Though the term 'salvation' has become synonymous with things of a spiritual nature, it wasn't always the case. In New Testament times, salvation had both religious and political meanings, and the Bible uses both meanings when it speaks of salvation. Salvation, in the bare-bones sense, denotes being saved from dire circumstances. Ultimately salvation speaks of both rescue and renewal: you are saved from something bad and restored to that which was lost. In a spiritual sense, salvation isn't just 'going to heaven when you die.' Salvation is about being rescued from sin and death and restored to a relationship with God that begins in this life and continues through all eternity. In the Gospels Jesus speaks of this sphere of salvation as 'the kingdom of God,' and God's kingdom has been made available to all who will embrace it. The scriptures lay out just how we are to enter into it. We must put our faith in Jesus Christ, repent of our sins, confess that Jesus is Lord, and (though this is quite controversial) be baptized into Jesus Christ.
~ Faith in Jesus ~
In John 3.16 Jesus tells a Pharisee named Nicodemus, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, in order that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life." (emphasis mine). In verse 36 he adds, "The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who disobeys the Son will not see life--but the wrath of God remains on him." Later on, in John 6.40, Jesus says, "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks at the Son and believes in him would have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."
It's clear from these few verses that belief in Jesus is essential for salvation. This doesn't simply mean, however, that if we believe the gospel accounts to be true, we will be saved. As Jesus' brother James says in James 2.19, "You believe that God is one; you do well. [But] even the demons believe, and shudder!" Of course biblical faith involves mental ascent to the gospel as true, but that's just the first step. Biblical faith means much more. Biblical faith also involves trusting in Jesus for our salvation, and it involves a commitment to follow him. This is why, in John 6.40, Jesus contrasts belief in him with disobeying him: those who truly believe in him, in the biblical sense, will obviously try to obey him!
Faith, then, involves three things. First, it involves believing that the stories in the gospel--principally those about Jesus' death and resurrection and identity as Messiah--are true. Second, it involves trusting in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. Third, it involves committing ourselves to him, or being loyal to him. This settled determination of the heart - to try to orient one's life around Jesus and to do as he says and strive to be like him - is what theologians refer to when they speak of 'saving faith.' Such faith will manifest itself in our actions: just as a good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit, so a faith that stops at mere mental ascent, or even trust, will not produce the obedient life that is the direct result of committing oneself to Jesus. If we are not striving to obey Jesus, we don't truly believe in him. That's not just what I'm saying; that's straight from Jesus' mouth.
~ Repentance ~
In Matthew 4.17, Jesus opens his ministry proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!" Repentance has been called the first half of faith. Remember that faith isn't just believing the Bible is true; ultimately it is committing oneself to Jesus as his follower. Repentance is, in simple terms, the decision to follow Jesus and choosing to live that out on a daily basis.
The Hebrew word for repentance means 'to turn.' Repentance is the decision to turn from sin and to God. It is the decision to do that, and making choices towards that end. These choices are called 'the fruit of repentance' in Matthew 3.7-8. Many people, when reading the bible, mistake repentance for the fruit of repentance; in other words, they believe that repentance is the things you do, the behavioral turning from sin and to God. If this were the case, however, you could argue that we must do something in order to be saved, and that is antithetical to the gospel's teaching. Repentance is a matter of the heart and will, not a matter of one's behavior. While genuine repentance will result in 'fruit of repentance,' the fruit is NOT the repentance. Our repentance will manifest itself in our daily life - in the thoughts we think and the choices we make - but we must 'grow into' repentance. The repentance of a convert should pale in comparison to the repentance of a twenty-year Christian.
The Hebrew word for repentance means 'to turn.' Repentance is the decision to turn from sin and to God. It is the decision to do that, and making choices towards that end. These choices are called 'the fruit of repentance' in Matthew 3.7-8. Many people, when reading the bible, mistake repentance for the fruit of repentance; in other words, they believe that repentance is the things you do, the behavioral turning from sin and to God. If this were the case, however, you could argue that we must do something in order to be saved, and that is antithetical to the gospel's teaching. Repentance is a matter of the heart and will, not a matter of one's behavior. While genuine repentance will result in 'fruit of repentance,' the fruit is NOT the repentance. Our repentance will manifest itself in our daily life - in the thoughts we think and the choices we make - but we must 'grow into' repentance. The repentance of a convert should pale in comparison to the repentance of a twenty-year Christian.
~ Confession ~
In Romans 10.9 the Apostle Paul writes, "[If] you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." When reading this verse, some Christians have interpreted Paul saying that if you mentally ascent to the truth of the gospel message and repeat the words 'Jesus is Lord,' you will be saved. This misunderstanding is largely because confession in the western church doesn't carry the weight it did back in New Testament times. To publicly align oneself with Jesus in modern America may garner you some raised eyebrows and snickers behind your back, but to do so in Paul's day-and-age would be to tiptoe on the edge of treason.
