Dozens of Salvation Passages

When people discuss whether or not baptism is necessary for salvation, the tendency is to focus on a few passages of Scripture such as Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, John 3:5, and 1 Peter 3:21 (we will examine all of these passages later in this series). However, there are many other New Testament passages which teach us something about salvation, and it is important to take those passages into consideration as well.

Now, what does it take for a person to become saved so that he will go to heaven and escape hell? That's the basic question which we are trying to answer here. What we find when we study about salvation in the New Testament is that there are dozens of passages of Scripture which tell us that we must believe in Jesus for salvation, and these passages do not say anything about being baptized. For example, take a close look at the words of Jesus in the well-known John 3:16 passage:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

In this famous passage, Jesus said that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. Jesus said nothing about baptism here, He simply said that we must believe in Him. In fact, just one verse earlier Jesus said:

"everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." (John 3:15)

So again we can see that Jesus said that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. Notice that He did not qualify this statement by saying that we must be baptized, but instead He went on to repeat His point that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life (John 3:16, above). In fact, just a few verses later He repeated this same point yet again:

"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." (John 3:18)

Once again Jesus said that whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already. The issue concerning salvation versus condemnation is our belief, not our baptism. Later in the same chapter Jesus made a similar statement:

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life" (John 3:36)

Whom did Jesus say has eternal life? Those who believe in Him. Therefore, if we believe in Him then we have eternal life. Jesus didn't mention baptism at all here. Here's another place where Jesus repeated this fact:

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24)

Jesus said that if we hear His Word and believe Him who sent Jesus then we have eternal life and we have crossed over from death to life. Jesus did not say anything about being baptized. Here's another place where Jesus said essentially the same thing:

"For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:40)

Again, everyone who believes in Jesus shall have eternal life. And again, no mention of baptism. Here's another place where Jesus repeated this same fact:

"I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life." (John 6:47)

Who has eternal life? Those who believe in Jesus. In fact, Jesus gave added emphasis to this statement by saying, "I tell you the truth." Therefore, if we believe in Him then we have eternal life. Jesus didn't mention baptism at all. Here's another one:

"I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins." (John 8:24)

What is it that causes us to die in our sins? Not believing in Jesus. Therefore, believing in Jesus is a requirement for salvation. But the New Testament never says that if we are not baptized then we will die in our sins, which means that baptism is not a requirement for salvation (more on this in Part Two of this series). Here's another one:

"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"" (John 11:25-26)

Whom did Jesus say will live (i.e. will have eternal life)? Those who believe in Him. Whom did Jesus say will never die (i.e. will have eternal life)? Those who believe in Him. Therefore, if we believe in Him then we will live forever (we will have salvation and eternal life). Jesus didn't mention baptism at all here. Now notice what the apostle John wrote:

"Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:30-31)

How do we have life (eternal life) in His name? By believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Nothing about baptism is mentioned here. The apostle Peter echoed this same fact:

"everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." (Acts 10:43)

Who receives forgiveness of sins? Everyone who believes in Jesus. Peter said nothing about baptism here. Later Peter repeated this same fact:

"Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses." (Acts 13:38-39)

Who receives justification and forgiveness of sins? Everyone who believes. Baptism is not mentioned at all in this passage. Now, here is a passage in which a man specifically asked how to become saved:

""Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved --you and your household."" (Acts 16:30-31)

The apostle Paul and Silas were specifically asked what must be done in order to receive salvation. Notice that they did not mention baptism at all. They specifically said that we must believe in the Lord Jesus and we will be saved. The apostle Paul said essentially the same thing in the following verse:

"You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus." (Acts 20:20-21)

What did Paul preach and teach? That we must turn to God in repentance and have faith in Jesus. He said nothing at all here about being baptized for salvation. In another passage Paul repeated the fact that we receive salvation by faith:

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." ((Romans 1:16)

Paul said that the Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, and he did not say that baptism is required. Paul went on to say that we receive righteousness by faith:

"For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."" (Romans 1:17)

How did Paul say that we receive righteousness? By faith. Paul said nothing about baptism here. Once again Paul repeated the fact that righteousness comes through faith to all who believe:

"This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." (Romans 3:22)

Again, there is no mention of baptism here, only faith. Here's another one:

"God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:25-26)

Notice how we appropriate Christ's atonement: Through faith in His blood. Notice how we receive justification: Through faith in Jesus. Once again there is no mention of baptism here. In fact, just two verses later the apostle Paul repeated the fact that we are justified by faith:

"For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law." (Romans 3:28)

