The Proclaimer

Is Baptism A Meritorious Work?

I received the following question: “If what you do is ‘in order to’ obtain and if you did not do it you would not ‘obtain’ how is it not meritorious?  For example: You were baptized ‘in order to’ receive ‘remission of sin.’  That makes it meritorious. On the other hand, I was baptized as a testimony of what God Himself had already done.  I received salvation by Faith, which is a gift from God.  My works are a product of my faith.  I received salvation as a result of faith in Jesus Christ.  While the outward appearance may appear to be the same the motivation is quite different.  However, once you start down the ‘meritorious works’ path it is difficult to make the transition to grace.  Intimacy with the Father is robbed from you and you can never KNOW assurance of salvation.”

First of all, I was baptized “for the remission of sins” because that is what the Lord has commanded.  On Pentecost Peter said, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38).  The word “for” is eis in the Greek and according to Strong is “a primary preposition” meaning: “to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result).”  I am aware that some try to make the word mean “because of,” but I know of no lexicographer that so translates in this passage.

Perhaps the best way to understand the meaning of the phrase “for the remission of sins” is to see the phrase used by Jesus.  When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper on the night of His betrayal, He said, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:28).  This is the exact phrase Peter uses in Acts 2:38.  In this passage, Jesus states why His blood was shed – “for the remission of sins.”   In Acts 2:38, Peter tells us why we are to repent and be baptized – “for the remission of sins.”

Surely you agree that Christ had to die so that we may have remission of sins.  Christ didn’t die because man’s sins were already forgiven.  Neither is one baptized because his sins are already forgiven.  We are to be baptized so that we may have the remission of sins.  Does that mean then that baptism is a “meritorious” work as you have claimed?  Absolutely not!  Does it mean that I was saved by such a work and not by my faith?  Absolutely not!  Please consider the following.

What makes a work “meritorious?  The word “merit” or “meritorious” is not found in Scripture (at least not in the common versions of the Bible).  According to the dictionary, the verb “merit” means “to earn by service or performance; to deserve.”  Therefore, “meritorious” works would be works whereby one “earns” his salvation.  The only way that one could earn his way to heaven or deserve freedom from guilt is by perfect law keeping.  Having never sinned, such a one would not need mercy, grace or forgiveness.

But since “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23), we are all dependent upon God’s grace and mercy to get to heaven.  We simply cannot earn our salvation, but must recognize ourselves as unworthy sinners. Having failed to merit redemption, we must look to the mercies of God found only through faith the crucified Christ.  Salvation is truly a gift from God (Eph. 2:8), “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).  With this in mind, let me turn my attention to answering your question of how my baptism for (in order to receive) remission of sins is not a meritorious work.

To understand salvation by grace, we must recognize the difference between the means by which a thing is accomplished and the conditions upon which the means is applied.  The means of redemption is completely in the hands of God.  He is the Creator; only He can extend mercy to man.  If we are saved at all it will be by the means of God’s grace.  However, the condition of man’s salvation is faith in His Son’s sacrificial death, burial and resurrection.  Some want to make man’s “faith” the “gift of God” in an effort to avoid any hint of condition to salvation.  But the Scriptures show “faith” to be a human response to evidence presented; the condition that must be met before man will be saved.  Let me illustrate this truth.

I’m sure you know the story of the destruction of Jericho after the Israelites entered Canaan.  Read Joshua 6:1ff and notice the language as God said, “See, I have given into thy hand Jericho . . .”   Later Joshua told the people, “Jehovah hath given you the city” (v. 16).  And yet v. 20 says, “they took the city.”  The defeat of the city was a gift of God, yet the people had to march around the city, the priests had to blow their horns and the people had to shout “in order to receive” that gift. 

What caused the walls to fall down?  It wasn’t the people marching, or the trumpets blowing, or the people shouting per se.  It was the power of God that flattened those walls.  The power of God was the means whereby the walls fell.  Did the people have a part in this defeat?  Absolutely.  Would the walls have fallen if the people had refused to encompass the city? or the priests refused to blow their trumpets? or the people refused to shout?  Certainly not!  These were the conditions that had to be met before the means of God’s power would be applied.  Consequently, there is a sense in which the faith of the people flattened those walls.  It was, however, a faith made complete by works; that is, through obedience to God’s command. 

So it is with salvation by faith today.  The means of man’s salvation is the death of Christ who He died as propitiation for our sins (Rom. 3:24ff).  The condition of man’s salvation is faith in Christ’s sacrificial death.  But faith only will not save us (James 2:24), for faith is made complete through works of obedience.  Therefore, Peter told those believers on Pentecost who asked, “What shall we do?”  “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:36-38). 

In the days of Joshua the people could have had faith in God to give them the city, but had they refused to do what God commanded the walls would not have fallen down.  Today one may believe in Christ and His sacrificial death, but if he refuses to obey by repenting of his sins and being “baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” his sins will not be forgiven. 

I hope this information helps some.

                                                                                      Sincerely, 

                                                                                       Clark Dugger

The Proclaimer