God for a clear conscience (1 Pet. 3:21; RSV). Since an ``appeal'' means to ``ask for help, support, mercy, etc.; to make an earnest request or entreaty,'' this also shows that one ``calls'' on the Lord through baptism (along with faith, repentance, and confession of faith--which is seen in other verses). This is why Saul was told to ''...Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name'' (Acts 22:16). Saul had already met the Lord on the road to Damascus. He had then penitently spent three days in Damascus fasting and praying, but his sins were not forgiven until he obeyed this final step of baptism. And by so doing, he was ``calling'' on the name of the Lord. I know this probably all sounds strange to you, but I pray that you will give it some serious thought. It is one of my desires to help other people understand what the New Testament really does have to say about water baptism. As I mentioned before, I wasn't brought up to believe this; and when introduced to the idea years ago, it was alarming. But soon afterward, I came to fully see the need for it, while also realizing that most people view water baptism as being totally irrelevant toward salvation. Please feel free to respond to any of this or to raise any other question. ___________________________________________ Write Today For Our FREE BIBLE COURSE and We Will Enroll You Right Away (Set your own pace) ___________________________________________ "What About the Thief on the Cross?" by Tom Edwards This particular question is often asked by those who try to justify salvation without water baptism, as we see Peter doing in his comment below. Though his echo mail message wasn't addressed to me, it was there for anyone to answer, so I availed myself to the opportunity. Let us consider his inquiry and then turn to the pages of God's word for the answer. Peter's Question: One simple question that I wish to ask of you: Luke 23:39-43, "Jesus saith unto him, 'Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.''' How was it possible for this malefactor to attain Salvation if he had not been baptized? My Response: I can answer that, Peter. The thief on the cross was saved before Jesus died. While Jesus lived, all the Jews were under the Old Covenant (the Law of Moses). It wasn't until after Jesus' death and resurrection, that He told His apostles to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, and ``He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved....'' (Mark 16:16). What people had to do for salvation prior to the Christian Dispensation is irrelevant to what people now must do during this Gospel Age in which we live. You were not circumcised in order to be saved, were you? I hope not (Gal. 5:1-4). But under the Law of Moses, it was part of the Jews' covenant relationship with God. To not have this done, would cause the male Jew to be cut off from God's people. Another good point to bear in mind is that baptism is so that one can be ``baptized into His (Jesus', TTE) death...'' (Rom. 6:3,4). How could the thief on the cross be baptized into Jesus' death before Jesus even died? I hope that these thoughts will better help you to understand the need for baptism according to the New Testament. ___________________________________________ An Unselfish Prayer God, give me eyes that I might see The work that can be done by me; God, give me ears that I may hear The cries of those who need me near. God, give me hands that I might do Some large or simple task for you; God, give me a prayer that I may pray For help and guidance every day. And this one thing, all else above-- God, give me a heart that I may love. -- Author unknown ___________________________________________ Water or Holy Spirit? by Tom Edwards Many people I run into believe, as Jeffrey also does, that baptism into Christ is all strictly by the Spirit and has nothing at all to do with water. As we see in Jeffrey's remark, he makes a statement to try to justify this position. Let's see what the Bible says. Jeffrey: While water is not always available, the Holy Spirit is, regardless of whether you are next to the Jordan or in the middle of the wilderness. My Response: Water is a pretty available commodity. It covers 3/4 of our globe. It is such a necessity that it's hard to imagine anyone living miles and miles from it. But even if some do live this far from it, is that the basis for why we would conclude that it is not necessary for salvation? What I would think to be more common would be all those people who live in parts of the world where there are no Bibles and where God's word is not being taught. Should we assume by this that the Bible doesn't have anything at all to do with one's salvation because there are many people who do not have access to it where they live? Jeffrey: Water cannot make us clean, but the Holy Spirit can. My Response: It's true that water doesn't literally wash away our sins, but then again even the blood of Jesus doesn't literally wash away our sins. Forgiveness takes place in the mind of God. When one sins, this doesn't produce some type of sin germ or gene that begins moving around in one's body. Rather, sin is the transgression of God's law (1 John 3:4). When one sins, it is remembered by God. Receiving forgiveness for sin, therefore, takes place not in the body of man--but in the mind of God toward the individual who has been forgiven. The Bible does not teach that there is anything miraculous in the water that forgives. Rather, it shows that through water baptism one is making an ``appeal to God for a good conscience'' (1 Pet. 3:21). Compare the need of obtaining forgiveness through water baptism (and faith, repentance, and confession of one's faith) to Naaman's need to dip himself seven times into the Jordan River in order to be healed of his leprosy (2 Kings 5). Obviously, there wasn't anything miraculous in the water. Why do it then? Because this is what God had told him to do. In similar manner, water baptism for the remission of sins is what God is commanding penitent believers to do in order to have their sins forgiven and become Christians. Jeffrey: (Here Jeffrey cites Titus 3:5 to try to teach a "Holy Spirit baptism" rather than water.) My Comment: Compare this verse to John 3:3,5: John 3:3,5 Titus 3:5 ``born again" "rebirth" ``of water'' ``washing'' and "`Spirit'' ``Holy Spirit'' ``enter the kingdom'' ``He saved us'' Water seen in connection with salvation in the New Testament is seen in baptism; and as these verses show, it is so we can ``enter the kingdom'' and be ``saved.'' (cf. 1 Pet. 3:21). ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________