How are we justified? By faith. Paul didn't say that we are justified by faith and baptism. One chapter later, Paul repeated this fact once again:

"However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness." (Romans 4:5)

How are we credited with righteousness? By our faith, and notice that baptism is not mentioned at all here. Several verses later, Paul said the same thing:

"And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them." (Romans 4:11)

Again, how did the apostle Paul say that we have righteousness credited to us? By believing. Baptism is not listed as a requirement here. Two verses later, Paul repeated this fact:

"It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith." (Romans 4:13)

Again, righteousness comes by faith, with no additional requirements such as baptism. Ten verses later, Paul repeated the fact that righteousness is credited to us through our faith:

"The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead." (Romans 4:23-24)

Over and over we have seen that salvation, eternal life, forgiveness of sins, justification, and righteousness all come by faith, and baptism is not mentioned at all in these passages. Here's another one:

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand." (Romans 5:1-2)

Justification is by faith. Nothing is said about baptism being a requirement. Here's another place where the apostle Paul said that righteousness is by faith:

"What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works." (Romans 9:30-32)

Again, righteousness comes by faith. Baptism is not mentioned here at all. Here is another place where the apostle Paul said that righteousness is for everyone who believes:

"Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." (Romans 10:4)

Again, righteousness is for everyone who believes, and baptism is not listed as a requirement. Here's a place where the apostle Paul was more specific about how to receive salvation:

"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Romans 10:9-10)

In this passage, the apostle Paul was very clear that we need to believe and confess (notice that baptism is not mentioned at all here). For example, (John 12:42-43 describes some people who believed in Jesus, but they were unwilling to confess their faith because they loved praise from men more than praise from God. The implication is that they did not have saving faith. If we truly have saving faith then we are willing to confess Jesus as our Lord, but the point here is that baptism is not listed as an element of salvation. A few verses later Paul repeated this point:

""Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?" (Romans 10:13-14)

Paul said that everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved, and then Paul pointed out that we can't call on the Name of the Lord if we don't believe in Him. Again, if we truly have saving faith then we will be willing to confess Jesus as our Lord and call on His Name (notice that Paul did not mention baptism at all here). The apostle Peter echoed this same fact:

"And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Acts 2:21)

Again, everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved. The apostle Peter said nothing about baptism here. Here's another verse which says that those who believe are saved:

"For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe." (1 Corinthians 1:21)

Once again we are told that God saves those who believe. Nothing about baptism is mentioned here. The following passage tells us that we are justified by our faith in Jesus Christ:

"We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified." (Galatians 2:15-16)

How do we receive justification? By faith in Christ. Baptism is not listed as a requirement here. A few verses later, the apostle Paul repeated this fact:

"Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." (Galatians 3:7-9)

Once again we are told that we are justified by faith, and baptism is not mentioned at all here. Later, Paul said that we are all sons of God through faith:

"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26)

How do we become sons of God? Through faith in Christ (it doesn't say through faith and water baptism). Here is another place where the apostle Paul said that we are saved through faith:

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith" (Ephesians 2:8)

How have we been saved? Through faith (it doesn't say through faith and baptism). And again:

"and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ --the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith." (Philippians 3:9)

Over and over we have seen that salvation, eternal life, forgiveness of sins, justification, and righteousness all come through faith in Christ. None of these passages has said anything about water baptism as a requirement for salvation. Here's another example:

"But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth." (2 Thessalonians 2:13)

How are we saved? Through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. It doesn't say anything about baptism. Here's another passage which says that we receive eternal life by believing in Jesus:

"But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life." (1 Timothy 1:16)

How do we receive eternal life? By believing in Jesus. Baptism is not mentioned here at all. The apostle John pointed out that everyone who believes in Jesus is born of God:

"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well." (1 John 5:1)

Notice that we are born of God by believing in Jesus, and nothing is said about baptism. Here's another one:

1 John 5:4: "for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith."
1 John 5:5: "Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."

In 1 John 5:5 (above), the apostle John said that only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God can overcome the world. In the previous verse (1 John 5:4, above), John said that everyone who is born of God overcomes the world. Putting these two verses together tells us that everyone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God is born of God. Again, it is our faith in Christ which saves us, and baptism is not mentioned here at all.

We have seen that there are literally dozens of passages in the New Testament which say that we can receive salvation, eternal life, righteousness, justification, forgiveness of sins, and so on, through faith in Christ. Notice that baptism was not mentioned in any of the above passages, good works were not mentioned, penance was not mentioned, church membership was not mentioned, and so on, because those things are not necessary for salvation.