Thank you so much for your kindness to me. But please believe what Jesus said in Mark 16:16-“ He that believes AND is baptized shall be saved.” It must be in that order, because putting baptism AFTER SALVATION changes what Jesus said. Also, the Holy Spirit guided Peter to write, “ …baptism does now save us….” 1 Peter 3:21. There are so many scriptures that teach baptism is necessary to salvation: baptism is for the forgiveness of sins, Acts 2:38; baptism washes away sins, Acts 22:16; all of the conversions you read about in the book of Acts are saved the same way—believe and be baptized—Acts 8:12-13, the Ethiopian eunuch Acts 8, Saul of Tarsus Acts 22, Cornelius, Acts 10, Lydia and the jailer, Acts 16. The Corinthians Acts 18:8. Please, I beg you, read each of these conversions and see how each one believed and was baptized—just as Jesus taught when He was on earth.
Also, in 1 Corinthians 1:13, Paul is condemning divisions and He gives 2 requirements, two things necessary for anyone to call themselves by the name of a man. Verse 13- 1) that man would have to have been CRUCIFIED for you and 2) you would have to be BAPTIZED into His name. Paul says I was not crucified for you, you were not baptized into my name, therefore do not call yourselves after me. Neither was Apollos and neither was Cephas. Do not call yourselves after men. Think of the Lutherans. They call themselves after Martin Luther, but Luther was not “crucified” for them and they were not baptized into his name. How can you call yourself a “Christian” named after Christ, a follower of Christ if you have not been baptized into His name—just as Peter said to do in Acts 2:38? We are baptized into Christ ( Romans 6:3) and therefore we can wear His name. This alone makes baptism necessary to be a Christian.
When do you come into contact with the blood of Christ? We know it cleanses us from our sins but when? At the point of faith? When we repent? When we confess? If it’s at the point if faith, then the devils in James 2 must be saved, because they believe in Jesus so much they TREMBLE! Where do you find the blood of Jesus? In His death! He shed His blood in His DEATH. Go back to Romans 6. “As many as were BAPTIZED into Christ Jesus were baptized into His DEATH.” Verse 3.and 4. That’s where we reach the blood of Jesus; where we come into contact with His blood; that’s where “His blood cleanses us of all our sins.” 1 John 1:7 That’s why we go down into the waters of baptism an “old man” Romans 6: 5-6, and come up a new creature to walk in “newness of life.” Verse 3 &4.
Please be aware, the doctrine that baptism does not save is a lie of Satan; just like he told Eve in the garden that she would die if she ate the fruit— Satan said she would NOT die. He always says the opposite of what God says. Do not be deceived like Eve. Gid has told you in the Bible that baptism saves—-now who are you going to believe? God or man? You have the same choice Eve had.
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