Introduction
One very common objection to baptism being the point at which one’s sins are forgiven (Acts 2:38) is that we are saved by faith only and baptism, according to the objection, is a work. The idea being that in order to be saved by faith we can do absolutely nothing (at least nothing external) to receive forgiveness of sins and to be set in a right relationship with God. According to this view, as soon as a person does anything external related to their salvation, it is no longer salvation by faith but salvation by works. Baptism, on this view, is considered a work and those who say that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins are accused of promoting a “works-based salvation”.
While the emphasis on the necessity of faith and the inability of people to earn salvation is commendable, when we look at what the Bible teaches, we will see that this faith-only view has several problems. More than anything this view appears to be an overreaction against the idea of earning one’s salvation through works. The danger of reacting against one error is the tendency to overreact to the point where the opposite error is promoted, which seems to be the case in this instance.
We will show that the Bible does not consider baptism a work; the Bible considers baptism to be part of a necessary response for a person to receive the forgiveness of sins.
By What Are We Saved?
Before we can talk about faith and baptism, we must step back further to see what we are truly saved by. This will help clarify the relationship between faith, baptism, and salvation.
First and foremost, we are saved by the love and mercy of God (Titus 3:1-7). This is the foundational answer to the question “by what are we saved”. We are saved by God’s love and mercy. But the love and mercy of God are not just abstract concepts. God’s love and mercy took action when the Son, Jesus Christ, was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and then rose from the dead. Jesus, on the cross, took our sins upon Himself and paid the penalty for our sins. We are saved by the blood of Christ when it cleanses us from our sins (Ephesians 1:7, 1 John 1:7). At the crucifixion of Jesus our salvation was secured; the penalty of our sins was paid. Nothing we can do can make us earn or be worthy of that sacrifice.
That All Shall Be Saved
The Bible tells us that God desires everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), so does God simply apply the atoning work of Jesus to everyone, or must a person receive the atoning work as a gift? We know from the Bible that for a person to be forgiven of their sins they must receive God’s gift of mercy and accept the blood of Jesus as their source of salvation (John 3:16-17, Acts 2:38, Ephesians 2:4-9). How are we to receive that gift of salvation?
A Gift is a Gift, Even When It’s Received
It’s important to pause here and consider the concept of a gift. God provides the means for our forgiveness through Jesus’ blood and He offers us the gift of salvation. Whatever God tells us to do in order to receive that gift does not change the fact that we are receiving a gift that is unearned. It makes no difference whether we are told to do something internally or externally, individually or with others. Salvation is God’s gift to give and when we receive that gift as God directs us to, we are in no way earning anything or detracting from Christ’s work.
An Analogy
Consider a father giving a gift to his child. If he tells the child to come to the living room to get the gift, the child in no way earns the gift by going into the living room and receiving the gift. But if the child does not go to the living room, or if he refuses to accept the gift, then he will not receive the gift that was meant for him.
The important point here is that a gift must be received, but the act of receiving a gift in no way diminishes the fact that the gift is unearned.
What Must I Do To Be Saved?
It’s important to emphasize the word do in this question, because it is essential. God, in His mercy, has secured our salvation through Jesus’ blood and He offers this salvation to all who will receive it. Since God offers salvation, but does not force it upon us, we must therefore do something in order to receive the gift. We are not in a position to tell God how he must define the action necessary for receiving the gift. We cannot tell God that internal actions are permissible, but external actions are works and therefore would cause us to earn the gift. No, we must listen to God when He prescribes how we are to receive the gift of salvation from Him and respond accordingly.
So what does God tell us to do in order to receive the gift of salvation? We are told in Acts 2:38 that we are to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of our sins. The context of the verse assumes that the Jews to whom Peter is speaking have already come to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and yet Peter still tells them to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. Baptism, just as much as faith and repentance, is necessary to receive the gift of salvation from God. In fact, baptism, when done in faith and repentance, is the moment when the gift of salvation is given to us (Acts 2:38, Romans 6:1-4, 1 Peter 3:21).
