Expert: Mrs. Priscilla Lyons - 10/3/2007

Question
QUESTION: I am having a problem in understanding the Baptist teaching in exactly at what point is a person saved. When is a persons sins forgiven?

Thank you for you quick response.
John

ANSWER: Dear John,
   Thanks for writing.  I can't judge anyone else to know if they are sincere in their trust and reliance on God's gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23), but you can ask yourself, "Is Jesus Christ my Lord?"
   The books of John and I John are most helpful to understand the Biblical (Baptist) concept of salvation.  Eternal life is in the Son, so if you have the Son, you have life (salvation, forgiveness of sins).
   Believing in Christ for forgiveness of our sins so we can be born again with eternal life, is described in Romans 6 as dying to our self, like Jesus died for us, then being raised to a life that belongs to Him..
   Being a "Baptist" isn't necessarily being a Christian, but if a person is willing to learn from His Word, the Bible, then the Holy Spirit will help that person understand how to be saved and have their sins forgiven--be a Christian.  That's the purpose of Baptist teaching.
   I hope you will take time to read God's Word and ask Him for guidance.
   Priscilla

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QUESTION: Thank you Priscilla,
    What I have read about the Baptist in regards to salvation is all you have to do is believe and you will be saved which is also found in Romans. My problem is Acts 22:16 when Saul, Paul, was told to "arise and be baptized and wash away your sins". If Paul was saved prior to that point he was saved before his sins were forgiven. How can that be? From my studies I have found that baptism is the culmination of our obedience. Baptism is a part of our salvation process and can not be left out. If we don't believe, repent, confess and finally baptized to "wash away our sins" we are not in His church.
    Am I right or wrong in my understanding.

Thanks again,
John

ANSWER: Dear John,
   Thanks for writing back.  Baptists teach that physical water baptism is the START of a lifetime of obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ, rather than the CULMINATION of our obedience.  But Baptist believe that the Bible teaches that you can't rely on your own obedience to gain salvation.  Romans 6:23, Eph. 2:8-10, etc.-- salvation is the "gift of God," and our obedience is HIS workmanship as we die to our self in submission to His Lordship.  Gal. 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live, yet NOT I but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God Who loved me and gave Himself for me."
   Acts 22:16 is an outward expression of the reality of the I Cor. 12:13 baptism--"by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body..."  Eph. 4:5 "one baptism"
   John 6:63 "It is the spirit that quickens (makes alive, born again salvation), the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."  That has a direct bearing on the prior verses such as 53, "he that eats Me, even he shall live by Me," and 56 "he that eats my flesh and drinks my blood, dwells in Me and I in him."  Unlike Catholics, we understand that communion does not change the wafer and grape juice into the physical cells of Jesus' former physical body and blood.  We understand that this temporary physical world that Jesus created, and humans in particular, are to reflect His image, His glory, His spiritual reality which is more real than this temporary physical world.  
   The Holy Spirit in Christians expresses Himself through us using our physical actions (water baptism, communion, and other acts of obedience), but people can perform these same physical actions on their own without salvation--without having God in them to have baptized them into His body, His church.  
    Paul's concern for the Galatian Christians relying on physical circumcision, should give pause to those who rely on physical baptism in addition to God Himself providing salvation as a gift.
    So I can't judge whether someone else has been or has not been baptized by the Holy Spirit into His church, but I can share that God will save him (he can't save himself by even his best efforts or by a list of rules) if he honestly believes God's WAY is better than his own way-- believes enough to surrenders his  SELF (acknowledging he is a sinner in need of forgiveness) to God, pictured by going under the water in baptism.
   A Christian who depends on God rather than his own efforts may not look much different from the outside, but God can change the inside, bringing His presence and peace forever.  We can't fulfill our created purpose of reflecting His image if we only believe God for fire insurance, instead of believing Him enough to entrust Him with our whole SELF, give Him our entire life, which is the only WAY to Heaven.
   I appreciate your interest and pray that you will share the Good News with many others.
   Priscilla

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QUESTION: Thank you again Prisilla for you quick response.
    My next question may be a little harder to answer but I would appreciate your efforts to help me understand.
    Since you teach that water baptism is not essential for our salvation, than what is the purpose of water baptism?

Sorry about asking so may questions.  

Answer
Dear John,
   Thanks for sticking with this.  The purpose of water baptism is to express outwardly (physically) what has happened inwardly (by the Holy Spirit)--a testimony to others (in some countries at the risk of their lives) of the need to surrender or die to our self (old man), to receive a new, everlasting life in Christ (Romans 6:1-23).
   It is an outward expression of identification with the body of Christ (I Cor. 12:1-31) so that we use the gifts of the Spirit in unity with other Christians, instead of being "Lone Rangers."
   Even though John 6:63 says "It is the spirit that quickens (makes alive); the flesh profits nothing," Jesus died physically (spirit separated from physical body) and died spiritually (our sins separated Him from the Father for the first time).  The wages of sin is death, but we all die physically, even Christians, so the true death is spiritual (separation from God), which results in physical death.  The true baptism which saves is a spiritual baptism by the Holy Spirit, not anything we can do.  The physical baptism that follows is an outward expression of what the Holy Spirit has done for us in giving us new, everlasting life.
   Let us walk in the Spirit, displaying the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Gal. 5:22-25
   Priscilla