Roman Catholicism's view of saving faith

Galatians 1:6-7 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
 
We have been studying marks of the true Gospel. In yesterday's blog we identified three doctrines that comprise the core of the Gospel: saving faith, Jesus Christ and the Bible. All religions, ideologies and philosophies must be judged in light of how they handle the issues of saving faith, Christ and the Bible.

Should Roman Catholics be evangelized?

As a Southern Baptist minister, my first response to this question would be with a follow-up: "are not all people proper subjects for evangelism"?  There are people in Baptist churches who don't believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ - thus anyone who fails to do so is a proper subject of evangelism.  Roman Catholics are to be told the Gospel of Jesus Christ, since they, like all other people, need to hear the Good news of Jesus Christ.  A historical and theological examination of Roman Catholic doctrine and practice will reveal where they stand on faith, Christ and the scriptures. If anyone of these areas are wrongly handled, then abandonment of the Gospel has occurred.

Why Roman Catholicism does not teach the true Gospel

The Roman Catholic Church uses similar words like other groups claiming fidelity to the True Gospel. However when discussing the three issues of faith, Christ and the Bible, you will quickly discover how different they really are.  Today we want to see what the Roman Catholic Church teaches about saving faith.

Where Roman Catholicism stands on the issue of faith in salvation

The Late Dr. D. James Kennedy classified all religions under three headings relative to the matter of faith: Those that are works alone, those that are faith plus works and thirdly, the Gospel, which teaches salvation received by faith alone.1  To be fair, I've often heard the Roman Catholic Church characterized as teaching a "works-only" salvation while groups such as the Southern Baptist Convention teaches salvation by grace through faith. The reason this is inaccurate is because Roman Catholic theology does teach the necessity of faith in salvation. In fact the Catechism of the Catholic Church makes this statement: “Believing in Jesus Christ and in the Only One who sent Him for our salvation is necessary for obtaining that salvation.” 2  However the issue with Roman Catholicism is that it denies that faith by itself is sufficient for receiving the gift of salvation, which is in direct conflict with the biblical teaching of salvation being received by grace alone through faith alone.  Roman Catholicism teaches salvation as being received in a "faith-plus-works" system, beginning with baptism and ongoing participation in the various church rituals (called sacraments). 

Roman Catholicism does not believe that faith alone is sufficient for receiving salvation

The big point of contention has to do with how the Roman Catholic Church views the sufficiency of faith by itself for receiving salvation. As we labored a couple of days ago, the true Gospel views faith alone as necessary and sufficient for receiving the gift of salvation. (Romans 10:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5) It is also the exclusive means ordained by God for receiving salvation in Jesus Christ.

According to Roman Catholic teaching, faith by itself is not enough, and rather must be accompanied by additional actions. Consider this quote: "Through baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God.” 3    Baptism then is required as additional to faith in order to receive salvation in the Roman Catholic system. Later on the Catholic Catechism states:

“The sacraments of initiation – Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist– lay the foundations of every Christian life. The faithful are born anew by baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. By means of these sacraments of Christian initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity."4

Thus we could summarize reception of salvation in Roman Catholic teaching as follows: by faith and baptism is one converted to faith.  By ongoing participation in the Roman Catholic system can one increasingly gain ground in continual understanding of what it means to be made right with God through Christ. 

What does the Bible teach about the necessity, sufficiency and exclusivity of faith in salvation?

John 1:12-13 states – “12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”  Furthermore Ephesians 2:8-9 plainly notes: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

One of the reasons I am part of the Southern Baptist Convention is because of its biblical stance on the necessity, sufficiency and exclusivity of faith alone as the means of receiving salvation.  The 2000 Baptist Faith and Message notes –

“Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.”5

Any group that advocates faith not being the necessary, sufficient nor the exclusive means ordained by God to receive salvation is not preaching the true Gospel.  All three of those traits (necessity, sufficiency and exclusivity) must be included when communicating the biblical understanding of saving faith.  Tomorrow we will explore what The Roman Catholic Church teaches about the Bible and spiritual authority.  

End Notes_________________________
1. From a preaching series that Dr. Kennedy preached entitled "Truths that Transform".  Dr. Kennedy developed an incredible evangelistic tool called "Evangelism Explosion" that was used widely in many churches, including Southern Baptist churches. 

