Recently at the Goodwill store, we met one of Jesus sheep and she got saved. Her name is Ashley, and she wants to get baptized. We told her OK, and that we would baptize her. Is baptism really necessary? If you really think it is necssary then do it.. However the Bible says, “Though Jesus himself baptized not,but his disciples” (John 4:2). Baptism was a strong tradition back in Jesus day. Everyone who wanted to turn to God got baptized. Baptism came from purification rites from the Old Testament, and were carried  over by the early church, and even the church today. John baptized many people, even Jesus, fulfilling a great prophecy in Daniel Chapter 9 when Jesus was anointed by God to begin his public ministry. The Messiah means “The Anointed One”You would think that Jesus himself would have baptized people if it was so important. The water doesn’t save you, only the Blood of Jesus saves us. There are many verses that tell us that all we need to be saved is to believe in and receive Jesus, The word believe comes from a Greek word which means “to take in”. So you have to take Jesus into your heart. If at that same moment you get baptized, you take Jesus into your heart, then you would be saved, or by the very fact that you are showing everyone who sees you getting baptized that you are a believer, then that would save you. The fact is baptism is not necessary to be saved. It is an outward show of an inward spiritual change, it is a testimony of your faith to others. It can also be a personal experience between you and the Lord. “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”(I Peter 3:18- 21). Some churches get a little carried away and teach that if you don’t get baptized then you can’t be saved. What if you were lost in the desert and there was no water any where? Also they teach if you aren’t totally immersed under water you can’t be saved. What if one of your hairs was floating on the water? So go ahead and get Baptized if you want to, but know this, that only faith in Jesus’s blood and believing  that he died on the cross for your sins, and rose from the dead will save you. “that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”(Romans 10:9,10).” Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all ?  Why are they baptized for the dead?” (1 Corinthians 15:29) .The Bible talks about being Baptized for the  dead. This is a common practice today of the Mormons. However Paul did not confirm this practice of  some in the early church. He simply mentioned it referring to the Resurrection. But the point is that there is hope for People who have died and were not saved. This is contrary to Baptist doctrine which teaches that once people die and are not saved they are doomed to Hell forever. Why did Jesus go and preach in hell to the spirits in prison if they couldn’t have a chance to get out and accept him as their Savior? (1 Peter 3:19). Jesus said, “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so also shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” ( Matthew 12:40) Jesus also said “Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”(Matthew 16:19). He gave this power and authority not only to Peter, but to all of his disciples which is good for his disciples today.The rock was not Peter, but what Peter said about Jesus being the Christ, the Son of the Living God.“Jesus Christ the same yesterday,today, and forever.”(Hebrews 13:8) So be sure and use this power by praying for even dead people who were not saved, or if you aren’t sure if they were saved or not .“The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.” (II Peter 3:9) . I don’t believe that our kind and loving Heavenly Father will be happy and satisfied until all of his creation is restored as he wanted it. The Lord lead me to go to a whole Japanese Cemetery and pray over their graves for deliverance and their Salvation. I didn’t need to get baptized for the dead Japanese peoples spirits. A prayer was good enough.They still have to make the choice themselves to receive Jesus as their Savor. The Lord might send you someday on a mission into hell to witness to the spirits in prison. Will you be willing? If Baptism was necessary for Salvation, then all babies who die and were not baptized would go to hell. And what about the thief on the cross next to Jesus whom Jesus told “this day you will be with me in paradise” They didn’t take him off the cross and baptize him and put him back up on the cross. People that say Baptism  was necessary for Salvation also say there can be no exceptions because if there were exceptions then it  wouldn’t be necessary. If someone says Baptism is necessary they are teaching a false doctrine, because they are teaching that a work must be performed to obtain Salvation, when the Bible clearly teaches that  Salvation is a free gift of God. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8,9).Therefore water Baptism is not necessary for Salvation. I have Baptized people before who thought it was necessary for their Salvation. Because I didn’t want them to stumble. Remember people can be saved at the time they get baptized. If that is what it takes to get people saved then use it. Don’t loose a soul over arguing about Baptism.

Say this prayer to be saved: Jesus, I want to know you, and to live forever in Heaven, I know I have made mistakes and done bad things- and I am sorry. Please forgive me. I know I don’t deserve it, but I accept your love and I accept you as my Saviour. I believe you died on the cross for my sins ,and rose from the dead. Please come into my heart and life and fill me with your Holy Spirit and give me peace. Amen.