WHAT IF A MAN DIES BEFORE HE BELIEVES?    by steve finnell

What if a person is baptized for the forgiveness of sins as an infant or a small child, however, they then die as an adult before they have a chance to believe in Jesus as the Christ? Will they still be saved? The obvious answer is NO.

John 8:24 "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." (NKJV)

What if an adult believes in Jesus but dies before he is baptized in water for the forgiveness of his sins? Will he still be saved? The obvious answer is No.

Mark 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved...(NKJV)

The adult who was baptized as a child and refuses to believe is in the same situation as the adult who believes but refuses to be baptized for the remission of his sins. They are both rejecting the words of Jesus.

The truth is that under the new covenant there is not one Biblical account of unbelievers being baptized prior to believing in the gospel terms for pardon. No unbeliever was ever baptized by the apostles.

The Biblical fact is that all of those new covenant Christians   believed first and were immersed in water before the Lord added them to His church.

Acts 2:22-47......40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying. "Be saved from this perverse generation." 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand  souls were added to them.......47....And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (NKJV)

Those who received Peter's words were baptized. Infants and small children were not capable of believing Peter's words. 

None of the three thousand were added to their number before they were baptized in water. The Lord added no one to His church before they believed and were immersed in water.