Many false preachers who teach false doctrine love to use Mark Chapter 16 verse 16 as their “proof” that you must be baptized to be saved.
The King James Bible is very clear and easy to understand in this verse:
Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you are baptized, you are saved. This is a true statement. That statement matches with everything else the Bible says.
John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
When you understand the Bible from front to back, you’ll know that BELIEVING ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST is the only requirement to be saved. This is faith. You trust Jesus to save you.
Mark 16:16 matches that perfectly.
It’s the believing part in that verse that saves you. If you believe AND are baptized, YES, you will be saved. The water baptism part doesn’t save you AT ALL (assuming that means water baptism).
If you believe and have blue eyes, you will be saved. If you believe and do 30 jumping jacks, you will be saved. If you believe and add anything you want to it, you will be saved.
And the rest of that Scripture is proof that this interpretation is correct PLUS the entire rest of the Bible is a witness to that proof.
The latter part of Mark 16:16 says:
Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
“But he that believeth NOT shall be damned.” It doesn’t say he that believeth not and is not baptized shall be damned. The Bible doesn’t add anything else there that damns you. It’s simply never believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is very clear in the Bible. The Bible teaches over and over and over and over again that FAITH ALONE saves you.
Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Water baptism is a deed of the law. Without first having faith, the act of water baptism means nothing. The Bible even says that ANYTHING not done in faith is a sin. If you get baptized without fully trusting on Jesus alone to save you, then it is a sin.
If you think any act you do will save you, then you don’t have faith. Faith is a complete trust on the sacrifice Jesus made to save you. His sacrifice on the cross is enough to save you. You don’t need to add baptism or works in any way to salvation.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Baptism is a good work that you do ONCE you are saved. And YES!!! You should be baptized as soon as you are saved.
But always know that baptism does not save you in any way. It’s Jesus alone that saves you. He is the WAY, the truth, and the life.
