Is Your Baptism On The Right Side Of Your Salvation?

This is a question asked by preachers who teach that one is saved before and without baptism. It confuses people and even the one raising it may be confused. Are we talking about right as opposed to left, or right as opposed to wrong? Notice (if we’re talking about left and right):

LEFT                  RIGHT

Saved?               Baptized?

One might say, “Yes, I was saved first and then was baptized. So my baptism was on the right side (as opposed to left) of my salvation.”

But the answer changes when we’re talking about right as opposed to wrong. In logic, this is known as the fallacy of shifting terms, a fallacy of ambiguity. For example, “A feather is light. Light is the opposite of dark. Therefore, a feather cannot be dark.”

The fallacy of shifting terms occurs when a term such as “light” is used in an argument but with two different meanings. While no one would be confused by this example, the fallacy is not so easily detected when the argument is more involved and the definitions are more finely shaded.

A fallacy is defined as: “a misleading and deceptive course of reasoning.” It conveys the impression of being sound when it isn’t. It is different from an error which applies to the results, but a fallacy applies to the method of reasoning. Thus, the illustration “A feather is light…”

The same fallacy is happening on baptism. When one says “Make sure your baptism is on the right side of your salvation, “the confusion results from the fact that “Right” has more than one meaning. Are we talking about “Right versus Left,” or “Right versus Wrong?” So instead of causing confusion, why not use the terms “correct” and “Incorrect?” What does the Bible say in Mark 16:16?

“He that believes and is baptized she be saved…”

If we’re going to use right versus left, t hen if your baptism is correct it will be on the left side of salvation. Salvation will be on the right side of your baptism. In Mark 16:16, who is the “he” that shall be saved? Is it “He that believes and is saved shall be baptized?” Or is it “He that believes and is baptized all be saved?” Man does not have the right to subtract anything God’s word says on the subject of salvation.

This is the case on all scriptures that mention baptism and salvation (remission of sins, etc.) together. Notice two more in Acts 2:38, 22:16, and I Peter 3:20-21.

“…be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…”

“Arise and be baptized and wash away they sins…”

“…the like figure whereunto baptism does also now save us…”

In each case baptism comes before being saved, remission of sins, washing away of sins.

Whenever baptism and salvation are mentioned together, baptism will always, Always, ALWAYS come before salvation.

If Jesus had to do something so we would believe him, why should we be surprised that when we believe him, he says we have to do something? That “something” originated withe God, not man. Jesus put his trust in the Father when he obeys the Father. We put our trust in Jesus when we obey Jesus.

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