The apostle Paul speaking: “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:17-18 NASB1995)
Water baptism, in and of itself, does not save people from their sins, nor does it give them the hope of eternal life with God. And it is not a prerequisite to salvation from sin nor to being filled with the Holy Spirit. The baptism that we undergo which regenerates is being baptized spiritually into Christ Jesus, and into his death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead, we also might walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as servants of righteousness in walks of obedience to our Lord.
[Matthew 3:13-17; Matthew 10:11-12; John 1:29-34; Mark 10:37-39; Acts 9:15-18; Acts 10:44-48; Acts 18:7-8; Acts 22:12-16; Romans 6:1-7]
And here, it appears that Paul is separating water baptism from the preaching of the gospel, as though they are not one and the same. Yes, water baptism accompanied people’s faith in Jesus Christ. I believe it was an outward testimony of an inward faith. But anyone can go through the waters of baptism and never be saved from their sins. But if one is not baptized in water it does not nullify their salvation nor their eternal life with God. Only habitual sin and disobedience to God will nullify one’s profession of faith.
So, what is the gospel message that God called Paul to preach? You can read about it in the New Testament epistles. But here is a 4 part summary of it:
Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
For by God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to righteousness in walks of obedience to God’s commands. We are no longer to permit sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23).
The grace of God, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for Jesus’ return. For Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (See Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10)
And we learn in 1 John 1-3 that if we claim that we have fellowship with God, but yet we walk in darkness (sin), we are liars. If we claim that we know God, but we do not obey his commandments, in practice, we are liars. For it is not the one who claims he is “in Christ” who is “in Christ,” but it is the one who has denied self, died with Christ to sin, and who is now walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in practice, and no longer in sin. We have the hope and the promise of eternal life with God in heaven.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:23-31; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
But for those who are perishing in their sins, they find this gospel message to be nonsense to them. And they want no part of it. But sadly this includes multitudes of people who profess faith in Jesus Christ, who are convinced that all their sins are forgiven and that they are on their way to heaven, but who have not died to sin, and who are not walking in obedience to our Lord’s commands because someone convinced them that God does not require that for salvation. But if sin is our practice, and not obedience to our Lord and to his commands, we will indeed not inherit eternal life with God. Believe it!
Walking in The Light
Based off 1 John 1-2
An Original Work / November 16, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
When I lift up my voice, and
Sing praise unto God,
I will fellowship with my
Lord and Savior, King.
In Him there is no darkness.
He is in the light of truth.
If we walk in His light,
From sin He purifies.
If we repent of our sins,
He’ll forgive us now,
When we humble ourselves, and
Before Jesus bow.
The man who says, “I know Him,”
But does not obey His truth,
There is no truth in him.
In darkness still he’s found.
Do not love the world of sin,
For it is hell bound.
If you follow the world, you’ll
Not in Christ be found.
The world and its desires
Will not last; they’ll expire.
The one who does God’s will,
Receives eternal life.
See that what you have heard from
Christ remains in you.
Then, you’ll remain in Christ, and
In His Father, too.
This is what He promised us –
His eternal life with God.
So, continue in Him, and
You’ll receive a crown.
Not in Cleverness of Speech
An Original Work / November 21, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
