IS AN UNTIMELY DEATH AN INOCULATION AGAINST OBEYING THE GOSPEL? by steve finnell

Some say that immersion in water, [that being baptism], is not essential for salvation. The reasoning is because if a believer should die before he has time to be baptized God would forgive him anyway. Their logic being a loving God would not condemn a person because of an untimely death.

Jesus gave us the gospel terms of pardon. Mark 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved....(NKJV)

If a person can be saved because they died before they were baptized, then, why could they not be saved before they believed that Jesus is the Christ?

If a person heard the gospel, but died minutes before they believed that Jesus is the Christ,  would they be saved? Of course not.

If a person hears the gospel and does not believe nor is not baptized, is it because he died an untimely death or simply because he rejected the gospel terms for pardon.

God has the power to insure that believers have time to be baptized.

In Biblical examples men were baptized the same day they believed. No one died before they had a chance to be baptized. Acts 2:37-41....41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.(NKJV) Acts 8:26-38.....So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. (NKJV) Act 16:25-33.....And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.(NKJV)

[NOTE: There is no Scripture where Jesus says. "Baptism will not save you." There is Scripture where Jesus says "Is baptized will be saved."(Mark 16:16)