2. Catechism of the Catholic Church.  page 44.
This is the official doctrinal statement of the Roman Catholic Church.  It was produced in 1992, with a revised edition in 2005. 

3. Catechism of the Catholic Church. Page  312

4. Catechism of the Catholic Church. Page 311

5. Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
This is the official doctrinal statement of the Southern Baptist Convention.  The document is found on the Southern Baptist Website at www.sbc.net  A valuable feature on this website is being able to compare the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message to older statements, such as the 1963 and 1925 versions, which are available in a side by side comparison. 

The Core of the Gospel:Christ, the Scriptures & Faith

1 Corinthians 15:1-5 1Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

What constitutes the core of the Gospel?
In the above text we see presented the fundamental truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Three areas are presented that provide starting points for knowing the God of the Bible: Salvation by grace through Faith Alone; Jesus Christ and The Scriptures. 

1. Salvation is received by Grace through Faith Alone. 15:1-2
The Gospel is received only one way - by faith alone. (John 1:12)  It is God's grace which delivers the divine gifting of faith, whereby the sinner is positioned to make a decision of trust in Jesus Christ.  All belief systems claiming to provide salvation must affirm not only the necessity of faith, but the sufficiency of it.  Faith by itself is enough to receive the gift of eternal life.  Faith alone is the exclusive means ordained by God whereby a sinner is reconciled and credited by God with Christ's righteousness. Once declared righteous, God also declares me to be a son by adoption, and reconciled unto Himself. (Romans 8:14-16) From the starting point of saving faith, I walk in progressive obedience and desire for God, or what we call sanctification. (Romans 6:12-13)  We are saved by grace through faith alone, and true conversion results in a working faith that is never alone. (James 2:14-26)

2. Salvation is in Christ alone. 15:3-5
The Gospel centers around one Person as both the source and object of saving faith - Jesus Christ.  Christ's death, burial, resurrection and appearances are the focus of this text.  More could be brought in from other scriptures: namely His human life before His crucifixion, His Eternal Deity prior to His taking on humanity, and then His ascension into Heaven.  Christ is returning again in a literally, bodily return, a truth spoken of in over 200 places in scripture. 

Jesus Christ is not only fully man is but also fully God.  Along with the the belief of there being One God, Christians assert the full Deity of Jesus Christ.  He perfectly and visibly reveals the Father, with whom He shares the same, undivided nature.  Furthermore, along with God the Son, Christians assert the full Deity and Personality of the Holy Spirit.  He functions as the third Person of the Trinity who enjoys equal fellowship in sharing the One, undivided nature with the Father and the Son. (Matthew 28:18-20; John 14:9-23; Acts 5:4-5; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 2:18; Revelation 4)  Jesus Christ is our gateway to the Divine Reality of the Trinity. (Ephesians 2:18)

3. Salvation is understood from the scripture alone. 15:3-5
This description of the Gospel is saturated with references to the Bible.  We see the Bible referenced as "the Gospel that was preached", "the word" and twice we see the Bible called "the scriptures".  Salvation cannot take place without the presence, preaching or explanation of the scriptures to the hearer. (Romans 10:8-16)  In fact faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)  The Word of God, centering on Christ, and commanding men to repent, believe and then walk out their faith in subsequent obedience to the Lord who first called them, is the Christian's lamp and light. (Psalm 119:105)

Only when we are right on all three can we say we are being faithful to the Gospel
In order to get the Gospel right, you have to be certain about the roles of faith, Christ and the scriptures.  Any deviation, addition or deletion from any one of these areas will fail the test of what doctrinally defines the core of the Gospel.

When a person is brought to saving faith, they may not fully comprehend these truths in all their detail - yet there will be a fundamental understanding as provided by the Holy Spirit.  True saving faith acknowledges that God is addressing them through the Bible, that Christ alone can save and that by faith alone can they receive the  gift of salvation. 

Once converted, the Christian builds the remainder of their Christian life from those three starting points, which comprise the core of the Christian faith.  The circumference of the Christian life, though ever growing and expanding in understanding and obedience, operates from this core.  May you and I today make it our business to know these three areas as much as we can: namely the roles of saving faith, Christ and the scriptures.

Identifying the marks of a different gospel

Galatians 1:6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel

Debates about cars - differences of degree or kind?
I recall as a kid getting in friendly debates over which was better: Ford or Chevy.  We would banter back and forth for hours - extolling the merits of Mustangs versus Camaros.  We had our differences, however these were differences of degree.

