Question:  Dear Greg,

            I have recently come to believe in the Lord Jesus stronger than ever.  I have read most of the Bible and some good quality Christian books and magazines over the past two years and have no doubts.

            I am very concerned that I could die before I get a chance to be baptized.  I’ve read many places in scripture that basically say “if you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that he died to pay for your sins, then you too are saved.”  Nowhere have I seen that you must believe and be baptized.  While I think I do want to be baptized, if I were to die before I get to be, does that mean my belief came too late?

            Mike

Answer:  Dear Mike,

            The logical progression of your thought is biblical.  Salvation is a personal matter between God and each one of us.  No formal or informal act, rite or ritual saves us.  We, of course, do come to repentance, we ask God for forgiveness and we accept Jesus Christ and commit our lives to him.  We can do that ourselves or we can do that in the company of others.  In any case, subsequent to our acceptance of Jesus Christ and our trust in God’s love for us, God saves us.

            Baptism is commanded of Christians, but for believer’s baptism (adult baptism) in the vast majority of cases it is an action that is taken by an individual AFTER the individual accepts Christ and is saved.  The idea that we might die before we get baptized or do some other religious ritual or deed and that therefore we will be lost forever is manipulative and smacks of man-made religious ideas more than it does of authentic Christianity.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht