Is Baptism required for Salvation?

ok. i have to lay this out.
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for those 1 in 1billion chances of those people who are born deathly allergic to water. (yes there are very very rare cases like that)

does that person need physical water baptism to be saved?

 

Perhaps we could immerse them in a different substance? Milk? Another liquid that might be safe? Confetti? Styrofoam scraps?

I really do not know. Since we need water to live, how do these people live? What do they drink?

If the Lord wants us to live lives of service to Him doing "works" -- plural -- because we are "God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works" Ephesians 2:10 (ASV), quite possibly baptism in water would not be an option. Since we are saved by biblical faith, this just might have to do. God knows if the convert has the faith that would put him in water or not.

These are just my thoughts. I have never thought of this.

 

To All,

bmerr here. Biblical faith is obedient faith. Heb 11 gives numerous examples of people doing things "by faith". Faith comes by hearing God's word (Rom 10:17). In each of the examples of acceptable faith in Heb 11, people simply did what God said to do.

Biblical, saving faith is characterized by obedience to the word of God. Not works of the law, not works of merit, simply obedience.

Submitting to baptism is not a work of the law. Submitting to baptism does not "score points" with God. It is nothing of which one could boast. At the same time, it is something penitent, believing sinners are commanded to submit to for reasons specifically stated by the Scriptures.

By submitting to baptism in order to the remission of sins, to be saved, one does not violate Eph 2:8-9 or any other passage of Scripture. To refuse to submit to baptism for the reasons specified in the Bible, on the other hand is to reject the council of God.

We would do well to stop attempting to make a case on which to stand from some 1 in a billion possible exception to the rule, and just follow the rule. See that we do all things according to the pattern shown us in the NT. It is only by doing so that we can draw near to God in full assurance of faith (Heb 10:22).

In Christ,

bmerr

 

We had a person who attended our church for over ten years. She never became a member because she never was baptized. But she was one of the most faithful "servants" that we ever had. She was very active in bringing people out, witnessing, giving, etc. The reason she gave for not being baptized was a fear of water.
Yet there would be some on this board that would say she is not saved.
DHK

 

Certainly that is all true.

But to retain the integrity of the sequence in Romans 10 we can not limit salvation in OT or NT to "just those that made it to baptism".

In fact the statements in Romans 3 about the sinful nature and the depravity of man - do not "Allow" us to violate the sequence in Romans 10 - ever! Not in OT not in NT.

In other words - reading Romans 3: 8-22 we find that NNE will continue a walk of faith, obey, follow in baptism WHILE they remain unconverted, not born again - not at peace with God - not justified - not walking IN the Spirit.