FALSE STATEMENTS THAT ARE SOMETIMES MADE

UNION GROVE CHURCH OF CHRIST, CLEVELAND TN.

FALSE STATEMENTS THAT ARE SOMETIMES MADE

ABOUT THE CHURCH OF CHRIST (3)

In our first article in this series we examined the false statement that the church of our Lord was established by Alexander Campbell. Then, in the second article we noted the false idea that the church does not believe in or study the Old Testament.

Another false idea that is sometimes propagated is, "The church of Christ believes in water salvation." A number of years ago when we lived in Pensacola, FL an energetic Baptist preacher had a radio program on a local station. On his program he often referred to faithful gospel preachers as "Campbellite water dogs." He said that the only thing such preachers know is "water, water, water." He was also known to say that if you took all the brains of these "Campbellite preachers" and turned them into dynamite, why it wouldn’t be powerful enough to blow up a mosquito. Being crude and rude did not seem to mean much to this man who made unwarranted charges against the church.

What about it, are we guilty of believing in water salvation? If the Scriptures teach that salvation is by water, then we ought to teach it. If they do not teach salvation by water, then we ought to oppose any concept of water redemption.

Is there any water that saves us? No. Redemption is through the blood of Jesus. "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold . . . But with the precious blood Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:18,19). Again, it is written, "In whom (Jesus, rdc) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" (Ephesians 1:7). The words of a favorite hymn say, "What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." Take the blood of Jesus out of God’s plan to save man and the hope of salvation is gone!

However, we should also focus our thoughts on a second question: When does Jesus’ blood save a person? In every age God has blessed those that believe and obey Him. So it is in the Christian age. A person receives the benefits of Jesus’ blood by faith and obedience to Him.

Jesus shed His blood in His death (John 19:34). How does one "get into" the death of Christ so that the blood might save him/her? Here is the Bible’s answer: by being baptized into it. "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" (Romans 6:3). If one must be baptized in water in order to get into Christ’s death, then water baptism must be essential to man’s salvation.

Jesus said that His blood was "shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:29). Again, we see the connection between our Lord’s blood and "the remission of sins." But note the apostle’s answer to the inquiry, "What shall we do": "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38). The remission of sins is via the blood of Jesus, but God’s word declares that the remission of sins comes at the point of water baptism. Therefore, His blood saves a person when that person is scripturally baptized.

The New Testament further declares that Jesus "washed us from our sins in his own blood" (Revelation 1:5). This passage reaffirms the truth that salvation or the washing away of sins is through Jesus’ blood. But what was it that He told Saul through Ananias? "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16). What does this passage show about water baptism? That it is essential in order to have sins washed away. But isn’t it the blood of Christ that washed away sins, saves, remits sins, or redeems? Absolutely! But, again we ask, when does His blood bring about such? The plain answer of God’s word is: when one is baptized.

Every New Testament passage that mentions both water baptism and salvation (or a spiritual blessing to be received from the Lord) places water baptism before and as a condition of receiving salvation or the God-promised spiritual blessing. There is no exception. Look up and read for yourself these passages – Mark 16:16; Acts 2:39; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3,4; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12,13.

If we claim, as the above passages clearly demonstrate, that baptism in water is a condition of salvation, then does it not follow that we really do believe that the saving power is in the water? Not at all. Think of the Old Testament record of the cleansing of a leper by the name of Naaman. At one point in his life he had leprosy. At a later point in his life "his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean" (2 Kings 5:14).

Question: What stood between Naaman being a leper and his being cleansed of that leprosy? One correct answer is God’s grace or mercy. Without God’s willingness to heal Naaman, his leprosy would not have been removed. Was there also something that Naaman was commanded to do? Yes. God via His prophet Elisha told Naaman to go dip in the Jordan River seven times. When he did so, THAT is when his leprosy was removed. Was it the water of the Jordan that washed away Naaman’s leprosy? Why, no. If the power had been in the water, then every leper in that part of the world could have traveled there to dip in Jordan’s water for cleansing! We know that not every leper of that day was cleansed in the Jordan, because Jesus declared, "And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian" (Luke 4:27).

The truth is, it was not the water that made Naaman whole. Rather, God’s grace cleansed him at the precise moment that Naaman fully obeyed the command of Jehovah. Was it "water salvation?" No. It was salvation by grace (God’s part) coupled with faith and obedience to His word (Naaman’s part).

Let’s come back to the salvation that God today offers to men through Jesus’ blood. Just who put water in God’s scheme or plan to save men from their sins? God did! If God put it in there, then we dare not take it out. But where is the water, you ask? As we have noted in numerous passages above, the water is the water of baptism.

Baptism stands between the sinner and salvation. Jesus said so (Mark 16:16). Water baptism stands between the sinner and the remission of sins. Jesus’ Spirit-filled apostle said so (Acts 2:38). Baptism stands between the sinner and the washing away of his/her sins. Jesus’ special messenger to Saul of Tarsus said so (Acts 22:16).

Those who charge that members of the church of Christ believe that "the water (of baptism) saves" a person are either terribly misinformed or else purposely distort the truth. Let men call us "water dogs" or use other degrading terms in reference to us all they please. The truth of God’s word stands unchanged – Christ’s blood saves a person when that person is baptized into His death, where His blood was shed (Romans 6:3).

-- Roger D. Campbell