Now what would had happened if in the midst of our friendly skirmishes I would had blurted out: "Well I know one thing, a Stealth Bomber is better than Ford or Chevy", then the conversation would had come to an abrupt end.  Why?  Because the Stealth Bomber is a different kind of machine.  It has no business in the discussion, since our conversation is about cars.  That would had been an example of being a "difference of kind". 

Now that simple illustration points out what is meant when we say "differences of degree" versus "differences of kind".  When Paul states here in Galatians about a "different Gospel", the Greek word for different is speaking of a "difference of kind".  In other words, the message being touted about at the church of Galatia was not really a Gospel at all.

What constitutes a "different Gospel"
Yesterday we noted three marks of the True Gospel: namely its necessity, sufficiency and exclusivity.  In noting five particular elements: Grace, Faith, Christ, Scripture and God's Glory - we used the word "alone" after each.  Each of these are necessary for salvation.  Each one is also sufficient by itself and each one is exclusively declared by God as fundamental to the Spirit's work of applying the work of Christ to the unbeliever. 

Whether we are speaking of particular parts of the Gospel, or the whole message, the True Gospel will consistently bear these three marks.  A false or "different" gospel will fall short in at least one, if not all of these areas.  Any group that promotes a false gospel cannot be considered part of true biblical Christianity as so defined by Galatians and the other 65 books of the Bible.   Three examples below will be given:

1. Mormonism is a false or "different" gospel.  It claims faith is necessary, but not sufficient.  The Bible's sufficiency as divine revelation is denied, since it adds three other sets of writings by Joseph Smith.  Christ is not viewed as Divine nor is salvation received by grace alone through faith alone.  1 

2. Paganism, Witchcraft or Paranormalism is a false or "different" gospel.  In all three of these areas it overtly demonstrates its non-saving value.  It denies the need for any centralized writing, let alone scripture.  It believes that human beings, with the potential to harness the forces of nature, are sufficient in and of themselves to discover their ultimate purpose.  It denies the existence of an all powerful God, who is Triune in His identity and the source of salvation.  Christ of course is not even a factor in this belief system, since no sin is viewed as having been done.2 

3. Jehovah Witness is a false or "different" Gospel.  It claims that the Bible is the Word of God, however by attaching so much prominence to the authority of its headquarters - the Watch Tower and Tract Society, it renders the Bible to be less necessary and insufficient.  Faith is rendered insufficient, since one must witness and do good works to maintain assurance of being included in the final tally of the redeemed.  As much as Jehovah witnesses claim to be exclusive in their teaching, they have cut themselves off from the True Gospel, rehashing an ancient heresy that denies the Deity of Jesus Christ and His physical bodily resurrection and return. 3

__________Endnotes

1. The Mormons have three other writings other than the Bible that they claim to be equally inspired: "The Book of Mormon"; "The Doctrine and Covenants"; "The Pearl of Great Price". 

2. This is a worldview that is popularly known by the name "Wicca" and is popularized in movies and T.V shows

3. Jehovah Witnesses are a modern day revival of a 4th century heresy called Arianism, which was condemned as heretical in 325 A.D.  

What marks the True Gospel

Galatians 1:11-12 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

The battle for the Gospel
Every age and every generation must never cease in defining, communicating and defending the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:27) The Gospel of Jesus Christ speaks of both an event that had to occur and an experience that must take place for men, women, boys and girls to be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:15-21)

The Gospel communicates both an Event and Experience
The event of the Gospel is defined most clearly in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, which states: "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures".  It is in Christ's death, burial and resurrection that we discover the supreme event of salvation.  In the Gospel we find the event of salvation from the Bible Alone, in Christ alone.  The experience that must occur is described in Ephesians 2:8-9  "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."  This experience of salvation is received by faith alone as a result of God's Grace working in the heart of a person. (John 3:16; Romans 10:8-10)

The Essence of the True Gospel is captured by it being Necessary, Sufficient and Exclusive in all of its parts and the sum of its whole
When we say that this event and experience must occur in order for people to be right with God, we are speaking of the necessity of Christ's accomplished work and the reception of such work by grace alone through faith alone.  Secondly, when we use the word "alone" we are pointing to the sufficiency of Grace, Faith, Christ, the Bible and God's Glory in rendering a person right with God.  Thirdly, when we specify the event and experience of salvation by Grace, from Christ, the Bible and for God's glory and reception of such by faith, we are indicating the exclusive nature of salvation. 

