“All Wet”

Sunday, December 23, 2012

If my past sins are forgiven when I am baptized in water, and it is possible for me to "lose my salvation" and go to hell after being baptized, then wouldn't my best chance of going to heaven be to drown in the baptistery before I had a chance to sin and be lost again?!!  If I wanted to be absolutely sure of heaven, isn't that my best opportunity?

Sincerely,
Waterlogged

Dear Waterlogged,

Heb 3:12 says that we can fall away from God and lose our salvation, but it specifies how that happens.  We fall away when we have an “evil heart of unbelief”.  God continually cleanses us of our sins when we confess them and are faithful and loyal to Him (1 Jn 1:9-10).  Christians have security and confidence in their salvation as long as they are living for God and trying to serve Him according to His Word.  We fall away when we stop trying.  In reality, drowning yourself in the baptistery (which is an intentionally absurd and extreme example) is giving up.  Christians are forgiven of their sins and have committed to a new life in Christ (Rom 6:4).  Drowning in the baptistery isn’t a new life… it’s suicide.

According to your example, Paul (who spent a lifetime dedicated to God) would have been better off dead right after conversion.  Paul said the opposite was true.  “To live was Christ” (Php 1:21), and though Paul admitted that even an apostle could fall away (1 Cor 9:27)… he was confident of the salvation that awaited him (2 Tim 4:8).  All christians can be confident of their salvation if they are living faithfully.  All christians fall short and sin, but only when we turn our hearts from God and willfully live sinful lives do we need to be fearful (Heb 10:26-27).

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