“Must I Be Baptized To Be Saved?”

Richard Thetford

S o often we hear people say that they don’t “feel” that baptism is essential for salvation. However, we can clearly see in the Bible’s many passages that baptism is essential to our salvation. Those individuals that say “I don’t feel that it is necessary,” are often the ones that have never opened up the Word of God and taken the time to read what is required for their salvation. One of the greatest examples of proving that baptism is essential is found in the book of Acts, chapter eight. Here, starting in the 26th verse we can read about where an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying: “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” The Lord had a mission for Philip to do and sent His angel to inform Philip on what He wanted Philip to do. Philip met an Ethiopian Eunuch who had come to Jerusalem to worship (Vs27). When Philip joined the chariot, he noticed that the Eunuch was reading from the book of Isaiah. The Eunuch did not really understand what he was reading and Philip began from the passage that was being read and “preached Jesus to him” (Vs35).

The Eunuch understood enough to KNOW that he needed to be baptized to be saved (Vs36). At this point Philip said: “If you believe with all your heart, you may” The Eunuch answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Vs37). Then in verse 38 the action resulting from the Eunuch’s belief in Jesus was accomplished. It says: “And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.” The Eunuch never “FELT” saved until he was baptized! And the fact of the matter is, he was not saved until he was baptized into Christ (Gal 3:26-27). Have you been baptized into Christ? If not, you are not saved in accordance with New Testament teaching. Jesus is “the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Heb 5:9). Have you obeyed Jesus?