Thus the Gospel message advocated by the Apostle Paul and the nearly 40 biblical authors bears forth these three marks in all its elements: Necessity, Sufficiency and Exclusivity.  In breaking down this three-fold description of the essence of the true Gospel, we can see these essential marks threading their way through five Gospel truths:

1. By Grace Alone.  God's choice to freely reveal and act on and in the sinner's life (i.e Grace) reveals it's necessity for salvation.  Grace by itself is the sufficient starting point, being that God, not man is the author of salvation.  Then of course it is exclusively Grace, not man's effort, nor nothing with man, that motivates God toward the sinner.  (John 1:12-13; Ephesians 2:8; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:3)

2. Through Faith Alone    Faith is necessary in order to receive Christ's act and accomplishment of salvation.  As a result of Grace, faith alone is deemed the sufficient means of experiencing the saving benefits of Christ's event of salvation applied by the Holy Spirit.  Faith by itself being necessary and sufficient is also the exclusive means by which the experience of salvation in Jesus Christ is received.  (John 1:12; Romans 3:23-24, 5:1; Ephesians 2:9; Titus 3:5)

3. In Christ Alone    Christ's coming to earth to take upon himself humanity, live a perfect life, die a substitutionary death, be buried and rise from the dead was necessary for the grounds of salvation.  All that Christ acted and accomplished is sufficient apart from human effort.  Then of course Christ alone is the exclusive way to God, with no other religion or merit of human goodness being accepted by God.  (John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5)

4. As revealed by the Bible Alone Without ignoring the importance of insights from Christians of all ages who have relied on its words, The Bible alone is necessary to reveal the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Bible is the sufficient source for binding men and women to the necessity of repentance and converted men and women to pursuit of Christ-likeness. Then of course the Bible, over against all other books, creeds or human opinion is the exclusive Book of God, without error, rightly entitled "The Word of God". (Psalm 19:7-14; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21)

5. For the Glory of God alone    The Gospel necessarily reveals the wonderful purpose of salvation - God's visible and uncontested display of His goodness (i.e His glory).  God's glory is the sufficient goal of both creation, providence, salvation and the end of history.  Then of course God's glory is the exclusive reason for which God created the world, works forth salvation and the soon return of Jesus Christ.  (Romans 11:33-36; Revelation 19:5-6, 21-22)

How to pray for unsaved people

Acts 26:18 "to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me."

Yesterday we discovered why it is that the Christian cannot fail in their sharing of the gospel.  All attempts to share the gospel are successful, due to the fact that we are extending the external call of the Gospel to all people.  Those who respond and believe in Christ do so because of the Spirit's convincing inward call to the inward ears of their heart.  As we pray for the Holy Spirit to accompany our witnessing with His inward call, we can pray for the following:

1. "Lord, Open the Heart." That the Lord would do for them what he did in Acts 16:14 "A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul."

2. "Lord, take the Gospel from the mind to the heart." Romans 10:8-10 - "what does it say? 'THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART'—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."

3. "Lord Remove the darkness." 2 Corinthians 4:4,6 "4in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (6) "For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."

4. "Lord, grant ears to hear, eyes to see and a heart to embrace you." Ephesians 1:16 "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,". This is a good prayer to pray for the person after their conversion, since it is addressed to believers who need a greater understanding of who they are in Christ, and who Christ is in them.

When unbelievers are  given "ears to hear", they will turn to Christ by  grace through faith. By faith the new convert will run to the cross of safety!  If you have been sharing the Gospel with an unconverted family member or co-worker, don't give up!  Keep doing what your doing.  Prayer and evangelism are the sail and the mast of missions that are hoisted by faith by the people of God.  We pray that the Spirit would blow forth His breath on what we do to move forward the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Why you can't fail in sharing the Gospel

Matthew 11:15 "He who has ears to hear, let him hear"

  

When it comes to the Holy Spirit's work in the life of an unbeliever, an important distinction must be made between two distinct "calls" or "appeals" in evangelism. The outward call or appeal to the physical ears, mind, emotions and conscience.  Whereas the inward call is where the Spirit includes an effective appeal to the inward ears of the heart along with the already present outward call.   

