Some may rightly think that salvation is not dependent on hope, confession, works, or prayer, but still think that one must both believe and be baptized in order to be saved. This concept is also incorrect. Even though Mark 16:16 says, “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved,” we have to pay attention to what the word “saved” refers to. In the Bible there are several kinds of salvation: the eternal salvation by which one obtains eternal life, the believer’s daily salvation, the salvation through affliction, the salvation of the body, and the salvation of the soul in which one reigns with the Lord in the kingdom of the heavens. The salvation related to baptism is our salvation from the realm of the sinful world. This is different from having eternal life. Having eternal life is a personal matter of receiving eternal life, but being baptized is to be saved out of a sinful realm. If a person only believes but is not baptized, although he has eternal life, in the eyes of the world he is still not a saved one. He must rise up to be baptized and declare that he has nothing to do with the sinful realm. Others will then acknowledge that he has been saved. In order to receive eternal life, deliverance from condemnation, and eternal salvation, all that one has to do is believe; there are no additional requirements. The first part of Mark 16:16 says, “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved,” and the second part says, “But he who does not believe shall be condemned.” The second part does not say that “he who does not believe and who is not baptized shall be condemned.” In order to be saved from the sinful realm of the world, one must believe and be baptized. In order to be condemned, however, all that he has to do is not believe. In other words, the requirement for not being condemned is just believing; it is not baptism in addition to believing. The criminal on the cross was not baptized, yet the Lord said, “Today you shall be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:40-43). He believed and was not condemned; rather, he was saved and had eternal life. Therefore, baptism is not a condition for receiving eternal life.
Some have said that our sins are like strips of paper hanging one by one on the cross. When we confess one sin, one strip is taken off the cross, while the sins which we have not confessed are still hanging there. But the Bible does not say this. Nevertheless, this does not mean that we do not need to confess our sins. We should confess our sins, but the confession of sins is not a condition for salvation.
However, some may reply, “Since 1 John 1:9 says, ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness,’ does this not indicate that we must confess our sins?” Indeed, this verse is in the Bible. But 1 John is not written for unbelievers. The word “we” indicates Christians, which means it is written for believers. This book mentions three kinds of Christians: (1) little children, those who have the life; (2) young men, those who are strong; and (3) fathers, those who are experienced. First John is different from Romans because the entire book speaks to Christians. The subject of 1 John is fellowship. If a Christian commits a sin, he must confess his sin; otherwise, his fellowship with God will be hindered. If he wants to restore the fellowship with God, he must confess his sin. However, it is wrong to tell an unbeliever to confess his sins in order to be saved. The Holy Spirit convicts a sinner of sins, righteousness, and judgment and causes a person to believe the works which the Son of God has accomplished. When a person believes, his sins are forgiven before God. The condition for a sinner to be forgiven by God is faith. We cannot find a passage in the Bible that says a sinner must believe and confess his sins before he can be saved. Jesus Christ has accomplished redemption, and whoever believes the testimony God gave of His Son will be saved.
Many say that salvation depends on repentance. The book of Romans presents the matter of salvation very clearly, yet this book does not mention that salvation is by any kind of work. The Gospel of John is the clearest book concerning the gospel, yet it contains no indication that salvation is by repentance. Salvation is by faith, not by repentance.
Then is repentance unnecessary? According to the Bible, those who believe must first repent, and a saved person must also have repentance. There is a repentance before believing, and there is a repentance after believing. If a person never has a change in his view concerning sin, himself, the world, and the Lord, he cannot be saved. The word repentance means to have a change of mind. For instance, what one person treasured before his salvation is no longer treasured after his salvation. Therefore, repentance is not a condition of salvation but a part of believing and a part of salvation.
What is believing? To believe does not mean to believe in some theological doctrines. To hear is to hear the doctrines, but to believe is to believe in Christ. Ephesians 1:13 says, “Having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, in Him also believing.” We hear the word of truth, the gospel, but we believe in Christ. Some people say that they believe, but actually, they only agree with the doctrines-they do not really believe in Christ. Some with other motives may say that they have believed, but they have never known Christ. These persons are not saved. Therefore, preaching doctrines is not our aim; our aim is for people to believe in Christ.
What does it mean to believe in Christ? First John 5:9 through 12 says, “If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, because this is the testimony of God that He has testified concerning His Son. He who believes into the Son of God has the testimony in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar because he has not believed in the testimony which God has testified concerning His Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave to us eternal life and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” Therefore, believing is receiving the witness that God gave of His Son. Whoever believes in His Son has eternal life.
We rejoice because we are saved by believing and not by anything else. We should have good works, confess Christ before people, confess our sins, repent, be baptized, and pray frequently to be pleasing to God. We should not neglect these things and bring about God’s displeasure. However, we are not saved by doing these things. Our salvation is only by believing.
Home | First | Prev | Next