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Mark 16
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
A brother quoted from a newsletter (pasted at the bottom) where the issue of believing, repentance and baptism are raised, and Mark 16:16 is referenced. I replied to his mail.
Dear Brother Casey,
I feel honored to be included in your mailing list.
Your musing and thoughts on the Christian faith always interest me... because I am also a student of God's word, learning to rightly divide the word of truth. And your thoughts in the quote below raises many issues. I hope you don't mind me interacting with some of your thoughts and leave some comments. May our Lord grant us wisdom to discern the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Let us start with something basic. A man is conceived and born in sin. In his native state, he is in the state of condemnation and death. The Scriptures says that we 'were dead in trespasses and sins.' The 'deadness' spoken of is not deadness of inactivity, it is deadness of ability to do anything to bring himself towards God. It is a deadness of being separated from God because of sin. And though dead in trespasses and sins, we were very alive in trespasses and sins - which explain why man by nature is in enmity against God. "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" Rom 8:7. What all these mean is that a man in his native state of condemnation and death has no ability to believe the truth of God whatsoever. Until and unless God quickens Him by His Holy Spirit based on the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, a man has no ability to believe in Jesus Christ. ONLY a man whom God himself HAS SAVED (perfect tense) has the ability to believe in Jesus Christ. When God saves sinners, what does He save them from??? This question is most importance. Don't worry about the answer first. I just want to draw attention to the question first.
With this foundational truth laid, we can look at the Mark 16:16 passage. 'He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.'
Please note several things about this few words.
1. Grammar:
- 'He that believeth' is aorist active participle, meaning 'the believing one.'
- '... is baptized' is aorist passive participle, meaning 'the baptized one.'
- 'shall be saved' : future passive indicative.
2. 'He that believeth' - indicates someone whom God HAS SAVED (present perfect), which is why he believes. When God effectually call a sinner out of his native state of condemnation and death to that state of grace and salvation, God justifies him (to remove condemnation), regenerates him (to remove spiritual deadness), and adopts him (granting him all the privileges of being a member of God's household), and gives him the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell within him.
- It is this indwelling Holy Spirit who works all the savings graces within a child of God. And the saving grace of faith is one of them. 'Saving grace' is not a grace that saves, rather it is a grace as the result of salvation already bestowed. The saving grace of faith (see Gal 5:22) enables a child of God to believe the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Believing is the visible manifestation of that saving grace produced in the heart of a child of God by the Holy Spirit.
3. 'and is baptized' : 'and' a conjunction linking active believing and passive 'is baptized'. The conjunction indicates that believing and being baptized go together.
4. 'shall be saved': future tense, passive voice and indicative mood.
- The salvation spoken of here is something future. So, it is distinct from the salvation that God HAS accomplished in Christ, and HAS applied the elect personally.
- The salvation here is conditioned upon believing and baptism. So this salvation is DISTINCT and DIFFERENT from the salvation which is wholly be the free grace of God based upon the perfect redemptive work of Christ.
5. And here we come again to the GREAT TRUTH that few understand, and the vast multitudes in the Christendom are ignorant, which is the cause of much confusion. This great truth is the PLURALITY of salvation which you mentioned in passing in one of your previous exchanges.
- There is an eternal salvation which is by the free and sovereign grace of the triune God. God purposed our eternal redemption, Christ accomplished our eternal redemption, and the Holy Spirit applies that redemption to each of God's elect personally while they were STILL in their native state of condemnation and death. This salvation is eternal in nature, and is completely secured by Christ alone, and applied to us by His Spirit while we were still enemies and rebels. Once that eternal salvation is applied by God's free grace to a sinner, that sinner is perfectly fitted for eternal glory. Nothing more needs to be done... he is perfectly fitted by the redemptive work of Christ for eternal glory. In eternal salvation, man is completely passive.
- The eternal redemption by Jesus Christ saves His people from eternal condemnation in the lake of fire. Christ's redemptive work DOES NOT save us from the temporal consequences of our sins.
- Hardly anyone understand this eternal salvation in its biblical context anymore.
- There is a temporal salvation (that which relates to the present life here and now as pilgrims on our journey to our eternal home) which is conditioned upon the children of God actively obeying the will of God their Father. Believing the truth of the gospel SAVES... but it saves very differently from the way God saves. God saved us from our eternal condemnation through His Son Jesus Christ. Believing the gospel of Jesus Christ saves us from ignorance, lies, superstitions, fear, etc. Believing brings us assurance, hope, comfort, peace - these are temporal blessings in this life.
