Do You Need Water Baptism For Salvation?

Some believe like the Church of Christ and other groups that you have to be baptized.

That’s not true. Abraham was not baptized. They follow the scriptures that were preached to the Jews. For gentiles it’s the spiritual baptism that gets them into the body, and for the Jews as well, for that matter. When the Jews were baptized in the name of Yahshua (Jesus) they were restored back into the covenant, so it wasn’t the law they kept that got them there. The word says it’s not the water that gets us into the body, but by one spirit are we all baptized into the body. John said, behold there comes one after us who’s going to baptize with the Spirit, with the Holy Ghost and fire. The Lord is the one that puts us into the body, not what we did. We’re not saved by works.

You have Baptists, Wesleyans, and Trinitarian churches that believe you’re saved by grace, not by your baptism.  After a person repents, gives their life to the Lord, and is born again then they say in obedience to baptize, because they don’t know what to do with that scripture about go out and baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. They say it’s an act, witness or testimony of what to do, but you’re saved by grace. They are right on that point. Those in my background were wrong who said you have to be baptized. Peter said to the Jews repent and be baptized. Paul preached the doctrine of Abraham. He didn’t keep the law. He didn’t preach the law. He wasn’t baptized. He simply believed, raised his hands, did Romans 10:9 before Melchizedek and walked away with the covenant. No works - strictly grace.

My group and others have sworn by their baptism. Not too long ago I went back to my church and at least seven times the pastor talked about how he had been baptized. It dawned on me he’s talking about what he did; I got baptized, I did this, I did that, etc.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

He was preaching to the Jews. The scripture tells us, or everyone that reads it, that we pagans; gentiles; foreigners; and strangers had no rights to the promises and covenants. We’ve been grafted in.

They lost all of their benefits because of their sins. Yahweh divorced them. When prophesies were fulfilled about the enduement of power, where Jesus said go and wait and be endued with power, they were to be baptized in the name of Yahshua.  Five hundred years after the apostles died they baptized in the name of Jesus. The Jews understood the meaning of the name. When they said be baptized in the name of Yah – and the rest of it means salvation.  When the Jews baptized in that name they were restored back to the covenant.

In three places, Paul said he was the apostle unto the gentiles. He also said he preached the gospel that was preached to Abraham.  Before Abraham became the father of the Jews he was pagan just like us. It says his relatives were idolaters. The gospel to Abraham was “get out of Babylon."  That’s where the Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah Witness’ have a little bit right, but they don’t understand.  The first thing the Lord said to Abraham was leave those and I’ll be your blesser, not all the gods of Babylon. They'd depended on the sun god, the moon god, the star god (Tammuz), Malcomb, and Moloch (Moloch was another form of reincarnation). Abraham left and raised his hands before the anti-type of Jesus, Melchizedek. He took bread and wine which the Lord would say, to His disciples, is the new covenant in My blood. Take this bread that represents My body. Yahweh called Abraham a prophet. He prophesied Romans 10:9. Paul said the way for us gentiles to come in is to confess with your mouth making a binding agreement or covenant for rescue, safety, physically, morally to the covenant keeping God and thou shall be made whole. He didn’t say repent and be baptized. So we do what Abraham did. No law, no baptism, it’s simply by faith.

A lady once said to me there isn’t two ways for salvation. She’s right there isn’t two ways. There’s only one way; all through the blood. When the Jews got baptized in the name of their Lamb they accepted Him as the Messiah. He’s part of them. He said I was wounded in the house of my friends. Those are His people. He said I came unto my own and they received me not. When they were baptized in His name they were back in the covenant; Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, and had all the blessings they had before. So the Jews got baptized in the name of Yah = Salvation.  For us, as gentiles, it’s strictly by faith through the same way- the blood.

Paul did baptize some people. One reason is he tried to keep the peace. Then later, he said the Lord didn’t send me to baptize but to preach the word.

It’s been mentioned about the Ethiopian eunuch. He was a proselyte Jew. He went to Jerusalem for the yearly worship but he could not go inside to worship because he was a eunuch. Under the law, because he was wounded in his stones, he couldn’t go in but was in the outer court. He’s on his way back from the yearly worship and reading Isaiah 53. The Lord told Philip to go stand in a certain place and here comes the Ethiopian eunuch. Philip preaches to him, and he was baptized as a proselyte Jew, not as a gentile. When he went to back Ethiopia he got corrupted and became a Maronite: a Catholic Coptic.

Acts 10

Peter, who was the apostle to the Jews, was sent to a gentile by the Lord, who gave him a vision. He told him three times and Peter messed up anyway. The Lord said, what I have cleansed don’t call unclean. Peter takes other Jews with him to try to cover his behind. He caused a separation between Jew and Gentile. They still didn’t see it as one body and Paul chewed him out about it.

All Cornelius needed was the Lord. Cornelius had a love for the people. He had given them money.  He had helped build a place for them. He understood the customs, but he was a gentile. He wasn’t a proselyte. The Lord already told Peter, don’t call him unclean. Before the sermon was over the spirit of the Lord baptized Cornelius. He placed him in the body and endued him with power. Cornelius was praying in tongues. Peter and the Jews are astounded. Peter commanded him to be baptized, but baptism is for washing your sins away. The Lord had already washed his sins away and put him in the body. Peter did exactly what the Lord told him not to do.

Once you make the confession that Abraham did you’re grafted in. Then the scriptures warn be careful you don’t get cut off; you’re grafted in to what the Jews had. Paul talks about us being foreigners and strangers from the promises. Foreigners and strangers are terms for gentiles. We had no right to the covenant or promises. All Abraham did was make a verbal, sworn oath and that’s what we’re supposed to do.

