By Robert Serreyn

Question? According to Mark 16:16 it appears that a person must believe and be baptized in order to be saved, what are your thoughts?

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned”.

Answer:

this verse like Acts 2:38 is used by those that teach the FALSE DOCTRINE of baptismal regeneration, they go to this verse and say “SEE IT SAYS he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved”. and they stop there ONLY QUOTING the first half of the verse and not the whole verse.

To get the proper understanding of this verse lets take a look at the second half to get the right interpretation, lets read and take notice what it does not say.

The first half says “Believe and be baptized to be saved” BUT the second half says “He that BELIEVETH NOT shall be damned, DOES NOT SAY he that believeth and is NOT BAPTIZED shall be damned, the second halve of this verse is THE KEY to this verse. baptism SHOULD FOLLOW AFTER (1 Peter 3:21) a person BELIEVES the gospel but baptism HAS NO PART in our salvation, if you noticed Mark 16:16 says he that BELIEVETH NOT is damned to add baptism to the gospel is ADDING WORKS to the gospel which makes it a FALSE GOSPEL.

Romans 11:6 states that salvation is either by grace or by works and we know from other salvation verses like John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, John 6:47, ect that baptism IS NOT MENTIONED at all ONLY BELIEVETH and any honest person with a REAL DESIRE to know the truth of God’s Word would find this to be true.

in summary:
Mark 16:16 is saying, FIRST believeth the gospel(Christ died for your sins) then SECOND follow in obedience and be baptized as a PUBLIC TESTIMONY that you believe in the death burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ YOUR savior.
“For the wages(payment) of sin is death(eternal torment in hell & the lake of fire); but the GIFT of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ Our Lord”. Romans 6:23

The MOST IMPORTANT thing to know IS Jesus Christ as savior, just simply believe that Jesus Christ went to the cross and DIED and shed his blood, was BURIED and three days later RESURRECTED from the dead to pay for your sins.

A. Christ DIED for you – Romans 5:8

B. Christ PAID your sins in full – 2 Corinthians 5:21,1 Peter 2:24

C. BELIEVE (Trust In Completely) in Christ ALONE as the complete payment of sin for salvation – John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9

“For the wages(payment) of sin is death (eternal torment in hell & the lake of fire); but the GIFT of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord”. Romans 6:23

IT IS THAT SIMPLE – THE GOSPEL TRUTH

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