“He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” (Mark 16:16).
Brethren have debated the meaning of this verse with those in denominations for years. The disagreement is over baptism. Brethren teach that Jesus’ words indicate that one must be baptized (in addition to believing) to be saved. Those in denominations teach that since baptism is not mentioned in the second clause, then one must only believe to be saved.
It is clear that belief is essential for salvation. If one does not believe, he will be condemned. But what exactly is it that one must believe to be saved? I would suggest that once we find the answer to this in the Bible, it will also settle the debate on baptism. So what does the Bible teach that one must believe to be saved?
The Existence of God – “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is” (Hebrews 11:6). In order to be saved, one must believe in the existence of God. This belief is not a fantasy or wishful thinking; rather, it is based on evidence. The physical world provides evidence for the existence of God (Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:1-6). Believing that God exists is where we must begin; but this belief by itself is not enough. After all, James pointed out that “the demons also believe” (James 2:19). So what more is there that one must believe in order to be saved?
God Will Reward Those Who Seek Him – “He who comes to God must believe…that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). God has promised eternal life to those who believe (John 3:16). We must believe that He will give this reward to the faithful. This includes His willingness to offer this reward (which shows His grace and mercy) and His ability to offer this reward (which shows His power).
The Gospel – “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16). The gospel is the good news that salvation is available. It is the message that the apostles were commissioned to preach. The apostles were eyewitnesses of the things about which they spoke and wrote (2 Peter 1:16-18; 1 John 1:1-3). We cannot be saved if we do not believe the apostles’ message.
The Lordship of Jesus – In Matthew’s account of the apostles’ commission, Jesus began by saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:18). The word “Lord” means one with supreme authority or one who has control over us. The authority of Jesus was the basis for all the teaching done by the apostles (Matthew 28:18-20). One must recognize the Lordship of Jesus and act accordingly through obedience (Luke 6:46) in order to be saved. Incidentally, this point should settle the question over baptism. Jesus commanded baptism (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16). One who really believes that Jesus is Lord will not quibble over the necessity of baptism. He will simply submit to the Lord’s command.
Jesus is the Christ – “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). In preaching the first gospel sermon, Peter proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ. This word means anointed one. This means Jesus was chosen by God, not man, for His work (Hebrews 5:5-6).
Jesus is the Son of God – “These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). Not only was Jesus chosen by God, but He came from above (John 6:38; 8:23). In Jesus we see the Father (John 14:7-9). The Jews did not like Jesus claiming to be God’s Son because the implication was that Jesus was equal with God (John 5:17-18). However, we must believe this so that we “may have life in His name.”
The Deity of Christ – “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). In this verse, the word “He” is actually not in the original Greek text but was added by the translators. What Jesus is actually saying is, “Unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins.” This is how God identified Himself when He appeared to Moses in the burning bush – “I Am” (Exodus 3:14). In this statement, Jesus claimed to be God. Paul told the brethren in Colossae that Jesus was God in the flesh: “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). If one does not believe this, he will die in his sins.
Conclusion
What must one believe to be saved? He must believe that there is a God who will reward the faithful with a home in heaven. He must believe the gospel that we find within the pages of the Bible. He must believe that the Lord Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that Jesus was God before and during His time in the flesh and is still God today.
If someone reads Mark 16:16 and wants to quibble about baptism, we need to take a step back and talk about belief. One who refuses to accept the part baptism plays in salvation does not believe at least one of the points mentioned above. Otherwise, he would simply accept Jesus’ words: “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved.” We must go back and impress upon them the things they must believe, because “he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”
