V — Obedience to Christ
Amongst the conditions of salvation taught by Jesus, not one of them occupies a more prominent position than that of obedience. It has already been shown that a belief of what Jesus taught is indispensable to enable anyone to obtain “eternal life”, and enter the “kingdom of God”. Equally necessary is it to obey what he commanded. No prophet or apostle enunciates this with greater emphasis than does “the Prophet like unto Moses”. In answer to one having great possessions, who asked him what he must do to obtain eternal life, Jesus said, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments” — (Matt. 19: 17). To his twelve disciples he said, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” — (John 15: 14); a statement which is rendered more significant by being associated with the preceding verse: — “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” — (John 15: 13). The truth thus abstractly stated is an accurate definition of what Jesus did; he “laid down his life for his friends”, that is, for those who do whatsoever he commands, and for none others. Thus none but those who are obedient to what God has commanded through Jesus Christ, can participate in the efficacy of his atoning blood, enjoy eternal life, and enter the “kingdom of God”.
Love and Obedience
To these general conclusions most religious people will assent. But to stop here is not sufficient; generalities are the bane of the religious world; they perpetuate the prevalent dislike to precise definitions based on divine testimony. It is very common to make great professions of love for Jesus; a boast is made by some that they “love all who love the Lord Jesus”; but they seldom attempt to test that love by the definition Jesus himself gives in addressing his twelve disciples: — “If ye love me, keep my commandments”; “He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me”; “If a man love me he will keep my words”; “He that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings” — (John 14: 15, 21, 23, 24). If this test were applied to the multitudes who profess to love Jesus, it would be found that all but an infinitesimal portion do so in word only, not in deed. All such empty profession, however loudly proclaimed, is not acceptable to God, and therefore not sufficient to entitle anyone to the name of a disciple of Jesus Christ. The terms love and obedience are in the Scriptures synonymous; love manifests itself, not in words, but in actions, in man submitting his will to the will of God.
The commandments of Jesus, as everyone familiar with his discourses is aware, are very numerous. One of the first which he gave was “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” — (Matt. 6: 33). The importance of attending to this has already been shown under the heading, “The Gospel of the kingdom of God.”
The next most important command is one of those which, between Jesus Christ’s resurrection and ascension, “he through the Holy Spirit has given unto the apostles” — (Acts 1: 2). It is contained in their commission to “preach the gospel” — “He that believeth (the gospel) and is baptised, shall be saved” — (Mark 16: 16).
Baptism Imperative
The meaning and importance of this command cannot be better shown than by the mode in which the apostles carried it out. That they preached the gospel wherever they went in the civilised world, is apparent from the narratives contained in the “Acts of the Apostles”. Equally clear is it that whenever they did so preach, they enjoined baptism as an ordinance which must accompany belief of the Gospel in order to make that belief efficacious. They did not, as is the custom now-a-days, tell their hearers that compliance with it was a matter of choice, and must be left to the conscience of each individual. On the contrary, they enforced it as a necessary preliminary to either Jews or Pagans becoming Christians. Such a thing was not known among the apostolic churches as that of admitting an unbaptised believer. Why, then, can such a thing be possible in the twentieth century, seeing that no change has since been made in the conditions upon which salvation is offered?
On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the Jews, “Repent and be baptised every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ” — (Acts 2: 38). In this way did he commence the fulfilment of the prediction of Jesus, “that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” — (Luke 24: 47). Never before had this doctrine been proclaimed to the Jews. Previously they had been required to believe the “gospel of the kingdom”, and that Jesus was the Messiah, and then submit to the baptism of John. But after Christ had fulfilled the mission pertaining to his first appearing, it was necessary to believe “the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ”, and be baptised into the name of Jesus.