Remember that biblical saving faith is committing oneself to Jesus. The confession Paul speaks of flows from this. In New Testament times, being a Christian wasn't easy. There was lots of persecution; many Christians were killed for their faith, and many more lost positions of status and power or lost family and property. To say that Jesus is Lord was to say that Caesar was not; it was the equivalent of standing up and claiming that someone else is the President of the United States, and you'll follow his dictates rather than those of the duly-elected President. To say that Jesus is Lord was to say that Caesar's lordship was illegitimate; at this time the Roman Empire was a new entity, erected out of the chaos of civil wars that brought the Roman Republic to its knees, and the Roman leaders were keen on snuffing out anyone who opposed the peace by promoting a would-be usurper. To publicly confess Jesus is Lord was to publicly confess that Caesar is not, and such a statement could be life-changing (and not in the way you wanted). All this to say, Only those who were truly committed to Jesus would dare to make such a confession. The early church required this confession in large part to weed out those who might claim the title of Jesus-follower without really meaning it, and we continue this practice today.
Remember that biblical saving faith is committing oneself to Jesus. The confession Paul speaks of flows from this. In New Testament times, being a Christian wasn't easy. There was lots of persecution; many Christians were killed for their faith, and many more lost positions of status and power or lost family and property. To say that Jesus is Lord was to say that Caesar was not; it was the equivalent of standing up and claiming that someone else is the President of the United States, and you'll follow his dictates rather than those of the duly-elected President. To say that Jesus is Lord was to say that Caesar's lordship was illegitimate; at this time the Roman Empire was a new entity, erected out of the chaos of civil wars that brought the Roman Republic to its knees, and the Roman leaders were keen on snuffing out anyone who opposed the peace by promoting a would-be usurper. To publicly confess Jesus is Lord was to publicly confess that Caesar is not, and such a statement could be life-changing (and not in the way you wanted). All this to say, Only those who were truly committed to Jesus would dare to make such a confession. The early church required this confession in large part to weed out those who might claim the title of Jesus-follower without really meaning it, and we continue this practice today.
~ Baptism ~
The role of baptism in the Christian's life is controversial, but this hasn't always been so. Indeed, it is a peculiarity of the last five hundred years of Christian thought. Up until the Protestant Reformation, it was taken for granted that baptism played an important role in one's conversion to Christianity; it wasn't until a Swiss reformer named Ulrich Zwingli taught otherwise that the idea of baptism as a mere symbolic act, 'an outward expression of inward realities,' gained traction. A simplistic reading of the New Testament indicates that baptism is important. We will explore a handful of scriptures to see what the New Testament says, and then we'll explore why many Christians take a divergent view on baptism.
In Matthew 28.19-20, in the so-called Great Commission, Jesus orders his disciples to go forth into all nations, making disciples and teaching them everything Jesus taught and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In Acts 2.38 baptism and repentance are placed on equal footing; both are prescribed for the forgiveness of sins. In 1 Peter 3.20-21 we learn that if one is baptized without putting their faith in Jesus, they're not really baptized - they're just taking a bath. In Romans 6.1-18, the Apostle Paul points wayward Christians back to their baptism, reminding them that in baptism they participated in Christ's death and resurrection, and since they've been baptized, they need to live holy lives.
In Old Testament times, it was through baptism that an outsider to the Jewish people became identified with God's covenant people. In the New Testament, baptism is linked with receiving the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sins, and it continues as a 'marker' for membership in God's covenant family. It takes on a new meaning, however, as it becomes the point in time in which we become new creations in Christ. Many Christians say that baptism is just a symbolic act, and they say that putting baptism on equal footing with faith and repentance is wrong. In this we are in agreement! There are many biblical texts that emphasize faith's priority; that isn't to say, however, that baptism serves no purpose beyond publicly acknowledging what has gone on in the heart. Baptism is far more than a public expression of faith.
We must ask, "Where did the idea of baptism as a symbolic act come from?" It didn't come from a simple reading of scripture! Up until the Protestant Reformation midway through the second millennium, baptism was viewed as a necessary step to becoming a Christian. As early as the apostolic fathers - those church leaders who studied under the Apostles - baptism has been linked with receiving salvation. It wasn't until the 16th century that a Swiss reformer postulated that baptism was symbolic (and he was condemned as a heretic by the most liberal reformers of the time). Ulrich Zwingli's new teaching on baptism was a direct result of the theological upheaval of the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation was spearheaded by Martin Luther, a Catholic monk who became convinced by scripture that one didn't need to perform sacraments or holy rites or go to confession to be saved. What really mattered was belief and trust in Jesus. This is true: the Bible doesn't expect us to be 'good Catholics' to belong to God's family. Forgiveness of sins and life with God is found in Jesus, not any human institution, however 'divine' it may appear to be. The Reformers tossed out rites and rituals prescribed by the church and kept only those found in scripture (such as the Lord's Supper and baptism). Zwingli simply took Luther's beliefs a step further and made everything but faith - including the Lord's Supper and baptism - as nothing more than symbolic acts. His heretical teachings about baptism took flight, and today most western Christians are taught that baptism is just a symbolic act and that those who say otherwise are on the wrong side of history (though it's interesting that, if Zwingli and his followers were correct, the church had basic Christian teachings wrong as early as the first century A.D.).
In order to be saved, one must put their faith in Jesus and repent of their sins. One must confess that Jesus is Lord, and one must be baptized into Christ. According to Paul in Romans 6, it is during baptism that Christ's work on the cross and in his resurrection is applied to us. Our baptisms mark our birthdays into God's covenant family. But what about those who haven't been baptized? First of all, those who refuse to be baptized, for whatever reason, are refusing to follow Jesus' basic command in the Great Commission; this itself indicates that their heart may not be where their mouth is. However, those who have been led to believe otherwise will likely be judged by the light they are given. Again: the state of one's heart is what's critical. As it says in the last chapter of the Gospel of Mark, those who believe and are baptized will be saved, but those who don't believe will be condemned. The early church wrestled with this very question, especially when it pertained to those who converted to Christianity but didn't have time to be baptized. It wasn't uncommon for Roman guards leading Christians to their deaths in the arena to turn to Jesus; they would then be included in those led to the slaughter, and they would experience a 'martyr's baptism.' They lacked the opportunity to be baptized, so why would God hold this against them? In the same way, it wouldn't surprise me if those who turned to Jesus, but who delayed baptism for whatever reason, were 'baptized' the next time they took a bath, jumped in a pool, or walked through a rain-storm!
In Matthew 28.19-20, in the so-called Great Commission, Jesus orders his disciples to go forth into all nations, making disciples and teaching them everything Jesus taught and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In Acts 2.38 baptism and repentance are placed on equal footing; both are prescribed for the forgiveness of sins. In 1 Peter 3.20-21 we learn that if one is baptized without putting their faith in Jesus, they're not really baptized - they're just taking a bath. In Romans 6.1-18, the Apostle Paul points wayward Christians back to their baptism, reminding them that in baptism they participated in Christ's death and resurrection, and since they've been baptized, they need to live holy lives.
In Old Testament times, it was through baptism that an outsider to the Jewish people became identified with God's covenant people. In the New Testament, baptism is linked with receiving the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sins, and it continues as a 'marker' for membership in God's covenant family. It takes on a new meaning, however, as it becomes the point in time in which we become new creations in Christ. Many Christians say that baptism is just a symbolic act, and they say that putting baptism on equal footing with faith and repentance is wrong. In this we are in agreement! There are many biblical texts that emphasize faith's priority; that isn't to say, however, that baptism serves no purpose beyond publicly acknowledging what has gone on in the heart. Baptism is far more than a public expression of faith.
We must ask, "Where did the idea of baptism as a symbolic act come from?" It didn't come from a simple reading of scripture! Up until the Protestant Reformation midway through the second millennium, baptism was viewed as a necessary step to becoming a Christian. As early as the apostolic fathers - those church leaders who studied under the Apostles - baptism has been linked with receiving salvation. It wasn't until the 16th century that a Swiss reformer postulated that baptism was symbolic (and he was condemned as a heretic by the most liberal reformers of the time). Ulrich Zwingli's new teaching on baptism was a direct result of the theological upheaval of the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation was spearheaded by Martin Luther, a Catholic monk who became convinced by scripture that one didn't need to perform sacraments or holy rites or go to confession to be saved. What really mattered was belief and trust in Jesus. This is true: the Bible doesn't expect us to be 'good Catholics' to belong to God's family. Forgiveness of sins and life with God is found in Jesus, not any human institution, however 'divine' it may appear to be. The Reformers tossed out rites and rituals prescribed by the church and kept only those found in scripture (such as the Lord's Supper and baptism). Zwingli simply took Luther's beliefs a step further and made everything but faith - including the Lord's Supper and baptism - as nothing more than symbolic acts. His heretical teachings about baptism took flight, and today most western Christians are taught that baptism is just a symbolic act and that those who say otherwise are on the wrong side of history (though it's interesting that, if Zwingli and his followers were correct, the church had basic Christian teachings wrong as early as the first century A.D.).
In order to be saved, one must put their faith in Jesus and repent of their sins. One must confess that Jesus is Lord, and one must be baptized into Christ. According to Paul in Romans 6, it is during baptism that Christ's work on the cross and in his resurrection is applied to us. Our baptisms mark our birthdays into God's covenant family. But what about those who haven't been baptized? First of all, those who refuse to be baptized, for whatever reason, are refusing to follow Jesus' basic command in the Great Commission; this itself indicates that their heart may not be where their mouth is. However, those who have been led to believe otherwise will likely be judged by the light they are given. Again: the state of one's heart is what's critical. As it says in the last chapter of the Gospel of Mark, those who believe and are baptized will be saved, but those who don't believe will be condemned. The early church wrestled with this very question, especially when it pertained to those who converted to Christianity but didn't have time to be baptized. It wasn't uncommon for Roman guards leading Christians to their deaths in the arena to turn to Jesus; they would then be included in those led to the slaughter, and they would experience a 'martyr's baptism.' They lacked the opportunity to be baptized, so why would God hold this against them? In the same way, it wouldn't surprise me if those who turned to Jesus, but who delayed baptism for whatever reason, were 'baptized' the next time they took a bath, jumped in a pool, or walked through a rain-storm!
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