I am baptist. Believe have to be saved thru christ to go to heaven. also I know that is in scripture to be baptized. I have been, but what about those folks who haven't been? will they not go? I know scripture says yes. if this is the case what about all the folks we are seeing saved when knocking doors? We invite them to church to confess their beliefs and follow in belivers baptism. Sadly, most do not. Is this all for nothing?
Hi ML,
In the Scriptures, Jesus, while speaking to a gathered crowd of people much like us, gives them some instructions in how they should live, what they should be seeking, and finally, the last days and his Father's day of judgment. It is referred to as the 'sermon on the mount'. He begins this teaching by telling them the kind of people who will be blessed. Those who are poor in spirit, meek and humble, those who thirst for righteousness, etc. When reading this list, I often take out the word 'blessed' and insert 'this is what my Father asks of me'. He asks me to be poor in spirt, meek and humbe, thirsty for rightousness, etc.
He continues to teach them of their being salt and light in this dark world when they become born again believers faithful to the love and truth of God. He explains to them his purpose as it regards the law of his Father and then ends that piece of teaching with a zinger that surely gives us pause to consider how important our seeking after righteousness really is to our Father. He says to them that unless their righteousness is greater than that of the Pharisees and teachers, they will not enter the kingdom of heaven. That had to be a tough nut to swallow for a group of people and a culture that believed that the Pharisees and teachers were the epitome of righteousness. You didn't get to be a Pharisee or teacher in Israel unless you were seen as holy and righteous. Upright standing before God. And, of course, the underlying message in this comment he made is telling the people that these Pharisees and teachers aren't going to heaven either. He pretty clearly tells them that one's righteousness must be greater than what they have to get into heaven.
Then he goes on to give them instruction on how a murderous heart filled with hate and anger towards others was the same thing as actually taking someone's life in God's sight. He teaches on the severity and consequences of divorce and making oaths. How important having mercy and love for those who we understand as doing us wrong in their thoughts and deeds. How we should see and practice our giving to help the less fortunate. Praying and fasting. What we need to consider as our 'treasure' and the uselessness of worrying about what tomorrow holds as regards this life. He then tells them about judging others and the consequences thereof and how much our Father wants to provide for us, if we will just turn to Him in love and trust and ask him.
Finally, he gives them, and us, some warnings about following after God. He warns them that the way to eternal life is a narrow way. He indicates pretty clearly that most people aren't going in that way. His words, "only a few find it". That we must be diligent in carefully considering what others tell us for there will be false prophets and false teachers.
But, it is the next teaching which, I believe, may have some information regarding your question. Jesus talks about the day of his Father's judgment and tells those in attendance that not everyone who calls him Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. What!!? He says that this group of people, which he numbers as 'many', which we must consider will only include a subset of those who are calling out to him Lord, Lord. In other words, I want to make clear that these people are not the agnostics or the atheists or the muslims or buddhists of the world. Not at all any of these, but Jesus describes these people as one's who have spent their lives doing miracles and driving out demons in the name of Jesus while living among us. These are people that call themselves christians. They are likely on these boards and in our fellowships sitting right alongside of us and even teaching us the ways of righteousness. They are raising their hands when asked if they have 'been saved'. They have the little 'cross' or 'Jesus' bumper stickers on their cars. They are claiming miracles and struggling with demons in the name of Jesus and they are 'many', not 'few'.
So, how does this relate to your question? Well, first off, be careful about who you take your scriptural advice from. Is that person a part of the 'many' or the 'few'? How do we know? Well, my best advice is to check it against the Scriptures. This is what the Bereans did when Paul, who we know was a believer who knew the truth, was teaching them, and the Scriptures commend them for this. Do likewise!
Here's the evidence that I find available in the Scriptures regarding baptism and its importance to our salvation. First, Jesus says at one place, only those who believe and are baptized will be saved. However, whether or not this sentence is actually in the original manuscripts is debated and so I must weigh that in my understanding. But, there is more. Jesus' final words to his disciples when instructing them to go out and spread the gospel into all the world concludes with his saying to them that they will be 'teaching them to obey all that he has commanded and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit'. For me, this separates out those teachings that claim some different baptism of spirit over water baptism. While I absolutely agree that there is a spirit baptism, I don't so agree that this is the baptism that Jesus is instructing his disciples to carry out. Finally, in every situation we are given in the new covenant writings of someone coming to faith in the Lord, it is immediately followed up by water baptism.
Paul, is baptized after his blindness is cured by Ananias. At one point Jesus instructs his disciples to go out and baptize. John the Baptist is baptizing. The eunuch who comes to faith at the teaching of Phillip immediately requests to be baptized and stops right on the side of the road at some water. When someone came to faith through Paul's teaching we find that the very next stop was to be baptized. Being baptized after coming to faith seems to be the normative process we find in the new covenant writings.
But, let me make clear that just being baptized isn't going to usher anyone into the kingdom of God on its own merits. First, there must be faith. Understanding and trust that God is the God we find in the Scriptures and that His Son died for our sin. We must have a heart that has suddenly turned from, 'Ok, here I am on the road of life just following along with what everyone else is doing', to 'Ok, here I am on the road of life and it's now clear to me that I've been going the wrong way. There is a God and I will seek Him with all diligence'. If the person with that heart is baptized, then Jesus may have said that he will be saved, but it seems that all of the other teachings and evidence also say that he will.
Now, many will claim to you that this just can't be true because the thief on the cross wasn't baptized. We don't know that. We really don't have any evidence that he was or wasn't baptized. We do know that he had heard of Jesus and his teachings because he asks Jesus to remember him when he (Jesus) comes into his kingdom. There is no evidence that Jesus ever mentions any kingdom while on the cross. So, the question must be asked, although likely can't be answered with any degree of certainty: Did the thief have some measure of faith before he found himself on that cross and is it possible that as he had journeyed to this place in his life that he had crossed paths with John the Baptist or the disciples as they were out teaching and baptizing, and was baptized?
My final bit of evidence is, I think, the most telling. Jesus himself, the Son of God, who knew no sin and never stumbled, when John the Baptist balked at baptizing him, seems to have calmly turned to John and said, 'this is to fulfill all righteousness'.
God bless you.
In Christ, Ted
Actually I am a Calvinist because of years of study in theology and prayerful study of the Scriptures. I hold to what are known as the Doctrines of Grace, also TULIP. I really don't like the TULIP acronym for I find it misleading in many ways. I prefer the terms Total Depravity, Unconditional electing love, Particular and Effective Redemption, Effectual Calling and Preservation of the Saints.
