Me thinks I can hear one say, "Preacher, have you taken leave of your senses? Don't you know that Jesus is the Savior?" Yes, I know Jesus is my Savior and I also know what my Savior taught about baptism and salvation. It was Jesus who said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. . ." (Mark 16:16). Jesus, the savior, saves those who obey Him: "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him" (Heb. 5:9).

But, dear friend, this is not the reason I said, "baptism saves." I said it because. God said: "The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us. . ." (1 Pet. 3:21). Much of the religious world has changed "now" to "not". If you do not believe baptism is essential to salvation, your argument is not with me, but with God-I merely quoted from His book.

If Jesus saves the obedient, those who are baptized, what is your condition if you have not been baptized? Or if you have been baptized for the wrong reason (thinking you were already saved)?

Truth Magazine XX: 46, p. 731
November 18, 1976