Baptism – Can It Save You?

“Baptism is not enough 

to forgive or absolve your sins.”

When I walked into Terry’s hospital room, and saw her laying on her bed she said to me, “I was wondering when you were going to get here.” Her physical condition was deteriorating and she was not ready to face her Creator. As I got down on my knees and visited with her, we soon began talking about God, and I shared with her the good news of Christ. Later, as I was praying over her, she yelled out for God to save her from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. It was an incredible moment. Weeks later when Terry was home and bed-ridden, she wanted to be baptized. So surrounded by family, and with a cup and towel I conducted her baptism. What a blessing! Then hours later Terry left this world to see her new Savior face to face. (Photo by Josue Michel on Unsplash)

What prepared Terry for her new home with Christ? Was it some of the good things she had done, her baptism, her faith in Jesus or something else?

Like with Terry, many times I have been at the bedside of the dying. If someone is fatally sick, and knows their time is short and their not right with God, they might request to see a clergyperson. If a dying person is baptized, are they saved? Have their sins been forgiven? Will they go to heaven?

Baptism is part of our American religious culture. Millions of followers in Catholic and Protestant churches have experienced the sacrament, from infants to adults, during memorable religious ceremonies filled with family and friends. Sometimes it is a quiet, solemn and reverent event. At other times it is filled with much energy and praise. The occasion is looked upon as an important religious milestone in a person’s spiritual life.

Why does someone get baptized? Because it is a command given by God in the Bible, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…” (Acts 2:38)

A baptism ceremony is filled with beautiful and significant symbolism. As a person stands ready to be baptized, they are a picture of their old self, standing dead in their sin as Jesus hung dead upon the cross. Then as Jesus was buried, so they are buried. Their old self gets buried in the waters of baptism. The water is an image of the Holy Spirit washing them of all their sin while being immersed into the life of Christ and His church. Then as Jesus rose from His grave with a resurrected body, so the one being baptized is raised up out of the water, like a new creation. It is a powerful thing to watch, an honor to administer, but most of all, it is life changing to personally experience. The mighty grace of God is almost palpable in those moments.

What is the singular most important focus in baptism? Jesus.

It is not the water, the Pastor or Priest, nor the one being baptized. It is about Jesus, and a picture of His suffering, death, burial and resurrection from the dead.

Sometimes we can elevate the pomp and circumstance of a baptism ceremony above Christ. We can elevate the water above Him, believing it becomes holy. We can elevate the actual baptism above Christ, thinking that through it we can secure our eternal salvation.

Unless you have turned from your sins and to Christ, and placed your full trust in Him alone -- your baptism is meaningless. Do not believe anyone who says otherwise. Your baptism is not enough to forgive or absolve your sins. Only the blood of Jesus, which was shed from His cross can save you. Thankfully, Terry understood this when she cried out to Jesus in her hospital bed.

A prayer for you - Lord God, if there is someone reading this that has been deceived, believing the waters of baptism are greater than the atoning blood of Jesus, open their eyes to see the truth. Bring them to turn from trusting in a ceremony, and to repent of their sin and trust in Christ alone for their salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.