Christ's Sufficiency

I was water baptized before I was one year old because I was about to die and my mother wanted me to go to heaven… so, would I be saved then? Maybe so, by the faith of my mother, since I was a new born and could not decide for myself…. The only sin that I had to be forgiven was the sin of Adam and Eve – the original sin - that I inherited from my parents. Since my mother DID have the faith to want me to be with Jesus, then would I have died I would indeed be in heaven. Would I be saved through the water of baptism? Not really, I believe I would be saved by the faith of my mother.
When I grew up I had to make my own choice. Now I would have to make my own stand. I had my own sins to deal with and therefore I had to find the way to salvation myself… I made my own choice to accept Jesus Christ sometime between 10 and 12. My mother and my family were not church goers, but I wanted to know Jesus and understand His word, so I asked my mother to let me go to church and learn about God. For the most part, I ended up learning the catechism… the Catholic doctrine, mostly a set of dogmas, teachings, made up by the church and without scriptural basis - these include works that we need to do in order to be saved and keep saved. I never read the Bible and I was never taught the need to have faith, and trust God and his Grace. I learned mostly about the "works" I needed to do in order to keep my Salvation. I did my First Communion, the Confirmation and the Solemn Communion. Was I really saved then? I honestly believe so - but not because I followed these traditional religious dogmas and ceremonies but because in my heart I really believe in Jesus, I wanted Jesus and I did love Him.

The Holy Bible said: “if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9). “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5). One might receive water baptism but, does that person experience the regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost? Baptism is "works" and works [things we do] do not save: Ephesians 2:8,9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”. The water in itself does nothing - repentance and faith in Christ does everything. The works, good works, good things we may do are a result or consequence of our regeneration, not the source of it. Many people may do good works and go through Christian liturgy without regeneration: it can be a formality, a tradition, without real faith in Christ and His Holy Word.

From reading the New Testament we learn that Jesus never baptized anyone. He did not even baptize (with water) His own disciples - He told them they were clean through the word: "Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you" (John 15:3).

Actually, since the New Testament starts with the Crucifixion - that is, Jesus death on the Cross shedding His blood for the sins of the world is the beginning of the New Testament. John the Baptist, was performing water baptism much before the Crucifixion, therefore baptism by water is an Old Testament ritual - (Matthew 11:13) a shadow of things to come - as acknowledged by John the Baptist himself: Matthew 3:11: “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire”.

One might choose to be baptized with water as a symbol or manifestation of salvation, however, it is important to realize that this may be understood as a manifestation of insufficiency or incomplete salvation - There is no such thing as incomplete salvation! Christ is sufficient for salvation, thus, abstaining from water baptism could also testify of this sufficiency.

Now, you may read the following verses in Galatians and replace circumcision, a practice of the law, with water baptism, another practice of the law: Galatians 3, verse 2: “Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”. Verse 3: “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”. Galatians 5:1: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.”

In summary, we are to be baptized with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Christ’s Baptism. Christ's baptism is to be the inward receiving of the promised Holy Spirit, whereby the believer is immersed in Jesus' power, purity, and wisdom. This baptism is the essential Christian baptism: an experience of cleansing from sin that supplants old covenant rituals.