Salvation is God’s Gift to Give
It is God’s prerogative to define what we are to do to receive the gift of salvation, and he has defined baptism as part of our necessary response. We are saved by God’s mercy through the blood of Jesus, and our necessary response in order to receive that salvation (which we can in no way earn) includes both faith and baptism.
A Biblical View of Faith in Action
Part of the problem for those who consider baptism to be a work that earns salvation is that they hold to a false dichotomy between faith and external action. The Bible has no such problem and repeatedly shows that faith is necessarily tied together with action. James makes this abundantly clear and goes so far as to say that “faith without works is dead” and that works are the spirit of faith (James 2:18-26). A few biblical examples of faith in action will suffice.
Water from a Rock (Exodus 17)
First, we have the account of Moses causing water to come from a rock by striking it with his staff. Moses asked for water, God commanded Moses to strike the rock in order to get water, Moses acts in faith and strikes the rock, so God causes water to come out of the rock. Did Moses earn, or himself cause, the water to come from the rock? No, the water was a gift from God. Could God have provided water without having Moses take action? Sure, but that’s not what God did. When did the water come from the rock? Only after Moses acted in faith and did as God commanded. When Moses did as God prescribed, God did as He promised.
The Walls of Jericho (Joshua 6)
Second is the fall of the walls of Jericho. The Israelites were told to march around the wall of Jericho in order to take the city. After doing as God told them to do for seven days God caused the walls of Jericho to fall and the Israelites were able to take the city. This is an example of faith in action (Hebrews 11:30). Did the Israelites themselves cause the walls to collapse? No, God caused it. Could God have caused the walls to collapse without the Israelites doing anything? Sure, but He didn’t. God offered the Israelites a gift and told them how to receive it. The Israelites responded in faith and did what God commanded, after which God gave them the gift He had offered. It was not until the Israelites did what God commanded that God in turn fulfilled His promise.
Noah and the Ark (Genesis 6)
Finally, there is Noah building the ark in order to survive the flood. Again, God offered a gift (salvation from the flood) and told Noah what to do. In response, Noah acted in faith and built the ark as he was commanded. Because Noah obeyed God, God gave Noah the gift He had promised. Had Noah not done what God had told him to do, then Noah would not have been saved. But because Noah acted in faith (Hebrews 11:7) and did everything that God commanded him to do (Genesis 6:22) God saved him and his household. Noah was not saved by his faith separate from his actions, rather he acted in faith and so was saved. It is no surprise that Peter uses the ark as an analogy for baptism in 1 Peter 3:21.
The point should be clear: God at times requires a person to act in order to receive a gift. The person’s obedience is necessary to receive the gift, but in no way earns it. (More examples of faith in action can be found in the “Hall of Faith” of Hebrews 11.)
Baptism and Works: Final Points
Two more brief points will be made concerning baptism and works.
By Faith Alone?
First, the Bible never says we are saved by faith alone, but it does say that we are not saved by faith alone (James 2:24). We must align our beliefs with the Bible, not the Bible with our beliefs. Primarily, we are saved by God’s mercy and Jesus’ blood. In a secondary sense we are saved by faith, but God expects that faith to be active and to do as He commands. How can we speak of having faith if we refuse to do as God has commanded for the purposes He defines?
We Don’t Define “Works”, the Bible Does
Second, we cannot define “works” as “any external action” as some people seem to do. No, we are not saved by our own efforts (internal or external), but that does not preclude doing what God commands in order to receive the gift of salvation. As was pointed out above, responding to God as He has prescribed is not to save ourselves by works. It is simply to receive the gift of salvation in the manner in which God has commanded us. We must do something to receive the gift of salvation, so the question is simply “what must I do to be saved?”. Neither faith nor baptism is a work that earns us salvation, but they are both part of a necessary response to the mercy God has shown us by providing the blood of Jesus to forgive our sins.
Conclusion
Baptism, far from being a work that detracts from faith, is a necessary part of faith. If a person truly has faith, then they will put that faith in action and will obey God when He commands us to be baptized. We are told that baptism is the point at which we receive the forgiveness of sins. We can rest assured that God will keep His promise and will give us the gift of salvation when we act in faith and are buried with Christ in baptism.
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