1. The Outward Call or what is termed General appeal to all to believe the Gospel.

The outward call is our witnessing of the Gospel to that person, whereby they hear it with their physical ears and may even consider it in their minds, however that as far as it goes.  The outward call is a work, an activity of the Spirit of God who with us extends the Gospel to all.  It is a work that extends compelling evidence for the need of repentance, however it is not made conclusive nor convincing.  Whenever a person rejects, they are resisting the outward call. 

When Paul for instance testified of his faith in Jesus Christ before King Agrippa, the outward call of the Gospel was being extended, however Agrippa replied to Paul in Acts 26:28 - “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.” 29And Paul said, “I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains.”  Agrippa was not rendered responsible.  His lack of response tells us that he heard the outward call of the Gospel with his physical ears, however the inward ears of his heart has not yet been affected.

Conversion of the human heart is a work affected by the Holy Spirit who has opened that person's heart to repent and believe on Jesus Christ. (John 1:13; Acts 16:14; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:3).  By the witness of God through creation and the conscience to unbelievers, as well as through the general appeal made to them to repent of their sins and turn to Christ, there is certainly no lack of mercy on God's part. If anything, God is only obligated to do one thing - justice.  The fact that He reveals anything about Himself at all indicates that He is by nature a reconciler. (2 Corinthians 5:15-21)

The Inward call or what is termed Effectual or Saving Grace.

As we extend the outward call of the Gospel to that person, we pray that accompanying our witnessing would be the Spirit's voice along with ours, extending the inward, effectual call to the ears of the heart. (Revelation 22:17)  The Bible reveals that we have two sets of ears: our physical ears and the "ears of the heart". (Ephesians 1:16-18) All hear the outward call and are responsible, however only those to whom the Spirit calls inwardly will respond. Since we never know whom the Spirit is affecting, we are to proclaim the gospel until faith comes. (Galatians 3:23).  Whenever the Spirit penetrates a person's heart into the inward ears, this grace is effectual, meaning that the person will see and hear Jesus for who he really is.  They will trust and run to Jesus, since He is shown to their hearts (and not just their minds, emotions and conscience) to be genuinely the only One who can save them.

Pertaining to this inward call to the ears of the heart, Jesus says on at least eight occassions in the Gospels this phrase: "he who has ears, let him hear." (Matthew 11:15,16, 13:9,43; Mark 4:9,23; Luke 8:8, 14:35) Likewise the Apostle John records Jesus saying this phrase to all seven churches to which he is writing to in Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13 and 3:22. No doubt, the enemy, Satan, blinds non-Christians to the truth of the gospel, as 2 Corinthians 4:4 reveals to be the enemy's work in all their lives. However we as Christians need to pray for the Holy Spirit to accompany our witnessing and sharing the Gospel. We need to pray that in our extending of His outward call to all people that He would include the necessary inward call to those whom he convicts and calls to respond and believe. (John 1;12-13)

Important Note: Christians can never fail in their sharing of the Gospel

Whenever people refuse to believe the gospel, whose fault is it? It's not God's fault, since He has offered them compelling proof of their need to repent.  We must remember that God is not willing that any would perish but that all would come to repentence. (2 Peter 3:9)  In the outward call of the Gospel to the physical ear, even though the nature of the Spirit's work in the outward call is not convincing them to believe, yet it is His work of compelling them to do so. 

It's certainly not the Christian's fault, since the main mission is to go into all the world and make disciples and be ambassadors for Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:15-21)  Its not the Bible's fault, since scripture itself will never return void but will accomplish the purpose for which it was sent, whether it be to alert the person about their responsibility to believe (outward call) or actually respond and believe (inward call). (Isaiah 55:10-11)  Thus the rejection of the Gospel lies soley in the hands of the unbeliever, who is making a clear choice to persist in their sin rather than turn to Christ.  (John 3:16-19; 12:42-43)

Therefore let's issue forth the general call of the Gospel to every person, praying that in our witnessing, the Spirit of God would include His inward call, so that as many people as possible would believe and be saved from the wrath to come.  As the noted father of modern missions, William Carey, told his son:

"The conversion of one soul is worth the labour of a life time. 'Unto us is this favour given that we should preach among the gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.' Hold on, therefore; be steady in your work, and leave the result with God." "Be encouraged, my dear son. Devote yourself wholly to your work. For this is the cause God has had in His mind from eternity, and for which Christ shed His blood, and for which the Spirit and the Word were given. So its triumph is certain."