In most churches and evangelistic meetings they’ll say if you want to receive Jesus raise your hand. They’ll have you come forward and that’s just part of it. For a lot of the people, who have already genuinely repented in their heart and accepted Him as their Savior, the Lord already washed them before they went to the altar; they’re born again.  They’re just going through the ritual. He’s the one that puts them in the body. Water will never get you into the body.

John 3:5 (KJV) Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

The word water there is hemdiadys: meaning spiritual water. He was baptized for us; He didn’t need sins washed away. He was in the flesh and could have been tempted, He could have died and done all those things, but He didn’t. He became the perfect Lamb. He fulfilled all righteousness for us. He did it all.

Song: Jesus did it all. All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow.

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life.

I remember a bishop that talked about people who dipped or sprinkled. He said you know you can’t bury a man with a sprinkle, so you have to bury them in water, but we’re not buried in that sense. The Lord said to count ourselves dead to the world; to the sin, because He died and went into the grave. Not only does it say we’re raised with Him; we’re seated in heavenly places.

I have baptized two people. One because my pastor told me to, and the other one was someone that had been in prison. When this man got out of prison he wanted baptized. He was on fire for the Lord and wanted to be baptized. He wanted to make sure he was baptized in Jesus' name. I didn’t try to dissuade him and tell him he didn’t need it, but to me it wasn’t necessary. The Lord had already washed his sins away. He was born again, but because he was preached the doctrine I was raised in I understood. I’m not going to rock somebody’s boat when they’re weak.

Another part of the apostolic doctrine is that you aren’t saved until you speak in tongues. That’s not true either.

Galatians 3:10 (KJV) For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

So when the Jews got baptized they didn’t do any laws, they just got baptized. It was strictly by grace. They didn’t sacrifice any more lambs, keep the Sabbath, or any other laws. They got baptized: which meant they got buried with Christ. It was the end of the law. Then some of them went back to the law. Paul said, does he have to form Christ back in you all over again? When you go back to the law you nullify your grace. There were so many laws and they added things to it. They couldn’t keep them all.

Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God (the Creator), it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. Not by works lest any man shall boast.

So the only work they did was be baptized. They accepted His blood as their lamb the same way they would have accepted the lamb, when they put their hands on the head of the lamb, before they turned it over to the priest.

One of the reasons Abraham raised his hand was to swear an oath.  The other reason was that the first thing that came up after Adam sinned was thorns. So instead of their hand, or our hand, being literally on the head of Jesus, the sign of the curse was literally jammed down on His head. That was the first sign of the curse, and Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.

If our baptism is based on someone doing the work it would be a work. The scripture says no works lest any man shall boast. It’s strictly by faith.

Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. Vs.12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. VS.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: Vs.14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

When Jesus was hung on a tree He bore our curse. In verse fourteen, how does it say we receive the promise; through baptism, through works? It’s by faith.

Galatians 3:15-17 (KJV) Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. Vs.16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to the seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. Vs.17 And this I say, that the covenant that was confirmed before of God (the Creator) in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

The law didn’t come until four hundred years later.

Galatians 3:18 (KJV) For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Galatians 3:1-2 (KJV) O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes of Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? Vs.2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

So it’s saying did it come by baptism? Did it come by observing a day? Did it come by sacrifices, lambs? Did it come by keeping your dishes separated? Did it come by being kosher? The answer is no. It came by faith.

Galatians 3:3-5 (KJV) Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect the flesh? Vs.4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? If it be yet in vain. Vs.5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Under the law you'd go to the priest and tell him if you had leprosy. He would take a turtle dove and slit its neck over running water. Then Yahshua comes along; Salvation ordained from the foundation of the world. He cleanses them and says go, do the last ceremony, and show it to the priest. It’s strictly by faith.

Galatians 3:6-7 (KJV) Even as Abraham believed God (the Creator), and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Vs.7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

We are now, not spiritual Jews, but children of Abraham by faith. We’re part of all Israel. There’s a distinction between all Israel and the tribe of Judah, the bloodline. We’re engrafted in. Paul said there’s a blindness, but there will come a time when their eyes will be opened. Unfortunately, it’s going to be under some terrible conditions. There are many Jews who have received Him as Messiah, but most of them that I know of have been deceived and go through the gentile salvation scriptures.

The blessings of Abraham are ours by faith. We, the just, shall live by faith, not by what we do.

It’s strictly grace. It’s a blessing being redeemed from the curse of the law. We missed the boat in one sense. We got born again, in spite of ourselves, because the Lord drew us. He also drew the Wesleyans who baptize through three titles; the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.

The Jews understood the name Yahshua. When Jesus said go baptize in the name of the Father (Yah), the Son, and the Spirit that’s holy, they baptized in the name of Yah, the Father; and Shua, the Son; His spirit.

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (the Spirit that’s holy):

The Jews were all over the world (nations). The Jews had been dispersed from Jerusalem. That’s why they had to come back under Rome's power; come back from wherever they were, for taxation. On the day of Pentecost it says they were from all nations.

1 Corinthian 12:13 (KJV) For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink in one Spirit.

It’s spiritual for the Jews too. The difference is they are baptized in the name of their salvation. We were engrafted into what they had by faith; what they at one time had by works. At the time they were baptized in the name of Yahshua; it was faith in the name.

1 Corinthians 1:14-17 (KJV) I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; ¹⁵ Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. ¹⁶ And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.  ¹⁷ For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

As I said before, there were things Paul did to keep the Jews happy like getting Timothy circumcised. Paul shaved his head, and kept different oaths, and it didn’t work. Timothy was part Gentile and part Jew. His faith was taught to him by his mother and grandmother. His father couldn’t teach him the faith.

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