IF you were saved before baptism...

Here are a dozen Bible proofs that it is impossible for you to be saved before your obedience to Christ's command to be immersed in water. Quotes in this study are from the NIV.

• You were saved before your sins were forgiven.

"Peter replied: Repent and be baptized everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." --Acts 2:38

• You were saved before your sins were washed away.

"And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on His name." --Acts 22:16

• You were saved before you were born again.

"Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'" --John 3:5

• You were saved before you were joined with Christ.

"...for all of you who were united with Christ in baptism have been clothed with Christ." --Galatians 3:27

• You were saved before you were saved.

"and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also..." --1 Peter 3:21

• You were saved before the time the Lord promised He would save.

"Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." --Mark 16:16

• You were saved before you were freed from your sin by obedience to God.

"But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." --Romans 6:17-18

• You were saved before you entered into Christ and without His blood.

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." --Ephesians 1:7

• You were saved before your soul was purified.

"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth..." --1 Peter 1:22a

• You were saved before you received the Holy Spirit, and without belonging to Christ.

"We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him." --Acts 5:32 "And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." --Romans 8:9b

• You were saved before your faith had any value, before it expressed itself in love.

"...the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." --Galatians 5:6

• You were saved before obedience which Jesus required for all who receive eternal salvation.

"Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered, and once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him." --Hebrews 5:8-9

(C) 1987 Star Bible, Ft. Worth, Texas 76118 By Alvin Jennings