Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved – Mark 16:16

The Bible teaches that the only way a person will be saved from death (or resurrected if they have already died) is by being baptised.  This is what is recorded in Mark chapter 16 and verse 16.  

Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

What does it mean to be baptised and how can this “save” a person?

The message of the Lord Jesus Christ

The Lord Jesus Christ was crucified towards the end of his ministry. However, after three days he was resurrected. This resurrection close to 2000 years ago was an event which had an immense impact on the history – both before and after the event. The reason is that the whole of God’s purpose revolves around Jesus.

Forty days after his resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven. During the forty days Jesus taught the disciples a lot about himself including his resurrection. We can read about the meeting between Jesus and the eleven apostles in Mark chapter 16. During this meeting there was a key message that Jesus really wanted to tell them.  It is found in verse 16, but let’s read from verse 15.

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

His message was that anyone will be saved if they believe and are baptised. Baptism (from the Greek word “Baptizo”) means to be immersed in water as an act of obedience. When someone was baptised it meant they repented and confessed their sins of their past life. They wished to change their heart and life. They acknowledged that God’s ways were right and then endeavoured to conform their lives to what was taught in the Bible.

God’s command

God requires us to be obedient. God commanded Adam not to eat of a certain tree. Obedience was essential to him for life. He ate and died. God commanded Noah to build an ark. Obedience was essential to him for salvation. He obeyed, and was saved in the ark. The picture presented in the Bible is quite clear.

So what about baptism? Is it a command that we must obey? Yes, God has commanded baptism by Christ:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt 28:19-20

This verse clearly says that they must go out and baptise others. He also says that they must obey all that has been commanded of them. Jesus talks about how important it is to be baptised – believers cannot enter the kingdom without it.

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. John 3:5

Baptism saves you

This is what the apostle Peter wrote about baptism:

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 3:21

Baptism saves you because it opens the way to salvation and eternal life. It does this by allowing those who are baptised to receive forgiveness of sins.

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, Acts 2:38

As Peter says, baptism is not used as a removal of dirt from the body. In other words, baptism does not change us physically. After baptism we can still be tempted to do the wrong thing. However, now that we have committed ourselves to Christ, we have the strength in our mind (or confidence) to rise above it and not submit to the temptation.

Peter also says in 1 Peter 3:21 that it is a appeal to God for a good conscience. This does not mean that once a person is baptised they will be completely sinless. The fact is that people who are baptised will sin. What Peter is saying is that past sins will be covered or forgiven.

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” Romans 4:7-8

If a baptised man or woman has made every effort to do God’s will but has failed – then forgiveness is available if asked for. Jesus is our advocate.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1

The word “Advocate” here means someone who is there as a helper. For example, in a law case, a witness called to help the person on trial. An advocate can be someone who is called to plead a cause. Another example, could be a person called in to give encouragement to those who feel depressed or discouraged. Jesus is an advocate for those people who are baptised when they approach their Heavenly Father in prayer to ask for forgiveness. The word advocate is translated elsewhere in the Bible as “comforter”. That is what Jesus is – he provides a means of help that fortifies and encourages the believer.

The last part of Peter’s words in 1 Peter 3:21 are “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”. He is saying here that the resurrection of Jesus was essential to the justification of those he came to save. Without the resurrection there would be no hope for the believer.

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 1 Cor. 15:17

A high destiny

The Gospel is an invitation to you, to me, and to any others who read it, to become one of that great group of people who, under the direction of Christ, is to have the honour and glory of executing the purpose of God in the time that has been appointed. It invites us to this high destiny, on condition of our believing what he has promised, and the things concerning the name of Jesus; being baptized into the Divine Name; and of being rooted and grounded in the faith, and not moved away from the hope of the Gospel. This invitation was given to the Jews first, and afterward to the Gentiles.

Conclusion

The words of Mark chapter 16 and verse 16 teaches that it is necessary to be baptised. Those who do so have all their past sins forgiven, and are thus introduced into Christ, whose death and resurrection is symbolised by their being buried in water, and then raised out of it. Those who do not do this will never experience resurrection.