Question:  Dear Greg,

            I want to know if I must be baptized to go to heaven.  Is just accepting Christ in my life enough?

            Lori

 

Answer:  Dear Lori,

            There is nothing that you must do in order to go to heaven other than the one prerequisite of accepting the grace that God offers, the Savior who alone can save you and the Lord who alone is worthy of your worship.  No other act is “required”.

            However, the Bible does direct those whom God saves to be baptized, not as a ticket into heaven, but as an act on the part of an individual to signify what God has done and their acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Those who have been saved will gladly direct their lives, yielding to Jesus who will live his life within them, so that the works of God will be made manifest in their lives (see Ephesians 2:8-10).

            The specific manner, type or mode of baptism, age at which it is administered, amount of water that is used, the church or pastor or priest who conducts the ceremony is not, according to the Bible, relevant to our salvation.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht