Baptism
a Work? by George L. Faull


The
denominational
world informs us
that baptism is a
work and then quotes us Scriptures that we are not saved
by works. They love to quote Ephesians 2 to prove their
theory. Amazingly, the average person buys into that
much too quickly.
Let’s see if it makes sense. If baptism is a "work", then:
Jesus did a work to fulfill all righteousness.
Matthew 3:13-15, “13 Then cometh Jesus from
Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14
But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be
baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15 And
Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now:
for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then
he suffered him.”
John preached a work was necessary for
remission of sins.
Mark 1:4, “John did baptize in the wilderness, and
preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of
sins.”
Doing a work justifies God and one rejects the
counsel of God if he does not do this work.
Luke 7:29-30, “29 And all the people that heard him,
and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with
the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and
lawyers rejected the counsel of God against
themselves, being not baptized of him.”
Peter told the Jews to do a work for the remission
of their sins and to receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit.
Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and
be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
When a person gladly did a work he was added to
the church.
Acts 2:41, “Then they that gladly received his word
were baptized: and the same day there were added
unto them about three thousand souls.”
Since Paul asked what he must do, and he was
told go to Damascus and he would be told what
he must do (Acts 9:6). The only thing that
Annanias told him to do was to be baptized. But
the theory says that baptism is a work.
Paul washed away his sins by doing a work.
Acts 22:16, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and
be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the
name of the Lord.”
When Phillip preached to the Eunuch "Jesus," he
must have preached a gospel of works, for the
Eunuch asked what hindered him to be baptized.
Acts 8:35-36, “35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and
began at the same scripture, and preached unto him
Jesus. 36 And as they went on their way, they came
unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here
is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?”
In the great commission Jesus commands us to
go and get people to do a work.
Matthew 28:19, “Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
He that believeth and does a work shall be saved.
Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall
be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
When Peter preached words whereby Cornelius
might be saved he commanded him to do a work.
Acts 11:14, Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou
and all thy house shall be saved.”
Acts 10:48, “And he commanded them to be
baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they
him to tarry certain days.”
Peter says that a work is the answer of a good
conscience.
"From the cowardice that shrinks from
new truth, from the laziness that is content
with half truths, from the arrogance that
thinks it knows all truth, O, God of Truth,
deliver us."2 THE GOSPEL UNASHAMED January 2011
I Peter 3:21, “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:”
Paul says we are buried with him by doing a work
since a work is required for one to be raised to a
new life.
Romans 6:3-4, “Know ye not, that so many of us as
were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his
death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism
into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the
dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also
should walk in newness of life.”
To get into Christ, we must do a work.
Galatians 3:27, “For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
All these verses show that baptism was to be done to be
saved. So since Paul says we are not saved by
works, it must be obvious to any logical mind that
baptism is not a work and has nothing to do with
what Paul is talking about in Ephesians 2 when it
says we are not saved by works.
In regards to not being saved by works, Paul speaks often
in many other Scriptures that we are not saved by the
works of the Law.
Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not
justified by the works of the law, but by the
faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in
Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the
faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law:
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be
justified.
Galatians 3:2, “This only would I learn of you,
Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law,
or by the hearing of faith?”
Acts 13:38-39, “38 Be it known unto you
therefore, men and brethren, that through this
man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39 And by him all that believe are justified
from all things, from which ye could not be
justified by the law of Moses.”
Romans 3:20, 28, “20 Therefore by the deeds
of the law there shall no flesh be justified in
his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is
justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
The Ephesians 2 passage, which is so badly abused by
"faith only" advocates, does not say what they imagine it
says.
Ephesians 2:5-10, “5 Even when we were dead in sins,
hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are
saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the
ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his
grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest
any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Considering the above verses we know that Paul speaks
often about "works salvation". But remember that grace
is always contrasted to Law keeping.
Faith is always contrasted to the works of the law. It
is salvation that is the gift of God, not faith.
Salvation is because of God’s giving us what is
unmerited, not because we earned it or deserve it by
good works we have done.
We were created in Christ Jesus to do good works.
Good works is not the cause of our salvation but the
purpose of our salvation.
We do good works because we are saved, not to be
saved.
Question:
Did He save us to do the work of baptism? Of course
not.
He saved us to do good works to bless others. It is
obvious that baptism is not the works of which He
speaks in this Ephesians passage.
We are not saved by the good works of the Law or of
our own initiative. We are saved by Gods grace and
salvation is received when we appropriate to
ourselves by faith in what Jesus did, not by things we
have done.
Suppose you are lost in a snowstorm in the Northwest.
Finally you find a cabin. You go in it and a note is on the
table. It says, "to whoever is in need of the things in this
cabin, greetings. Feel free to use the firewood, food,
coats, and blankets that are in this cabin to keep yourself
warm in the event that you get snowbound. Signed, the
owner.”
Now that was an act of grace on his part, wouldn't you
say? The owner did not decide who was going to come to
the cabin but he stocked those things necessary to save a
freezing and hungry man. Would you be saved by
works if you built a fire, put on the coats, or snuggled
under the blankets?
In other words, when you appropriated to your use that
which was provided by grace by the host, would youJanuary 2011 THE GOSPEL UNASHAMED 3
go and tell people you were saved by your own
ingenuity and works, or would you say you were
saved by the owners’ grace in providing you the
things that you need for your salvation from the
storm?
I am amazed, in fact I marvel, at the stupidity of those who
equate grace with doing nothing at all. Noah was saved
by faith when he obeyed God and built an ark. It plainly
says Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Lot was
saved from Sodom, because he obeyed and fled the city.
Was Rahab not saved by faith when she hung the scarlet
thread out the window of her house? James says she
was. Wasn't that grace?
Yes... Each of these was saved by grace, through
obedient faith. Like wise Paul received grace by the
obedience to the faith.
Romans 1:5, “By whom we have received grace and
apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all
nations, for his name:”
And so the “Gospel" is made known to all nations for the
obedience of faith." Romans 16:26, “But now is made
manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according
to the commandment of the everlasting God, made
known to all nations for the obedience of faith:”
In the New Testament we are told plainly that the grace of
God that bringeth salvation teaches us to deny
ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly and
godly in this present age. Titus 2:11-12.
Grace is not a sin permit. Grace is not a license to sin.
The grace of God allows us to appropriate the salvation
that He offers. This is done by coming into Christ and
accepting His forgiveness and His Spirit. He give His
Spirit unto those who obey Him.
Acts 5:32, “And we are his witnesses of these things; and
so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them
that obey him.”
Baptism is not a work of salvation. It is the means of
laying hold of His offer of getting into Him. A man given
a coat must put it on to enjoy its benefits. Likewise,
we are baptized into Christ.
Also, when we were baptized we dramatized personally
the Gospel. We died with Him. We were buried with Him
and were raised with Him to a new life. When one is
baptized one is playing the role of a dead man!!! See
Romans 6:3-6, 15-18.
How much work does a dead man do? It is not a work
of righteousness or obedience to the Law of Moses that
saves us, nor our faith in baptism.
Our faith is what God did when we were buried with Christ
in baptism.
Read it for yourself.
Colossians 2:12-13, “Buried with him in baptism,
wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of
the operation of God, who hath raised him from the
dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened
(made alive) together with him, having forgiven you
all trespasses;”
Who did the work at your baptism? Was it you or was it
God?
Is it faith in what we have done, or faith in what He has
done that saves us?
God did the work!!! In our baptism, we appropriated the
merits of Jesus’ death by dying with Him, being buried
with Him and letting Him raise us to a new life in Christ.
Glory to God, great things HE HATH DONE