TwoCents | The Truth About Salvation: Separating Fact from Misconception.

I was speaking with a friend and asked him if he was born again. He replied that he didn't feel his salvation was complete yet. I was taken aback and asked him to clarify what he meant. He explained that he didn't feel completely sealed until he was baptized. I asked him what kind of baptism he was referring to, and he said baptism by immersion, meaning water baptism and he then said "even Jesus had to be baptized before he became born again" Oh I was angry in my spirit but kept calm. When I asked him who taught him that, he became defensive and wasn't receptive to my questions. Later that evening, We had a Bible study and I began with emphasizing that Jesus is God Himself. As God, Jesus never needed to be born again. He is the righteous God who came to earth in human form, as stated in John 1:1-14. According to John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This scripture clearly indicates that Jesus is God Himself. Verse 14 further explains, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) These scriptures confirm that Jesus is God Almighty, who doesn't need saving. Instead, He came to save humanity. we then  continued where I asked him to open Acts 19:1-7. ‭‭Acts 19:1-7 NIV‬‬ [1] While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples [2] and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” [3] So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. [4] Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” [5] On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. [6] When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. [7] There were about twelve men in all. Then i began explaining the concept of baptism as described by Apostle Paul. I pointed out that baptism by immersion, or water baptism, was a symbol of repentance, which took place before Christ's death. John the Baptist preached repentance and baptized people with the baptism of repentance, telling them to believe in the one who was to come, Jesus Christ. I emphasized that baptism by immersion does not guarantee salvation, nor does it complete or add to one's salvation. In essence, water baptism is a symbolic act that represents repentance, but it is not a determining factor in one's salvation. Despite my explanation, my friend still seemed unconvinced. So, I opened the Bible to Ephesians 4:30 and shared how the scripture says the Holy Spirit is given to us immediately upon accepting the Gospel of Christ. The moment we believe in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, and accept Him as Lord, we receive the Holy Spirit. As Ephesians says, we are "sealed with the Holy Spirit" from the day of our redemption. To further emphasize this point, I showed my friend 2 Corinthians 1:21-22. This passage also confirms that the Holy Spirit is given to us as a seal of our salvation. In essence, the moment we accept the Gospel, we are baptized with the Holy Spirit, and this serves as our seal of salvation, guaranteeing our assurance of being saved. At this point, my friend was contemplating everything I had shared, weighing whether to accept the truth or not. To drive my points home clearly, I referenced the well-known scripture, John 3:16, which states, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." I emphasized that the requirement for having eternal life and avoiding perishing is simply to believe in the Gospel of Christ. To further reinforce this point, I quoted 2 Corinthians 5:21, which says, "For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God." I explained that through Christ, God treated Him as if He had lived a sinner's life, so He could die and make sinners righteous. The requirement to become righteous in God's eyes is to believe in the Gospel of Christ, not through water baptism. In essence, baptism has no bearing on salvation. In conclusion, there will be times when doubts creep in, and someone's words or circumstances make us feel uncertain. In those moments, it's essential to verify the truth through God's Word, rather than blindly accepting everything. The purpose of our conversation was to emphasize that we don't need water baptism or any other means to be saved, except through Christ. Our focus should be on Christ alone, and it's through Him that we find salvation and assurance. As we wrap up, I want to leave you with a reminder: Christ is the only way to salvation, and it's through Him that we find eternal life. Thank you! – Ayodele Salako

Other insights from Ayodele Salako