“Am I Saved Yet?”

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

I consider myself a Christian because I believe the Bible, and I believe that God sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins.  In John 3:16, it says, “For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” Since I believe in this, doesn’t this mean that I will go to heaven?  I ask this because I have not been baptized, and since I believe all this, does not being baptized affect me from getting into heaven even though I believe Jesus is God’s Son?

Sincerely,
Bone Dry

Dear Bone Dry,

Jhn 3:16 is a spectacular verse, but it is important to look at all the verses regarding salvation in order to understand what God says on the subject.  Ps 119:160 says that the "sum of God's Word is truth".  No one verse is more, or less, valuable than any other.

We must believe in God to be saved, but belief is not enough on its own.  Jas 2:19 states that the demons believe in God, but that isn't enough to save them.  We must confess Christ as Savior to be saved (Matt 10:32-33).  We must also repent of our sins to be saved (Acts 3:19).  'Repent' means 'change your mind'; we must change the way we think and act in the future, submitting our lives to God.  We must also be baptized to be saved (Acts 2:38, Mk 16:16, 1 Pet 3:21).  'Baptize' means 'immerse'; it is a burial in water that washes away our sins and gives us a new life in Christ (Rom 6:4).  After that, you must become part of a local congregation that is faithful to God and teaches His Word (Heb 10:24-25)

Yes, you must be baptized to become a Christian and go to heaven.  If you are looking for a congregation in your area that will teach you more on this subject and help you to become a Christian, we would be happy to assist you in finding one.  Simply e-mail us here at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org

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