Thousands To None!!!
he last recorded words of Jesus after His resurrection from the dead just before He ascended back into Heaven are found in Mark 16:15-16…
15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:15-16)
Those words are what the entire Christian era is built on. Gospel obedient baptism is where the Christian life begins, is preserved and built. It is also the beginning, preserving, and the expansion of the Bible church.
Nowhere from Acts to Revelation were those words of Jesus changed or removed, nowhere.
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, (Corinthians 15:1-4)
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. (Acts 2:41)
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:47)
3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.(Romans 6:3-7)
Again, nowhere from Acts to Revelation were those words of Jesus changed or removed, nowhere, not once.
Every one of the conversion examples after Jesus set Mark 16:15-16 in effect began with the gospel message and conformed to Jesus’ words.
The Biblical record records “three thousand,” “five thousand,” “many,“ examples of salvation, as well as a number of specific detailed salvation examples mirroring Mark 16:15-16 and involving immediate obedient baptism.
Such as Lydia, Saul, the Ethiopian, Simon the sorcerer, the Philippian jailer, and Cornelius.
There are those who say Mark 16:15-16 doesn’t mean what it says and they quote one or two passages or use human reasoning to support their claim such as…
And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’ (Acts 2:21)
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
According to Paul, “calling on the name of the Lord” includes baptism for the remission of sins, Acts 2:38.
16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’ (Acts 22:16)
Many claim that salvation comes about by simply praying and asking Jesus to forgive your sins and making Him the Lord of your life. Not one of the salvation examples after Jesus’ return to Heaven occurred by saying any prayer.
It is claimed by many that baptism is merely an outward sign of an inward change. That application is not found anywhere. If that were so, you would have to be regularly baptized to demonstrate your inward change to others.
9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. (II John 1:9)
The passage above tells us how we can easily determine whether or not a religious body meets the standard of Biblical truth.
Mark 16:15-16 is a core “doctrine of Christ.” Everything from Acts to Eternity springs from that passage. Anyone who goes against the doctrine, the teaching, of Christ Jesus does not have God.
If you have not been baptized by immersion in water in gospel obedience for the remission of sins according to Mark 16:15-16, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, others, you are not saved.
Anyone who tells you otherwise falls under II John 9 and is transgressing the doctrine of Christ, and does not have God or Christ.
Baptism is where one is born again. Romans 6:4, John 3:3 & John 3:5
There are thousands of salvation examples in the New Testament after Jesus’ “Great Commission” of Mark 16:15-16.
There is not one example where anyone was saved by reciting a simple prayer, inviting Jesus into one’s heart, or making Him Lord of one’s life.
“What about the thief on the cross?” many offer. “He was saved outside of Mark 16:15-16, he wasn’t baptized!”
The thief and Jesus both lived and died under the Law of Moses and Jesus, being God on earth, had the power to forgive sins in any manner He wished and often did.
It is far more likely the thief was baptized than he wasn’t.
Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. (Mark 1:5)
And he knew Jesus was going to come into a kingdom after His crucification.
41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” 43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:41-43)
After Jesus rose from the dead, He set the salvation standard.
Don’t let anyone tell you what the Bible says about your salvation,
Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, (Acts 17:30)
Again…
If you have not been baptized by immersion in water in gospel obedience for the remission of sins according to Mark 16:15-16, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, others, you are not saved.
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; (2nd Peter 1:10)
Marv Walker – 706 816-7190, any time.