Since my giant “discovery” of the Gospel this past year, I have been thinking a lot about salvation, and my logic is coming up short and creating a huge hole in the picture of God’s gift of salvation.  My thought process is fallen, and I know that just because it doesn’t make sense in my brain, that doesn’t mean it’s not the truth.  I tend to warp things in my head, and I wanted another perspective on this.

Problem: There are two scenarios for the creation of the human race.

1. God created us as imperfect and purposely inserted the flaw into our nature that allowed and allows us to choose sin.  This doesn’t seem like the correct scenario because there is no glory in “stacking the deck.”  There is no glory in fixing a problem that you created, and more over, the fact that He created the original problem would put us in a position of deserving to be fixed and deserving His salvation. This directly affects the Gospel.  It calls into question our responsibility for our actions.  For if we are not the cause of our sin, then we do in fact deserve God’s salvation, and it is terribly unjust for Him to deny salvation to so many.  This option directly contradicts everything I have learned about the character of God and unless my logic is unsound, can be ruled out.    (Although in Exodus, God clearly hardens Pharaohs heart and then punishes him.  This, to me, doesn’t fit into the ‘just’ characteristic…)
2. If we rule out the first scenario, that leaves the option that God did create us as perfect.  But how can perfection degenerate by itself?  Shouldn’t the definition of perfection include sustainability?  Even if we had the free will to choose, how could a perfect nature fail, give in to temptation, and choose to sin against God?

Sincerely,
Perfecting Perfect

Dear Perfecting Perfect,

‘Perfect’ means ‘complete’ or ‘having all the desirable and required elements’.  Perfect doesn’t mean that something can’t be broken or fail.  A car engine can be in perfect condition, and yet, if you don’t put oil in it – it will break.  A house can be perfectly constructed and still be destroyed by an earthquake.  When God made Adam and Eve, He made them without defect (Gen 1:31).  They were made exactly as He intended them – in His image (Gen 1:26).  Adam and Eve were designed with eternal souls and the ability to choose their own destiny.  They were perfectly designed with the free will to choose to love God or to choose to rebel against Him.  In fact, if mankind were designed so that it would be impossible for them to sin – they wouldn’t have free will.  God has given us the great gift of choice, and it is up to us what we do with it (Deu 30:19).

On a separate note, let’s address the issue of the Pharaoh’s heart being hardened.  It is true that Ex 4:21 says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, but Ex 8:15 says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart.  Both are true.  God hardened Pharaoh’s heart by sending Moses to take his slaves away, and Pharaoh chose to allow the plagues to anger and harden his heart instead of soften it.  God sent the events that affected Pharaoh’s heart, and Pharaoh chose how he would react to them.  Once again, we see God giving man the freedom to choose his own destiny.

My question is: when a pregnant woman gets baptized in water, how does that baptism affect the unborn fetus "spiritually"… considering that the Bible states that the soul is created upon conception, not birth?  So technically, is the unborn baby getting baptized also?

Sincerely,
Wet Womb

Dear Wet Womb,

The baptism wouldn’t affect the child at all.  Baptism doesn’t mean anything unless the person is believing (Mk 16:16) and repentant (Acts 2:38).  Since it is impossible for an infant to believe or repent… the child would not be affected by the baptism in a spiritual way.  On top of that, a child doesn’t need to be saved – which is the purpose of baptism (1 Pet 3:21).  Feel free to read “What About The Children?” for further details on the spiritual condition of children.

What are the keys to the kingdom?

Sincerely,
Locked In Confusion

Dear Locked In Confusion,

The keys to the kingdom are the teachings that provide access to salvation (which is only found in the church).  In Matt 16:13-15, Jesus asked His disciples who He was.  Peter told Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:16-17).  After that statement, Jesus tells Peter that His church (which is the kingdom – Col 1:13) will be built upon the foundational rock of Peter’s statement that Jesus was the Christ (Matt 16:18).

After that statement, Jesus tells the apostles that they will be given the keys to the kingdom/church (Matt 16:19).  Keys provide access.  If you have the keys to a house – you can get in.  Keys to the car – you can drive it.  Keys to the kingdom – you know how to get into the church.  Jesus told the apostles that they would receive that key knowledge when the Holy Spirit came (Jhn 14:26).  The Holy Spirit gave the miraculous knowledge to the apostles on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).  Consequently, the apostles have written down this knowledge for us to read (Eph 3:4)… so that we can have the keys to the kingdom, too.

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

My husband is going to be baptized soon, and a relative told him to not let them baptize him in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  We have both always heard that that’s the right way to baptize.  What do you think about it?

Sincerely,
Water Works

Dear Water Works,

That is exactly how you should be baptized.  ‘In the name of’ means ‘by the authority of’.  When someone is baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – they are being immersed in water by God's authority… as opposed to man's authority.  Acts 2:38 states that baptism forgives your sins, and 1 Pet 3:21 makes it clear that baptism by God's authority saves your soul.  When Jesus spoke to His apostles, He told them to make disciples and baptize those disciples in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19).