The same truths were proclaimed by Peter when the gospel was preached for the first time to Gentiles. As soon as their belief had been attested by the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit, which enabled them to “speak with tongues”, Peter “commanded them to be baptised in the name of the Lord” — (Acts 10: 48). The same course was pursued on all subsequent occasions when the apostles preached the gospel to the Gentiles. Paul, the specially-appointed apostle to the non-Jewish world who, immediately after conversion, submitted to the ordinance of baptism, that he might “wash away” his “sins” (Acts 22: 16) — is recorded to have baptised Lydia and her household in the city of Philippi (Acts 16: 15), the jailor and his household in the same city (Acts 16: 33), and some of the believers at Corinth (Acts 18: 8). He even went so far, while at Ephesus, as to require about twelve men who had only submitted to John’s baptism (Acts 19: 1-7), to be re-baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Immersion the Appointed Way
That the ordinance of baptism cannot be performed without water is evident from the question asked by Peter in the house of Cornelius, “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptised?” — (Acts 10: 47). That it consists of immersion in water is shown by the fact that Philip and the eunuch “went down both into the water . . . and he baptised him” — (Acts 8: 38); and by Paul’s comparing it to a burial (Rom. 6: 4). That it is not a baptism of Spirit is proved by Peter’s commanding the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius to be baptised with water after they had received the Holy Spirit (Acts 10: 45-47). That it is not designed for infants, is apparent from its association with belief of the gospel. Infants cannot believe, and therefore they are not fit subjects for baptism, that is, immersion; for sprinkling is the mere invention of an apostate church. And the absolute necessity of submitting to this ordinance is forcibly stated by Jesus in his conversation with Nicodemus:” Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” — (John 3: 5).
To be “born of water” is not simply to be sprinkled with water; it can only be effected by a person being immersed in water, and then emerging from it. But before such a birth can be scripturally accomplished the individual must be begotten. The apostle James shows how the begettal is effected, when he says that God “begat us with the word of truth” — (Jas. 1: 18); and Paul enunciates the same thing in other words, when he says to the Corinthians, “I have begotten you through the gospel” — (I Cor. 4: 15). A person having been begotten by a belief of the gospel, is in a condition to be immersed, by which he is “born of water”. The necessity for belief preceding this ordinance is clearly shown by Jesus placing the former before the latter: — “He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved”. But care must be taken that the belief comprises “the gospel of the kingdom of God” preached by Jesus. Any immersion which is not accompanied by a correct belief is utterly worthless, being no better in the sight of God than an ordinary bath.
Was Your Baptism Valid?
If the reader be one of those who have been submerged in water by any existing religious denomination, he will be able to perceive, from what has already been adduced respecting the “kingdom of God”, whether he possessed, at that time, a belief such as Jesus requires. If he did not, the sooner he rectifies his defective faith, and becomes scripturally immersed, the better it will be for his present hopes and future well-being; for the Prophet like unto Moses has said, “Not every one that saith unto me, ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” — (Matt. 7: 21).
It will be seen that the principles elaborated in this section, when logically applied, wholly preclude the salvation of infants and the heathen. Salvation is only offered to those who believe and obey. Infants are incapable of doing either, and the heathen, on account of ignorance, are in the same unfortunate condition; therefore they cannot be saved. It must not be supposed that those oft-quoted words of Jesus have been overlooked: — “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God” — (Mark 10: 14). There is nothing here which contradicts what Jesus enunciated on other occasions. In fact, it may be laid down as an axiom, that he never uttered anything which in any way contravened the broad principles on which his Father deals with mankind. It would be absurd to interpret these words in a strictly literal sense because it would lead to the conclusion that the “Kingdom of God” is to be composed of none but infants.
Their meaning is explained by the verse which immediately follows: — “Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.” This means to believe in child-like simplicity “the gospel of the kingdom”. Infants cannot do this; therefore they cannot be saved. To become as a little child, is to manifest humility and simplicity in believing whatever God has promised. It is of such as do this, that the “kingdom of God” is to be composed. All others, whether infants, idiots, or heathens, will be excluded therefrom; and, as a consequence, will not enjoy salvation. What, then, it will be asked, will be their destiny? Will they be consigned to eternal torments? If the theory of man’s natural immortality were true, such must be the case. But as it has already been shown that this is totally false, there is no need to adopt such a barbarous conclusion. Their destiny has been settled on more just and merciful principles. It is unmistakably indicated by the words of Job, when he says “Wherefore hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh, that I had given up the ghost and no eye had seen me! I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave” — (Job 10: 18-19). On another occasion, he says that if he had died as soon as he was born, he would have been as “infants which never saw light” — (Job 3: 11-16).
The destiny of the heathen is stated in equally explicit terms by the prophet Obadiah: “the heathen . . . shall be as though they had not been” — (Obad.: 16). Thus, being creatures of the dust, they simply return to the dust of which they are made. Not being in the position in which they can believe and obey God’s word, the Deity is unable to give them salvation and at the same time be consistent with His eternal principles, one of which is that “flesh profiteth nothing” — (John 6: 63). On the other hand, He cannot punish them for disobedience; he therefore, allows the law of sin and death, under which they are born, to operate without the infliction of any special suffering.