- Submitting to baptism saves: baptism is the answer of a good conscience toward God, gladly acknowledging the truth of salvation represented by water baptism... being dead and buried, and resurrected to newness of life by the free and sovereign grace of God in Jesus Christ. 1Pet 3: 'The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.'
- Having a good conscience toward God is a great salvation a man can enjoy here and now. A bad conscience haunts many a man, and causes many to hang themselves!
We must keep a clear distinction between the eternal salvation - which is WHOLLY and SOLELY and COMPLETELY by the free and sovereign grace of God, when men is completely passive, and being acted upon by the saving power of God - and the temporal salvation which is conditioned upon the obedient response of God's children to the grace of God working in them. Confusing and confounding the two has been the cause of great errors.
People speak gibberish when they say 'Salvation is by grace through faith (man's act of believing, of course!).' That is classic SYNERGISM in salvation. It denies MONERGISM! Man's act of believing is an evident and effect and fruit of salvation ALREADY bestowed freely by God.
An effect and fruit of salvation CANNOT possibly be the instrument to obtain that same salvation. Where has common sense and sound mind gone in this generation? But that scandalous statement is repeated ad nauseam - betraying great ignorance of this basic doctrine of salvation by grace!
Our BEING as God's children is UN-conditional, i.e. WHOLLY and SOLELY and COMPLETELY be the free and sovereign grace of God.
Our WELL-BEING as God's children is conditioned upon our obedience to the Father's will for us.
Both Abraham and Lot are equally God's children in every respect. But Lot messed up his life big time.
SORRY BROTHER... I have rambled on too much. (I was moved to write something)
I will leave the rest for now.
your brother in Christ,
sing
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Here is the quote from the newsletter...
On Nov 3, 2011, at 12:24 PM, Casey Toe wrote:
I thought you might find this newsletter interesting. Last night we were discussing repentance and salvation. Mk16:16 says He who believes and is baptised shall be saved. It mentions belief, or faith in Jesus, but does not mention repentance. However, it mentions baptism, which we also discussed briefly.
QUOTE
When Peter had convicted the people of their sin in crucifying Jesus, they asked what then should they do. Peter replied Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Some people treat belief and repentance as different things, only one of which is a precondition of salvation. But it is clear that both are needed. Repentance for sins. Without which one would not have any reason to ask for forgiveness, which, to one who repents, Jesus freely gives. Faith in Jesus, for salvation is by no other name. But are these the only two matters in salvation?
A few things also go together, meaning take place at the point of salvation. One is baptism. Is it possible to believe and not be baptised? I once taught that Mk16:16 means both take place at the same time. Whoever believes is baptised. Period. But Acts19:1-6 seems to say they were disciples, obedient believers, but, after Paul taught that John's baptism was on repentance, On hearing this they were baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. So salvation is not just on belief. It requires repentance. Then only was there the baptism which saves, the baptism for which sins are forgiven, the baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, the same baptism in Mk16:16, Acts2:38 and Eph4:5, One Lord, one faith, one baptism which all who are saved have in common. Another very important thing that takes place is that the Holy Spirit then indwells the person who is saved, Acts2:38. No Holy Spirit, no salvation. So I would say, repentance, belief, baptism and Holy Spirit must all be together for one to be saved. Though often they are taught in different passages of the Bible.
But don't confuse this baptism in the name of Jesus Christ with baptism in the Holy Spirit. Paul asked did you receive the Holy Spirit? They did not know there is even such a thing as the Holy Spirit. No Bible yet. But people today, with so many Bibles still do not know about baptism of the Holy Spirit. What did Paul ask next? Then what baptism did you receive? So his first question was on baptism. Which baptism. There are many baptisms only one of which is referred to in Eph4:5. I had to stress this last night because I am very tired of churches or leaders which preach that there is only one baptism. I am also very tired of churches which preach that you cannot take the Holy Communion if you have not been water-baptised. Or those who ask for your water-baptism Certificate as if that proves salvation.
So what brings salvation about? Repentance and belief, on the part of the subject. What are the acts in common of God when one is saved? He baptises in the name of Jesus Christ. He places the Holy Spirit in the believer. No human can or has been asked to perform both of these acts. No point trying. Shall we do for God what He directs us to do, and not do for God what He retained for His own doing? UNQUOTE
Serious. Finished.
Regards,
Casey
