IF A PERSON IS ON THEIR DEATH BED AND HAS NOT BEEN BAPTIZED AND WANTS TO
BE SAVED BUT DIES BEFORE HE OR SHE IS BAPTIZED, IS THAT PERSON SAVED?

CAN A PERSON STILL ENTER HEAVEN EVEN IF THEY DON’T GO TO CHURCH BUT
BELIEVES IN GOD?

HOW CAN YOU HELP SOMEONE SEE THAT BAPTISM IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF
SALVATION, IF THE PERSON JUST BELIEVES IN ROMANS 10:9? WHAT OTHER
SCRIPTURES BESIDES ACTS 2 CAN YOU SHOW THEM?

(All three of these questions came at the same time. I will assume that
all are from the same person, and will answer them as a group)

It seems that all three of these questions are related, so I
will attempt to hit on aspects of them together. First, it is obvious
that the person who wrote these questions believes that being baptized in
water into Christ is an essential part of God’s plan for how people are
saved. Personally, I would agree with this statement. I believe this is
so for a number of reasons. First of all, the most common description or
phrase used to describe a saved person in the New Testament is to describe
them as “in Christ.” There are dozens of references to this description
of the members of the church, especially in the letters of Paul. The only
passages which describe how to get into Christ involve baptism. For
example, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all
of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ.”
(Galatians 3:26,26). Also, there is Romans 6:2-4. “Or don’t you know
that all of us were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his
death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in
order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of
the Father, we too may live a new life.” It is very clear from these
passages that one is baptized into Christ. Before baptism, a person is
not in Christ, after baptism they are. The Romans 6 passage makes it
clear that being baptized into Christ also involves sharing somehow in his
death and resurrection. This connection is also made in 1 Peter 3:20-22,
which connects baptism with salvation and with the resurrection of Christ.

Of course, any discussion of salvation which does not focus on
the saving death of Jesus and our faith as the key to coming to Christ is
unbalanced, but there is a clear teaching in the Bible that, although we
are saved by the blood of Jesus, through our faith, the actual moment in
time when one gets “into Christ” is at baptism.

Now, about a person who decides to give their life to Christ,
confesses him as Lord, and repents of their sin, but is somehow not ever
able to be immersed in water, in my opinion, that is a pretty far out
question. The chances of such a thing happen are so small that I would be
at least a bit suspicious that someone asking such a question is just
trying to lay a trap to escape the clear teaching of the Bible. I do not
at all suspect you of that heart, but I am thinking that someone has asked
you this question. It sounds like a smoke screen to me! Nevertheless, I
should not duck this question. I would say that this is God’s business,
not ours. I am sure that God knows what to do about such a situation. I
am inclined to assume that God would make an “exception” (if that is the
right word for it), given that he is a gracious God. God is not looking
for an excuse to send people to hell. Nevertheless, in any situation
which the Bible does not clearly address, it is always best to hold
judgment. So let me say that God is the judge, and I will leave the
answer to this question to him, even though you can already tell what my
opinion is about this question.

About the issue of whether or not one can skip church and
still go to heaven, this seems to be a similar type of question. I would
really question the heart of a person who would ask such a question. Are
they looking for what is the minimum requirement in order to get to
heaven? Are they looking for an excuse to not go to church because they
do not want to go for some reason? It is very clear that the New
Testament teaches that anyone who is seeking God should be involved in the
fellowship regularly. Passages which teach this include Hebrews 3:12,13
and Hebrews 10:23-25. The second passage commands that disciples not
forsake the fellowship; that they not give up meeting together. It is
hard to imagine how a person who claims to be a follower of Jesus would
willfully choose not to be in fellowship on a regular basis with other
believers. In fact, the Hebrews 10 passage goes directly from commanding
that followers of Jesus not forsake the fellowship to talking about those
who willfully continue in sin trampling on the blood of Jesus. It seems
that anyone who willfully chooses to “forsake the fellowship” and not even
go to church is in extreme danger of losing their relationship with God.

Having said that, I personally would hesitate to make some
sort of definite blanket statement. What about a person who is in the
military and is unable to attend church? Would that person be lost?
Obviously not. What about a person who, for reasons outside their own
control, cannot attend church. For example, what about a teen who is
saved but whose parents refuse to let him or her go to church? The issue
is not going to church per se, but the issue is the heart of a Christian
who is trying to serve God and to grow in Christ. I would not make any
sort of judgmental statement, such as, “anyone who does not go to church
for x length of time is not going to heaven.” This would amount to a
legalistic application of a very important biblical concept.

In the end, my answer to this question would depend on the
situation of the person to whom it would apply. If a person is doing so
poorly spiritually that they, of their own volition, choose to forsake
the fellowship of believers, it is not hard to see where that may
eventually lead. Nevertheless, if you know someone like that, you should
take the advice in Galatians 6:1. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a
sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself,
or you also may be tempted.” Based on this passage, I would suggest not
making judgments on such a person, but rather encouraging them with love
to return to the fellowship of believers.

John Oakes