Six reasons why Baptism is a must

1 Peter 3:21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

The reason for laboring over this issue of baptism is due to the significance of the practice and the widespread confusion over the issue.  I hope that in the past several days the reader has found clarity on this issue.  1 Peter 3:21 represents the final mention of baptism in the New Testament.  We have noted three reasons so far why baptism is significant for Christians:

1. Jesus mandated it, by modeling it and commanding it
2. Its method is that of faith in Christ first, followed by baptism of the believer throughout the Gospels, Acts and Epistles .
3. Its mode is meaningful, conveying the primary meaning of "immerse, dip".  This pictures the saint publically proclaiming their identity in Christ's death, burial and resurrection, something of which they would had done in a prior commitment of faith and repentance. 

Today we are going to wrap up this study of baptism by noting why baptism is a must for believers.

1. Baptism enables one's Public Profession of Faith. 
Jesus states in Luke 9:26 that if anyone is ashamed to mention Him before men, He will be ashamed to mention Him before His Father in Heaven.  As we already saw in 1 Peter 3:21, baptism enables the believer to "pledge a good conscience" before God or "unto God". 

2. Baptism places a mile marker in a Christian's life
Baptism is often like a mile marker in a Christian's life.  Just like Jacob, who took a stone and anointed it with oil to remind him of God's first encounter with Him, baptism functions as a "stone of remembrance for the believer. (Genesis 28:18) 

Or better yet, God gave Abraham the Covenant sign of circumcision to remind him of the covenant he had been given by God. (Genesis 12:1-3;15; 17)  Certainly passages such as Colossians 2:12-13 draw such a parallel between baptism functioning as such a sign to the believer, signifying the prior work God had done in circumcising their hearts, and transforming their lives by grace through faith alone.  Just as circumcision was given to Abraham to point to a prior work done in His life, baptism has been given to the church to testify of the work of grace done and receive by faith prior to the baptism. 

3. Baptism pictures the saint's connection to Jesus Christ
1 Corinthians 10:2-4 reads - "and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3and all ate the same spiritual food; 4and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ."  Baptism here speaks of "in connection with or association with" a covenant head.  For the Jews in the Old Testament, they were connected with the covenant head of the Old Covenant - Moses; whereas the New Testament Christian is connected by faith to their head - Christ.  Sadly those Old Testament saints who crossed the red sea did not have saving faith accompanying journey.  If they would had, they would had seen the one to whom they needed to be ultimately connected to.  Even though Christ accompanied them by means of the rock, yet Christ was not truly "in them". 

4. Water Baptism portrays the invisible work the Holy Spirit worked in his uniting of the saint to Christ in conversion
1 Corinthians 12:12 reads - "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."  To be baptized here speaks of the Spirit's work of uniting the formerly lost sinner to Christ through saving faith.  This work is the "Spirit baptism" whereby the new converted Christian is tied into the wider body of truly converted saints.  This is an invisible work of grace at salvation.  Spirit baptism is made "visible, illustrated, pictured" by water baptism.  It is not two baptisms, but rather two parts of one baptism. (Ephesians 4:5) The Spirit baptism is another term for the believer's salvation, whereas water baptism is the believer re-enacting for physical eyes the prior work done in the heart at saving faith. 

5. Baptism promotes the Gospel
Baptism goes hand and hand with the preaching of the gospel.  The preaching of God's word present the word which alone can convert and save sinners. (Romans 10:9-15)  It is through the scriptures that the Holy Spirit penetrates the human heart, whereas in baptism we see pictured what takes place in the human heart.  Baptism on its own does not produce saving faith, rather it pictures it. 

6. Baptism prioritizes obedience to Jesus Christ
When a Christian convert goes into those baptismal waters, they are picturing a fully obedient Christian.  In the presence of the reading of or preaching of the scriptures, the Holy Spirit can take such a picture and press it before the child of God.  The picture points to the reality, the master, to whom all Christians owe their allegiance.  We are reminded too that love for Christ is chiefly expressed by obedience to Christ. (John 14:15,21,23).  This is why Christ has ordained the church to be the administrator of believer's baptism, since loving submission to Christ the Bridegroom demonstrates most effectively a people transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:25-26; 1 Peter 1:15-16)