©2002 Charles Darby
Mark 16:15-16 And he said unto them, Go ye into the entire world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
The Gospel is for every creature to hear. Not some, not a nation, not a denomination, not a color, not a race, those we like, etc. Every person has the right to hear the gospel at least once. All should have the opportunity to be saved. No amount of “living right” good deeds will get a person to heaven apart from Jesus Christ. He is the only way to get to God the Father. Our job is to preach the Gospel. God is the one who gives the increase.
To be saved all must believe on Jesus Christ. No one can be saved if they don't believe. The gospel is about Jesus Christ. Those who hear and don't believe and repent will spend eternity in a lake of fire along with the devil and his angels. It's not God's will that any should do this. The choice belongs to those who hear.
Now that we believe what next?
Mat 3:7-8 But
when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he
said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from
the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
Mat 3:11 I indeed
baptize you with water unto repentance:
Rom 6:1-6 What
shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God
forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know
ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized
into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:
that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father,
even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted
together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness
of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him,
that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not
serve sin.
This is speaking of being baptized in water. A baptism of repentance. Repent means to do an about face and walk in a different direction. Turning from sin to righteousness in Jesus Christ. John said bring me fruits that show you have repented. What are the fruits of repentance? (Notice “fruits” not “fruit.” Many changes will occur.) The total is that you want to bury all that you were to become all that He is.
This is a demonstration of faith in action. When I really understood what baptism in water meant I was baptized again because the first time I didn't know what it was all about. Baptism is fully identifying with Jesus Christ. His suffering, His stripes, His crucifixion, His death, His burial and His resurrection. We are making a vow to God that we want to put off, bury, the old man and be resurrected with our Lord to live as a new creation in Him. Now the scripture that says “As He is so are we in this present world” can be a reality in our life. We are one with Him. Now in Him we live and move and have our very being. Now He is Lord of our life. We are not of those who hear but don't become a doer of The Word. We love The Word. The Word has become the lamp to our feet and the light to our path.
Water baptism is an outward manifestation of something that has already taken place in our heart. If it hasn't taken place in our heart we will go down a dry sinner and come up a wet sinner. He does the inward and we do the outward, in response to what He has done. I believe everyone who has the opportunity should be baptized in water. Some may not have the opportunity but all who hear can believe and can be changed in the inner man.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
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