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Message: <blockquote data-quote="BrownFlush" data-source="post: 4761705" data-attributes="member: 65823">1. Does the gospel require immersion in water for salvation? Yes, water baptism for remission of sins is part of the gospel message! The sinner must be “born of water and the Spirit,” he must “believe and be baptized” “for the remission of sins” — this means going “down into the water” and coming “up out of the water” — “baptism doth also now save us” (John 3:5; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 8:35-38; 1 Pet. 3:20-21).2. Is baptism my Savior? Water baptism is not the Savior any more than faith is. Christ offered the final and perfect sacrifice for sin and that alone is the basis for our salvation (Rom. 5:6-8). God’s provision of salvation is broad enough to save all men, but God does not force anyone to be saved. So, our reception of salvation is conditional. If we wish to receive pardon from all past sins, we must believe the gospel (John 3:16 and many other passages), repent of our sins (Acts 3:19 and many other passages), confess Christ as God’s Son (Rom. 10:8-10 and many other passages), and be immersed in water (Mark 16:16 and many other passages). None of these conditions is the Savior Christ is, but we cannot receive forgiveness of sin through Christ until we meet these conditions. In this way we are born again, “born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5). 3. Doesn’t the Bible say we are saved by faith? We are saved by faith, but “not by faith only” (Jas. 2:24). Faith must lead to repentance (not repentance only), confession of Christ (not confession only), and immersion in water (not baptism only). Just as we are saved by faith, but not faith only, the Bible also says we are saved by baptism, but it does not say baptism only (1 Pet. 3:21). All of these steps or conditions are certainly tied to faith, they cannot occur except by faith but faith without these steps is not saving faith.  Hope this sharpens some of your iron and increases your knowledge of scripture.</blockquote>

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