9.      Mistakes That Baptismal Regenerationists Often Make

1) They Confuse real baptism with ritual baptism (water baptism).

They assume that whenever the New Testament speaks of baptism that it means water baptism. However, this is not always the case as discussed above. The following passages refer to REAL BAPTISM (spiritual baptism or Spirit baptism) which happens to a person the moment he is saved. It involves being placed into Christ or into His body:

          Matthew 3:11

          Acts 1:5

          Acts 11:16

          Romans 6:3-5 (notice it doesn’t say, “baptized into water”)

          1 Corinthians 12:13 (notice it doesn’t say, “baptized into water”)

          Galatians 3:27 (notice it doesn’t say, “baptized into water”)

          Ephesians 4:5 (water baptism is a picture of this one real spiritual baptism)

          Colossians 2:12

Water baptism is a symbolic representation of the real baptism that is described in the above verses, but the picture should not be confused with the real thing.

2) They misunderstand the grace of God by teaching that salvation, at least in part, is something that we must do.

“Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent” (John 6:28-29).

If salvation is based (at least in part) on what I do, then my salvation can never be secure because I may do something to lose my salvation. If I am responsible to keep myself saved, then I may fall short, lose my salvation and be lost forever. Thus we are not surprised to discover that people in the “Church of Christ” do not believe in eternal security but believe that a person can do certain things to forfeit salvation. It would be very rare to find someone who believes in baptismal regeneration who also believes in eternal security.

3) They err when it comes to faith because they confuse the root with the fruit.

When those who believe in baptismal regeneration are shown the multitude of verses which condition salvation on faith alone, they usually say something like this: “You need to understand what 'believe' really means. True faith involves obedience. This means that believing in Jesus Christ also includes obedience to the Lord’s command to be baptized. If a person really believes, then he will obey.”

We will not deny that obedience to Christ is the fruit of saving faith, but we need to be very careful not to confuse faith with its fruit. Faith results in many things, but it is terribly wrong to then make these things the requirements of salvation. Faith results in love (Galatians 5:6), but we are not saved by love, but by faith. Faith results in good works (Ephesians 2:8-10), but we are not saved by good works, but by faith. Don’t put the cart before the horse.

10.    Conclusion.

The conclusion to our paper on Lordship salvation (Saved By Grace Alone) is appropriate at this point also:

My obedience to His Word does not save me. CHRIST SAVES ME BY HIS GRACE. My obedience to water baptism does not save me. CHRIST SAVES ME BY HIS GRACE. My commitment to Jesus Christ does not save me. CHRIST SAVES ME BY HIS GRACE. My surrender to His Lordship does not save me. CHRIST SAVES ME BY HIS GRACE. My love for the Saviour does not save me. CHRIST SAVES ME BY HIS GRACE. My ability to fulfill all the demands of discipleship does not save me. CHRIST SAVES ME BY HIS GRACE. My behavior and my conduct do not save me. CHRIST SAVES ME BY HIS GRACE.

God’s saving grace is to be found in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ WHO ALONE CAN SATISFY GOD’S HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS and be to the believing heart God’s “so great salvation”! “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:12; all verbs are in the present tense).

Have you been justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus? Is your hope based upon what you have done or is your hope based upon Jesus’ blood and righteousness? “I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but WHOLLY LEAN ON JESUS’ NAME!” May we be standing fully on Christ the solid Rock, not upon the sinking sand of our own fragile commitment.