Reaching Back Over Forty Years to 1982: An Article on Baptism.
I think this is my first published article on baptism. It appeared in Basil Overton’s World Evangelist (December 1982). Teaching and writing over the next forty-two years has adjusted the language (hopefully improved the writing as well) but the substance remains with some nuancing.
John Mark Hicks, “Baptism: Salvation by Works?” World Evangelist (December 1982).
Many find the idea that baptism is necessary for salvation repulsive. They argue that salvation is given through faith and not because we are baptized, and they say salvation is by faith without works. Baptism, in their conception, is a “work.” Therefore, baptism can never be necessary for salvation. Now it must be admitted that there is a certain logic in this deduction. Paul did say that we are saved by grace through faith, “not by works.” (Ephesians 2:8, 9.) To complicate the confusion many members of the churches of Christ have used the ambiguous term “work” in reference to baptism (even though the Bible does not). The conclusion, therefore, seems to be conclusive.
However, this kind of thinking is the result of a great deal of confusion. It must be admitted that there is a certain ambiguity in the term “work.” How are we to define a “work”? if we mean by “work” that which is a human action, then certainly baptism, in this limited sense, can be called a “work.” The believer submits himself to baptism—it involves an act of the will on the part of the believer. But according to this definition, faith is also a “work” since we decide to trust and submit ourselves to the Lord.
Faith is a human act of response to grace. Paul commanded the Philippian jailor to believe. (Acts 16:31.) Therefore, by this definition, faith is as much a “work” as baptism. Yet, faith is regarded by all as the necessary means of salvation.
Scripture, in any case, never calls faith or baptism a “work” of man. John 6:29 calls faith the work of God and Colossians 2:12 states that is the working of God which makes baptism effectual. On the contrary, Scripture usually uses the term “work” in a negative sense. Salvation by works refers to the earning of merit. (Romans 4:4, 5.) For instance, if I sign a contract to build a $100,000 house, and I fulfill the terms of that contract, then my employer owes me my wages. He is obligated by the rigors of justice to pay me my earned wages. It is in this sense which Paul excludes “works” from salvation. Nothing we do will earn our salvation.
If by my works I earned salvation, then God would be obligated by the rigors of justice to grant me heavenly glory. If we could do that then we would have something to boast about. But no one has fulfilled his contract with God perfectly. Therefore, God is obligated to none. The way of salvation is one of faith, not works. (Romans 3:28.)
Faith receives God’s grace without earning it. The joy of the gospel is that God grants us heavenly glory even though we have not kept our contract perfectly. That is salvation by grace, and we receive it through faith. But what is the role of baptism here? Is baptism a work of faith or is it is awork that seeks to earn salvation? This question can only be answered by letting the Bible speak. In what context does Scripture speak of baptism?
First, it must be argued that Scripture does not consider baptism a work of merit. This is clear from Titus 3:4, 5: “But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
Paul is quite explicit that we are saved by grace and not by righteous deeds. Salvation is a gift; it is not earned! But note the means by which grace saves us: “by the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” This washing evidently refers to baptism. (cf. Ephesians 5:26; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 10:22.) As Jesus puts it, we enter the Kingdom by being born of water and the Spirit. (John 3:5.) Paul puts baptism on the side of grace, not on the side of works which earn salvation. For Paul, baptism was a means of grace. It would, therefore, be incorrect to call baptism a “work” in the sense that Paul uses the term in Romans.
Second, it must be argued that Scripture considers the effect of baptism the work of God, not the work of men. This is clear from Colossians 2:12: “In baptism you were buried with him and raised with him through your faith by the working of God who raised him from the dead.” Who is actually doing the “work” in baptism? It is God who is working to produce the effect. In the context of Colossians 2:12 that effect is the forgiveness of sins and the circumcision of the heart. (Compare 2:11, 13.) God attaches a promise of grace to baptism which is given when one submits to baptism. Baptism does not obligate God to anything except as he has promised of his own free grace to give salvation in this way.
Third, it must be emphasized that baptism is an act of faith. This is clear from the relation of Galatians 3:26 to verse 27 of that same chapter: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus for all of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ.” We are children of God by faith! Salvation is by grace through faith. But by the terms he uses here, Paul makes it clear that baptism is an integral part of his concept of faith. Faith saves—it is true, but Paul gives the reason why faith saves in verse 27. Those two verses are connected by the little word “for” or gar in the Greek. The word indicates the reason behind something. Faith saves because in baptism we are united with Christ. Baptism is the means of faith’s expression and baptism is the means of our union with Christ. We are not saved because of the water in baptism, but because faith is made effectual through our union with Christ in baptism.
We may summarize the point in this way: we are not saved by works (that is, we do not earn our salvation), but we are saved by a faith that works. (Galatians 5:6.) This is illustrated by Abraham. The faith that saved Abraham was not a faith without works, but a faith that lived through working. (James 2:21-26.) James 2:22 states that Abraham’s faith—that faith which is imputed for righteousness—“was made complete by his works.” Acts of faith give life to faith. It is in this sense that baptism gives life to faith which it eh means by which we are justified before God.
It is unfortunate that many have misunderstood the Biblical idea of baptism. They have imposed a system of works-righteousness upon baptism itself. But this is wholly foreign to Scripture. Baptism does not earn one’s salvation and therefore cannot be called a “work” in the Pauline sense of the term. It is an act of faith through which God works his grace. Perhaps we members of the churches of Christ are partly to blame since we often leave the impression that baptism is a work of righteousness which obligates God to us. Baptism is not a substitute for perfect obedience. Just the opposite, it is that initial act of faith by which we are clothed with Christ. Our union with Christ results in our justification since when God looks upon us he sees Christ with whom we are one. Therefore, we are declared righteous. This is salvation by grace through faith, that is, through having faith that works.