Malankara World

What Shall I Do To Be Saved?

By Rev. Dr. Curian Kaniyamparambil

Question 36. Will not belief in Jesus Christ alone suffice for salvation?

No, that alone will not suffice.

In John 3:3, 5 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God... I say to you unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God." And in Mat 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

In Acts 2:37, 38 people of Israel asked Peter ".. Men and brethren what shall we do (to be saved)" Then Peter said to them, "Repent and let everyone of you be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of Holy Spirit."

In Gala 3:26, 27 "For you all are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ, have put on Christ."

In Acts 22:16, "Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins."

In Titus 3:5 "not because of our righteous deeds we have done, but because of His mercy has saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."

From these verses we can assert that through baptism:

  1. We receive the first and only way to the Kingdom of God
  2. We receive remission of sins
  3. We receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit
  4. We will be with Jesus Christ
  5. We would be eligible for eternal life
  6. We would be born again

Since baptism washes away sins, it is called 'the bath of rebirth'. Since it calls you out of darkness into His wonderful light, it is called light (1 Peter 2). Since baptism makes one new born, it is also called rebirth. Man, who is related to the material world by birth becomes related to Heaven by baptism. He is adopted as the child of God (Rom 8:15,16; Gala 4:4-7, Eph 1:5). It is the end of the old life and where on received the newness of life (Rom 6:4, 1 Cori 2:12). It sanctifies the Church (Eph 5:26).

St. Paul says that it is the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). "You also are saved in that very manner by baptism, not merely by washing the filth from the body, but by confessing God with clean conscience and by the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet 3:21).

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