One of the most common objections to baptism for the remission of sins is this:
“Baptism is a work, and we are not saved by works.”
The Bible certainly teaches that we cannot earn salvation through works of human merit.
Paul wrote:
“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.”
Ephesians 2:8–9
But does that mean that anything God commands a person to do is an attempt to earn salvation?
If so, then repentance would be a work.
Confession would be a work.
Calling upon the Lord would be a work.
Even believing would have to be classified as a work.
The real question is not:
DOES SALVATION REQUIRE OBEDIENCE?
The question is:
CAN OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S COMMAND BE EQUATED WITH WORKS OF HUMAN MERIT?
Scripture shows that it cannot.
JESUS CONNECTED BELIEF AND BAPTISM WITH SALVATION
Jesus said:
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
Mark 16:16
Notice the order Christ gave:
BELIEVE → BE BAPTIZED → SHALL BE SAVED
Jesus did not describe baptism as an attempt to earn salvation.
He included it in man’s response to the gospel.
PETER CONNECTED BAPTISM WITH THE REMISSION OF SINS
When those on Pentecost asked:
“…Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Acts 2:37
Peter did not tell them that asking what they must “do” demonstrated an attempt to earn salvation.
He answered:
“…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…”
Acts 2:38
They were commanded to do something.
That does not mean they earned their salvation.
It means they obeyed God.
SAUL WAS TOLD TO ARISE AND BE BAPTIZED
Saul had already encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus.
He believed.
He had been praying.
Yet Ananias told him:
“And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
Acts 22:16
If baptism had nothing to do with receiving salvation, why was Saul still told to:
“wash away thy sins”?
The power was not in the water.
The power was not in Saul.
The power belonged to God.
Saul was submitting to what God commanded.
PETER SAID BAPTISM SAVES
Peter compared salvation through water in the days of Noah with baptism and wrote:
“The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us…”
1 Peter 3:21
But Peter immediately prevents us from misunderstanding what baptism accomplishes.
It is not merely washing dirt from the physical body:
“…not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God…”
1 Peter 3:21
And notice the source of its saving significance:
“…by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”
1 Peter 3:21
Baptism does not save independently of Christ.
There would be no salvation through baptism without the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
COLOSSIANS EXPLAINS WHO IS WORKING IN BAPTISM
Perhaps one of the clearest answers to the “baptism is a work” objection is found in Colossians.
Paul wrote:
“Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”
Colossians 2:12
Who is doing the saving work?
GOD.
The person being baptized is acting:
“through the faith of the operation of God.”
Baptism is therefore not man’s declaration:
“Look what I have done to save myself.”
It is an expression of faith that says:
“I trust God to do what He has promised.”
FAITH ITSELF REQUIRES ACTION
Jesus was once asked:
“What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?”
John 6:28
Jesus answered:
“This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”
John 6:29
If merely calling something a “work” automatically excludes it from salvation, then the argument proves too much.
Jesus Himself described believing in the language of work.
Clearly, therefore, Scripture distinguishes between obedient faith and works by which someone attempts to earn justification.
OBEDIENCE DOES NOT EQUAL EARNING
Consider Naaman.
God’s prophet instructed him to wash in the Jordan seven times.
Naaman eventually:
“…dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God…”
2 Kings 5:14
Did the water possess miraculous power by itself?
No.
Did Naaman earn his cleansing because he performed enough physical labor?
No.
God provided the cleansing.
But Naaman received the promised blessing when he submitted to God’s instruction.
His obedience did not earn the blessing.
His obedience demonstrated his faith in what God had commanded.
The same distinction is essential when discussing baptism.
WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE
Nothing about baptism diminishes God’s grace.
Without God’s grace, there would be no gospel.
Without Christ’s blood, there would be no forgiveness.
Without Christ’s resurrection, there would be no hope.
We could never perform enough good deeds to purchase forgiveness for even one sin.
Salvation is possible because of what God has done through Jesus Christ.
But grace does not eliminate obedience.
Paul spoke of:
“…obedience to the faith…”
Romans 1:5
And Hebrews says of Christ:
“And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;”
Hebrews 5:9
FAITH AND OBEDIENCE ARE NOT ENEMIES
Biblical faith responds to God.
James wrote:
“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
James 2:17
And:
“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
James 2:26
We should therefore reject both extremes.
We cannot earn salvation through human works.
But neither can we redefine saving faith so that it excludes obedience to God’s commands.
The biblical pattern is:
GOD PROVIDES THE GRACE
CHRIST PROVIDES THE BLOOD
THE GOSPEL PROVIDES THE MESSAGE
MAN HEARS AND BELIEVES
MAN REPENTS
MAN CONFESSES CHRIST
MAN SUBMITS TO BAPTISM
GOD FORGIVES
The glory belongs to God—not to the person being baptized.
Baptism is not an attempt to earn salvation.
It is an act of obedient faith in the saving work of God.
The question is not:
“CAN I SAVE MYSELF BY BEING BAPTIZED?”
Of course not.
The question is:
“WILL I TRUST GOD ENOUGH TO OBEY WHAT HE HAS COMMANDED?”
Jesus said:
“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
Luke 6:46
Open the Scriptures. Examine the context. Compare Scripture with Scripture. Test the conclusions.
ALLOW SCRIPTURE TO INTERPRET SCRIPTURE.
The Biblical Pattern
Biblical Studies & Books by Kevin L. Walker
The Biblical Pattern 