Baptism is the first confession of new faith in Jesus Christ. It is an act, not just a word.

 

We are not saved by being baptized. We are saved by faith in Christ.

However, we cannot demonstrate we have been saved unless we are baptized.

This is because of what faith is and what it saves us from.

 

We are saved by faith from disobedience and death. As disobedience is inherent to death, obedience is inherent to eternal life. Because this is so, faith which saves us to eternal life is inherently obedient, is unto obedience, produces obedience. Faith by its nature demonstrates a changed nature. It bears fruit and produces works. Baptism, as the first divine command upon one’s confession of faith, is given to prove the validity and substance of faith to the believer himself before witnesses.

 

Can one be saved without being baptized? Yes, because salvation is by faith, not by works. (Equally so, one can be baptized without being saved; because baptism in and of itself is just a work, and works cannot save).

 

But one cannot be assured of the validity of his own faith nor grow in it until he demonstrates its obedience under the first command, which is to be baptized. The question simply is, if one has been saved by faith, and faith by nature is obedient and unto obedience, why would one who now professes faith in salvation from sin not want to obey the first command by which he may demonstrate and gain his own first assurance of salvation?

 

Thus, baptism serves to give assurance and prove validity to one’s own heart that the faith he possesses is a saving faith, not merely an assenting faith. Baptism does not work that difference. Works do not save. But baptism works the assurance of that difference. Assurance is the key work of baptism, as witnessed by II Peter 3. Until we are baptized, we cannot utter that “answer of a good conscience.”

 

Baptism is only the first (initiating) work of assurance. It cannot provide ongoing assurance. The continuing works of assurance are the fruit of the Spirit, the works of faith, hope and love in obedience to the Spirit, including those works of discipleship as directed and led by the Holy Spirit. These are the works by which Christ Himself proves (“judges”) the reality and validity of our faith in Him. “Faith without works is dead.” This does not mean works give life to faith. It means works prove that faith is living (obedient) and saving (from disobedience), rather than merely assenting, that is to say, in word only but without power (life), hence dead. Assenting faith is dead faith, bearing no fruit or evil fruit.