◄ What Does Mark 16:16 Mean? ►

Having just read about Christ's appearance to two of His disciples as they walked along the road, and having just recorded that Jesus rebuked His disciples for their unbelief and hardness of heart by refusing to believe the eyewitness accounts of Christ's Resurrection, we read that Jesus gave the disciples His great missionary commission: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all people." And He charged them that those who responded to the gospel in faith were to be baptised, while we also read: "Whoever does not believe will be condemned."

There are about 150 passages in the Word of God that state unequivocally that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ's finished work on the Cross alone, but sadly there are some that cause confusion in the Body of Christ by teaching that without water baptism a man or woman is not saved, and they often cite this verse as evidence. And yet, if our eternal salvation is dependent on water baptism it stands in contradistinction to the clear teaching of the rest of the Word of God, and it indirectly declares that Christ's finished work on the Cross is insufficient for our eternal salvation, requiring us to add to His finished work. As Paul would say: "May this never be!"

From the foundation of the world, the shed blood of the Lamb of God was God's demanded purchase price for the salvation of all mankind, and although the waters of baptism are a most beautiful picture of the inner cleansing that results when a person is saved by grace through faith in Christ, if it is a requirement for salvation in addition to Christ finished work at Calvary, it proclaims that His finished work was insufficient to pay the full price for the sin of the whole world.

It is indeed a precious truth that we read in Mark: "Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved," but the rest of the verse is also a severe warning: "but he who does not believe will be condemned."

There are many that believe in the historical Jesus and His moral teachings without believing in His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection for the forgiveness of their sins and life everlasting. Such people are not saved, even if they go through a physical water baptism. That sort of detached belief does not result in a man or woman being saved, and baptised into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit, for they have not mixed an inner heart faith with the factual truth.

Baptism is simply an outward and public demonstration of an inner, supernatural work of regeneration by the Holy Spirit, which takes place in the life of a man or woman who trusts in Christ for salvation. The very moment that a guilty sinner who has recognised his need of salvation, places their faith in Christ as their own sin-substitute, that man or woman is saved. The instant a guilty sinner who recognises their need of salvation, puts their trust in Christ as their own Kinsman- Redeemer, that man or woman is immediately baptised by the Holy Spirit and is taken out of Satan's domain and placed into the Body of Christ.

Heavenly Father, thank You that Christ's sacrificial work on the Cross is sufficient for my salvation. Thank You that I have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and received salvation. In Jesus' name, AMEN.