Topic(s):  Baptism, Salvation

Todd Clippard

I was unsure how to answer this question because I am not familiar with the terminology "inward and spiritual grace." However, having given it some thought, I decided to answer the question as if it read, "What happens when one is baptized?" With this in mind, the Bible affirms the following truths about what takes place when one is immersed based upon the teaching of the gospel of Christ:

1) Salvation becomes a reality . . .

Mark 16:15-16 says, ""Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." In this verse, Jesus joins faith in the gospel message and baptism to salvation. The two verbs are joined by the conjunction "and" which places equal value on each action as necessary to receive salvation.

1 Peter 3:21 reads, "The like figure whereunto even baptism doth now also save us" (KJV) The NASB reads, "Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you -not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience - through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."

2) Remission of sins is received . . .

"Repent, and every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Peter, preaching the first gospel sermon in Acts 2:38). In this verse, repentance and baptism are joined to the reception of remission of sins and the reception of the Holy Spirit.

Some argue the phrase "for the remission of sins" means "because of the remission of sins", and is akin to saying one is sent to jail for (because of) murder, not in order to commit murder. This line of argumentation denies the thrust of the word "for" in the verse. It is the Greek word eis. This word occurs over 1700 times in the New Testament, and always looks forward in its view, never backward (not even in Matthew 12:41).

Additionally, this argument overlooks the statement regarding Barabbas in Luke 23:19 which says Barabbas was imprisoned “for sedition . . . and for murder.” The word “for” in this text is not eis, but dia. In Matthew 27:18 and Mark 15:10, the Bible says the Jews delivered Jesus to Pilate “for (because of) envy.” Dia is the causal preposition found in these verses.

In instituting the Lord's Supper in Matthew 26:28, Jesus, spoke of the fruit of the vine as "my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." The Greek construction of the phrase, "for the remission of sin" in this passage is the same as that in Acts 2:38. Question: Did Jesus shed His blood in order to bring about the remission of sins, or did He shed His blood because our sins were already forgiven?

The same phrase also appears in Mark 1:4, where Mark writes of John the Baptizer who "did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." Applying the "because of" argument in this text would place the remission of sins prior to repentance. How could such be possible?

3) Sins are washed away . . .

Saul of Tarsus was told in Acts 22:16 to "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord"? This verse not only shows the washing away of sins takes place in baptism, but also explains how one "calls on the name of the Lord" in order to be saved (cf Acts 2:21; Rom 10:13).

4) The blood of Jesus is contacted . . .

Revelation 1:5 - "unto Him (Jesus) who loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood. If my sins are remitted, forgiven, or washed away, they are so removed by the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus (cf 1 John 1:7). Thus, God joins the blood of Jesus to immersion in water for the remission of sins.

5) We are justified by the grace of God . . .

Titus 3:5-7 -- "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (NKJV).

"The washing of regeneration" is literally "the washing of new birth." In John 3:3, a man must be born again (anew) to enter the kingdom of God. John 3:5 says this new birth is a birth of water and Spirit. 1 Peter 1:22-23 says we are born again when we obey the truth. So, it is through obedience to the truth (which includes, but is not limited to baptism) that we are born again, receive remission of sins, washed in the blood of Jesus, saved by God's mercy and justified by His grace.