At What Precise Point Is One Saved?
Brian R. Kenyon

No person who believes a religious system founded by human beings can accurately answer the question posed in the title above. Neither the Roman Catholic, the Protestant, the present day "Jew," the Muslim, nor the Eastern religionist can correctly answer it. The only source that contains the correct answer is the Bible, the inspired word of God. Whatever our view, if it is anything more or less than the Bible teaches, we are wrong and must, therefore, change our view if we are to be pleasing to God. If our view is wrong compared to the Bible, we are still lost in sin and must, therefore, repent and do what God says in order to be saved.

Points At Which One Is Not Saved

Almost every answer that is given to the question above is so subjective that it places human beings as the authors of salvation, when in reality, God is (Mt. 28:18; Heb. 12:2). Below are some of the more common Biblically incorrect answers to the question, "At what precise point is one saved?"

"When You Accept Jesus in Your Heart" This is probably the most common answer in the Protestant denominational world. While it is true, as will be shown later, that one must accept Jesus into his or her heart, what is meant by the answer above is not what the Bible teaches. This answer goes along with the next answer, and both will be dealt with in the next section.

"When You Pray the Sinner's Prayer" Praying the so-called "sinner's prayer" is how many think one accepts Jesus into his or her heart. This is simply not true. There are many prayers in the Bible, but not a single one even resembles the "sinner's prayer," which goes something like this: "Dear Lord, I admit that I'm a sinner and need your forgiveness. Please come into my heart." The "sinner's prayer" is nothing more than man-made doctrine that contains absolutely no power to save (cf. Rom. 10:1-3; 1 Cor. 2:5).

"When You Just Believe in the Lord Jesus" Believing in Jesus is a necessary part of salvation (Jn. 3:16; Acts 16:30-31; Heb. 11:6), but belief alone will not save. Consider two examples. First, James acknowledged, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils [demons, NKJ] also believe, and tremble" (Jas. 2:19). The demons believe, but who would affirm that they are saved? Second, after asking, "King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?," Paul stated, "I know that thou believest" (Acts 26:27). What is it that Agrippa believed about the prophets? The answer is found a few verses earlier: "That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles" (Acts 26:22-23). Agrippa believed Jesus' vicarious death, His resurrection, and the light of His mission, yet the earthly king responded, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian" (Acts 26:28). Belief is not the point at which one is saved!

"When You Start Sincerely Serving God" Some people think the point at which they were saved is the time they "joined" a church and began doing benevolent work. While sincerely serving God is a necessary part of salvation, neither sincerity nor serving is the point at which one is saved. Consider Saul of Tarsus, later known as the apostle Paul. He was sincerely "zealous toward God" (Acts 22:3-4), even while persecuting the church. He later acknowledged, "I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day" (Acts 23:1). Sincerity does not save! Also, when it comes to "serving God," how do we know that what we are doing is what God wants in service to Him? We cannot arbitrarily decide how God wants to be served (cf. Zec. 7:5-7). We must learn true service from correctly understanding and applying the Bible.

Baptism Is The Precise Point One Is Saved

Salvation is not subjective. Our thoughts and/or feelings do not determine when salvation takes place. God determines that through His word! According to God's word, baptism is the precise point at which the sinner who is outside of Christ is forgiven of his or her sins, and thus saved. Consider the Biblical evidence.

Acts 2:38 When those who gathered on Pentecost realized their sin of crucifying the Lord, they asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins..." (Acts 2:37). Notice that "the remission of sins" comes after repenting and being baptized. It is impossible for one to be saved without one having his or her sins forgiven (Isa. 59:1-2). Since baptism is the point at which one's sins are forgiven, and since one's sins being forgiven is necessary for salvation, then baptism is the point at which salvation occurs.

Romans 6:1-6 After forcefully declaring in Romans 5:12-21 that the negative consequences resulting from Adam's sin are so thoroughly overwhelmed by the grace of God, Paul anticipated and answered the question: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Rom. 6:1-2). How is it that we are "dead to sin"? Note Paul's answer: "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death..." (Rom. 6:3-4). He further stated, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin" (Rom. 6:6). Clearly, the context shows that baptism is how the old person of sin is put to death. Since putting to death the old person of sin is necessary for salvation, and since baptism is the only thing that puts to death the old person of sin, it follows that baptism is the point at which one is saved.

First Peter 3:21 After mentioning the "eight souls...saved by water," Peter declared, "The like figure [antitype, NKJ] whereunto even baptism doth also now save us..." (1 Pet. 3:20-21). It cannot get any clearer than that-"baptism doth also now save us"! While it is true that the Bible declares that other things save us (faith, repentance, confession, etc.), baptism is he culminating act of obedience that saves the one outside of Christ and places him or her into the church, the body of Christ (Acts 2:41, 47 cf. Eph. 1:22-23). Are we saved? Let us not trust in man-made schemes. Rather, let us "Repent, and be baptized."