This is a main plank in Mr. Roberts' theology. He writes:- "A man may believe in all the glorious promises of God, and yet not be a participator in them. HE MUST BE Baptized, as we have seen; He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved'" (page 302). Now Christian baptism is a rite which is incumbent on all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The word of God makes that plain. But to make it necessary for salvation is highly unscriptural. It is dead against the tenor of Scripture. Mr. Roberts quotes a number of examples to support his theory, but in truth they are destructive of it. He quotes the Day of Pentecost, when the convicted hearers asked the apostles, " Men and brethren, what shall we do?" The answer was, " Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost " (Acts 2:3838Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38)).
The reason the matter was stated thus is very evident. The anxious Jews were part of a nation that lay under the governmental wrath of God because of their rejection of their Messiah. No only would the Jews reject their Messiah, but they would also reject with bitter scorn those who professed His blessed Name. What was the way of escape, but to repent of the deed their nation had done, as well as of their individual sins, and show their sincerity by being baptized? But it was certainly not the case that Peter everywhere and always preached baptism as essential to salvation.
A little lower down on the page, Mr. Roberts quotes in support of his view the case of Cornelius and his friends, but he fails to point out that they received the forgiveness of their sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit, BEFORE they were baptized. Would the Holy Spirit have come upon those who were unsaved? Certainly not!
Another quotation that Mr. Roberts makes shows clearly in the words of Scripture that baptism is not essential to salvation, though he quotes it in defense of his theory. It is plainly destructive of it. He quotes: " The like figure whereunto even BAPTISM DOTH ALSO NOW SAVE US (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), by the resurrection of Jesus Christ " (1 Peter 3:20, 2120Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 21The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: (1 Peter 3:20‑21)).
But in this passage we are plainly told, and the point is carefully guarded, that baptism does not deal with filth of the flesh, but it is the answer of a good conscience toward God. How can Mr. Roberts put the words, " BAPTISM DOTH NOW SAVE US " into capitals, when the following sentences guard the point that baptism does not save eternally? Why did Mr. Roberts take no notice of the safeguarding clause? At most it may be looked upon as GOVERNMENTAL salvation.
Let us explain. If a believing Jew refused to be baptized, the Jews would still claim him religiously; and he would be under the wrath of God governmentally along with the nation, whereas if he were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, he would be disowned by the Jewish nation, and refused all part in their religion, but on the other hand he would be acknowledged by the Christian circle. In that way he would receive governmental salvation.
In our limited space we cannot comment upon every Scripture that Mr. Roberts quotes, or point out all the wrong statements that he makes. We can only go over the most important points, and that very briefly.
But on the other side, take the Epistle to the Romans. If baptism were essential to salvation, the Apostle Paul in unfolding the gospel, and that by divine inspiration, would surely not have left out an essential element of salvation. Yet Chapter after Chapter he unfolds the gospel, and nothing is said about baptism. We read that God is the Justifier of the one that believes, and no further condition is imposed. It tells us that being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and nothing is added to it.
Baptism is indeed mentioned in Chapter 6. If then it were essential to salvation that were the place for it to be so stated. But it is not so. It is used as an argument why believers should not continue in sin, seeing they are dead to it, but that they should walk in " newness of life." Does Mr. Roberts understand the gospel better than the inspired Apostle of the Gentiles? Ephesians tells us that we are saved by grace and through faith. The word, baptism, is not so much as mentioned in the epistle. If it had been essential to salvation it surely would have been. But it is not.
Mr. Roberts says:- "Baptism by water is the ceremony by which believing men and women are united to Christ, and constituted heirs of the life everlasting " (page 119). This astounding statement is unqualified in the place where it occurs. It stands in unabashed dogmatism. Gal. 3:2727For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Galatians 3:27) tells us that being baptized, believers put ON Christ, surely in the way of outward public profession. Believers are united to Christ in virtue of the reception of the divine life, believing the gospel of their salvation, and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, and not by the rite of baptism. Then Mr. Roberts talks of believers being constituted heirs of eternal life. Where does it say that believers are heirs of eternal life? Titus 3:77That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:7) does not say so, but those who are heirs have the hope of eternal life. The Pauline Epistles always put eternal life as something at the end of the Christian path, but the Apostle John puts it as a present possession, not a matter of attainment, or becoming heir to it, but of present possession. "He that believeth on the Son HATH everlasting life" (John 3:3636He 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 3:36)). The Apostle John reiterates this again and again. He does not contradict the Apostle Paul, how could he when they both wrote under inspiration? but they looked at the subject from different angles. Nothing could be more positive than, " These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye HAVE eternal life " (1 John 5:1313These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13)). Spurgeon was asked what "HAVE" meant, and he replied in his homely way, "Got it."
Would the Apostle Paul have said, "Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospel" (1 Cor. 1:1717For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. (1 Corinthians 1:17)) if baptism had been an essential part of salvation? How Scripture exposes these sophistries!
-Mr. Roberts guards the thought of the mere act of immersion when not accompanied by any genuine entering into its real meaning.
He writes of baptism:- " The apostles... recognized in it a constitutional transition from one relationship to another-a representative putting off of the old man, or Adam nature, and a putting on of the new man, or Christ... Of course this effect is imputative; that is to say, it is not brought about by the mere act of submersion by water, but is the result recognized by God when the act is performed in connection with an intelligent apprehension and affectionate belief of the truth" (pages 303, 304). But even this guarding does not do away with the deadly error that, according to Mr. Roberts, baptism is essential to salvation. For with him it does not suffice that the sinner believes truly in his heart in the Lord, and trusts Him as his own personal Savior. Even with that belief he is not saved unless he has been baptized. We are afraid that the Apostle Paul's warning would come in here, "There be some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Gal. 1:7, 87Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:7‑8)). Words could not be more solemn! It is a serious thing indeed to add to the words of the Lord, making an ordinance a necessary part of salvation.