Not all that long ago I was exchanging email with someone who felt that John 3:16 says you need only believe and you are saved, and that nothing else is required by God (in particular baptism). I guess my own view on that is that baptism is simply a commandment of God to be obeyed, thus the focus of my response is about obedience. I've noticed many who are adamant that baptism is not all that essential are not as willing to view ALL obedience in the same light, so perhaps my response to him will help you in your studies/discussions. Besides, this "biblical" bulletin makes up for my salt throwing non-biblical one!

Hello There!

God expects you to obey him. There are many, many passages that talk about the consequences of inaction. Straight out reading of the bible, without any spin on it, reveals some things just about everyone (likely even you yourself) will agree on. Here are just a few of them. I could list them on and on (and on and on).

1. If you refuse to forgive someone of their sin, you will also not be forgiven

2. If you deny Christ is the Son of God, you will also be denied

3. If you refuse to admit your sin, you have sin.

4. If you refuse to repent of your sin, you will die in your sins.

5. If you don't love your neighbor, you cannot love God

6. If you don't clothe/feed/visit/minister even the least, you don't do it for Christ either.

Now that's just a handful, but let's look at them. Do you *have* to do these things: Why yes, you do. If you don't you will NOT BE SAVED. Yet there are many folks who teach you need only believe and you are saved. Or, as you put it, "Accept Christ as Your Personal Savior(tm)". So how can you possibly accept Christ yet leave all these other things undone? Jesus says, without any interpretation or spin, that those who leave these things undone will perish. Will not be saved. Will be cast into outer darkness. Will burn in the unquenchable fire. That is not heaven. No interpretation required. Do you HAVE to do these thins? Yes. So is belief in God all there is to being saved? Obviously NOT!!! All the books of the NT are just stuffed with passages that demonstrate we simply MUST live Godly lives. Now let's hammer that home...

There are those who say you need only believe and you are saved. Really" What if I believe and refuse to forgive others?" What if I believe and yet deny the Christ when put to some physical persecution? What if I believe but refuse to admit my sin? What if I believe but refuse to repent'? What if I believe but hate my neighbor? What if I believe and ignore the needs of others? Do you really expect to stand before God and say "I believed in you, you cannot condemn me even though I disobeyed?" Please, I know you don't (at least I hope you don't!) really think that.

Clearly, we MUST OBEY GOD in all points and in all ways to expect any hope of salvation. That means' we must also study (we MUST, it is commanded) and we must teach (we MUST, it is commanded) and we must be baptized (even if we think it's silly or impractical or ridiculous.) What God commands us to do, we must do, and there is no interpretation involved in saying that. God is our trine. He is offering the gift of salvation to those who will avail themselves of it. He has dropped a rope of hope down into the pit of this world. We can believe on that rope all day long, but until we LIVE our lives and grasp that rope, obeying the God who commands us to grasp hold of it and climb up. we're still stuck in that pit. We don't deserve the rope. We are the ones who got ourselves into the pit. We are the ones who sinned and thus caused him to have to send his son to die for its. We are the ones he loved and sent his son for. God wants us all to be saved, but unless we OBEY there is no hope for any of us.

Which leads to my last point. We are not in a jungle somewhere, nor on our death bed with 5 minutes left. We have plenty of time, apparently and God willing, to see that we should be obeying God. We should be studying, loving our enemies, affirming and never denying the Christ, forgiving others as we have opportunity, admitting we has sin, repenting of the same, and so on. I hope we all "get it" one of these days that God demands us to live a Christian life, and that "works" of obedience cannot go undone if we expects Salvation. And that includes baptism for the remission of sins. God commands it be done_ we must obey, and that's all there is to it.

Randy