Think about these Scriptures. In Matthew 28:18-20,
Jesus said, "All authority is given to Me in heaven and in earth. Go therefore and
make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, the Son and
of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you and lo I am
with you always, even to the end of the world." Notice the fact Jesus wanted His
disciples to make disciples. The means of doing so was to baptize them into the name of
the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Then those baptized disciples were to be taught to
observe all He commanded.
In Mark 16:15,16 Jesus said, "Go into all the
world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be
saved. He who does not believe will be condemned." Baptism is an action of faith. We
are saved by faith. But He makes the point at which we receive salvation after our faith
leads us to be baptized.
In Acts 2:38 the people had heard Peter preach the
gospel and been cut to their heart. They cried out, "Men and brethren what shall we
do? Peter answered, 'Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ, for remission of sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Notice the tying together of repentance and baptism. Both were done in the name of Jesus
Christ, for the remission of sins. The "for remission of sins" goes in the same
direction for both repentance and baptism. If you must repent before having remission of
sins, you must also be baptized before having remission of sins. If baptism comes after
remission as a sign, then so must repentance.
Acts 22:16 Ananias said to Saul, "And now, why
to you wait, arise and be baptized and wash away your sins calling on the name of the
Lord?"
According to Romans 6:3-5; Galatians 3:26,27 and
Colossians 2:12 we are baptized we are buried with Christ into His death and raised with
Him to live a new life. We are baptized into Christ. IF one can be saved before baptism,
they would be saved outside Christ. Yet Ephesians 1:3 says "All spiritual blessings
are in Christ". 2 Timothy 2:12 says "Salvation is in Christ".
I Peter 3:21 Peter tells how eight souls were saved
by water in the flood and declares that to be the "Like figure whereunto baptism also
saves us, not the removal of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience
toward God." The eight souls were saved by water by being lifted up from the earth
being destroyed because of sin and carried to a new world washed clean by the flood.
Baptism saves us in the same way. It isn't about cleaning the body. It is what the Lord
does with His blood on the inside when we out of faith and repentance obey Him in baptism.
As far as what would happen if someone was intended
to be baptized and died on the way, I don't know. Only the Lord can make such
judgements.
But we must strive to do what the Lord wants from us at all times.
Leon Barnes