Salvation comes to Believers through the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Salvation is a two-step process. The first step is one of belief, and the second step is one of action. If the Unsaved believe, but do nothing, they remain unsaved. If the Unsaved do not believe, but go through the action of a repentant sinner, they too remain unsaved.
Romans 10:9-10
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10 KJV)
PERSONAL STEPS TO SALVATION
1. Know that you are a sinner, and cannot save yourself.
2. Confess the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior
3. Believe that Jesus Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient to atone for your sins.
4. Be confident that Jesus Christ physically rose from the dead.
Salvation comes by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ through the promises of the LORD God
Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 KJV)
The confessor of Jesus Christ as Savior is crucified with him. A Believer is joined to the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ through faith. When Christ is confessed and accepted as a Believer’s Savior, Christ shares both His crucifixion and Resurrection. This makes the Believer eligible to receive the Baptism of Jesus Christ. However, it is vitally important to note that this Baptism does NOT bring salvation to the soul; it is only faith in Christ as Savior, developed during a physical lifetime, that offers eternal salvation. The dead are not given an opportunity to develop faith in Christ after their demise.
THE BAPTISM OF JESUS CHRIST
Romans 6:1-18
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection: 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. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” (Romans 6:1-18 KJV)
Followers of Christ are crucified with his Crucifixion by their faith, and that faith alone, gives promised salvation. (Galatians 2:20)
The Baptism of Jesus Christ allows them to immediately ascend to Heaven upon their physical death. This is called the “First Resurrection.” (Revelation 20:4–5)
If people die without the Baptism of Jesus Christ, but were believers in faith that Christ is their Savior, then they will be resurrected on the great Judgment Day into the Resurrection of Life. (John 5:28–29) Even they only experience one death. Sadly, they cannot go to Heaven immediately because they did not experience death through baptism. They must sleep in their graves in their first death. However, when Christ resurrects them from the grave, faithful believers will ascend to Heaven and join those faithful Baptized Christian that have gathered around His throne.
If people die without the Baptism of Jesus Christ, and did NOT believe in Christ’s salvation, they are resurrected from their grave on the great Judgment Day into the Resurrection of damnation. (John 5:28–29) They, as well as death and Hell, will be cast into the lake of fire. This is called the “second death.” (Revelation 20:11–15) Those Unbelievers who reject Christ’s salvation in their lifetime, sleep in their graves until Christ raises them to His Judgment Seat to finalize His verdict. (Revelation 20:11–15)
All of the benefits of Salvation are given to a Faithful Believer the moment he accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. (Romans 10:9-10)
But there is one more step a believer must fulfill to see Heaven immediately upon physical death. A faithful Christian must also be baptized into the death of Jesus Christ, and be buried with Him also. Faith allows Believers to share His Crucifixion, and their Baptism allows them to experience His Burial and His Resurrection.
This Baptismal death releases the hold of original sin and the devil. Those experiencing the death of Jesus Christ and His burial through the experience of Baptism, will not die a second death. When Baptized Christians experience physical death, they immediately ascend to Heaven. Those baptized with the Baptism of Jesus Christ go to their ONLY grave within the baptismal waters. When they rise up from their baptismal water graves, they resurrect into the NEW LIFE, with a NEW BIRTH. Baptized Believer’s souls will never go to the grave again! (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)
CRUCIFIED ONCE, BURIED ONCE AND RESURRECTED ONCE!
Revelations 21:1-7
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” (Revelations 21:1-7 av)
Heaven is a temporary dwelling place, until His chosen Time, when a new Heaven and a New Earth will be established according to His Will.
The unbaptized Believers, who were faithful in the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, but failed to complete the process of going to the grave in Baptism, will go to an earthly grave to sleep for a period (Daniel 12:1-4). The Unbaptized but Saved Believers will be resurrected from their graves, in His time, and given Eternal Life through His Grace of Salvation (Revelation 20:13).
Through their belief and confession of Jesus Christ, the UNBAPTIZED, BUT SAVED BELIEVERS will go on to Eternal Life after their resurrection from their graves and their soul journey to Heaven.
Through their belief and confession of Jesus Christ, the BAPTIZED, SAVED BELIEVERS will go to Heaven for a while, and then on to Eternal Life on the New Earth, where all Believers will begin a new and blessed life under the rule of their King Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
The Baptism of Christ causes death to come one time to a Believer, and Resurrect in Christ’s example, granting eternal life when rising out of the baptismal waters. Those that are already dead are not going to be made alive again through the rising out of the baptismal waters in the likeness of the Resurrection of Christ. They will merely be wet dead people, asleep in death until resurrected by Christ on Judgment Day.
The most valid interpretation to Paul’s reference in 1 Corinthians is the understanding that the grace the LORD God gives followers of Christ must come through faith, and faith can only come through a personal response of a living person. Faith cannot be assumed by another in proxy. Baptism of the dead is spoken about by Paul as a persuasive logical argument against the vicarious event conducted by a people who were not upholding the true teachings of Christ. The perspective of Paul attacks and counterattacks this odd belief that subverts the LORD God’s promise of grace, and the Lord Jesus Christ’s Resurrection from the dead.
And by the way: Christians are NOT made angels after rising to Heaven. They are given brand new bodies formed for humans. They will NEVER become angels.
1 Corinthians 15:35–58 (KJV 1900)
35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? 36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: 37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: 38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
