Why Baptism Isn't a Guarantee to Get into Heaven

Is baptism a guarantee to get into heaven? That's just one of the questions we'll be answering on today's edition of CORE Christianity. Well, hi, it's Bill Meyer, along with Pastor Adriel Sanchez, and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. Our phone lines are open and you can call us for the next 25 minutes. Here's the phone number. It's 833-THE-CORE.

Excuse me, that's 1-833-843-2673. Now, you can also post your question on our social media sites. In fact, right now, we are live on Instagram and YouTube. So log into your Instagram account or go onto YouTube and you can send us a question through Instagram and YouTube as well, right, Adriel?

You sure can. And Bill, I don't have an Instagram. Do you have an Instagram? I do not. Maybe we should get them.

Maybe we should definitely get them. But we have a CORE Christianity Instagram. That's right.

That's right. So if you're on Instagram and you're watching us right now, send us a question as well. You can also email us anytime at questionsatcorechristianity.com. And first up today, let's go to Brad calling in from Nebraska. Brad, what's your question for Adriel? They don't believe he's the Messiah and how we believe our salvation is only through Jesus and the Holy Trinity and stuff, so how can they be saved if they don't believe Jesus is the Messiah?

Hey, Brad. Thanks for reaching out to us and thank you for your encouragement. And the simple answer is they can't be saved if they reject the Messiah. In fact, this is the argument that the Apostle Paul makes in Romans chapters 9 through 11 that apart from faith, we're not a part of the people of God. We're not the true children of Abraham if we don't have faith in Jesus Christ. And again, Romans 9 through 11, Paul makes that very clear. And in particular, in chapter 11, it's really interesting because he talks about the remnant of Israel and then he talks about God grafting the Gentiles into or among his people through faith in Jesus Christ and how some branches, they're referring to the Jews that rejected Messiah, were broken off because they didn't have faith.

But they can be grafted back in if they do believe. And so the hope is that through the preaching of the Gospel and evangelism, there will be many Jewish people, people who practice Judaism, who come to faith in Messiah, come to faith in Jesus Christ. And so, of course, they do reject Jesus as Messiah and they reject the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. It's interesting because when you read the Old Testament, I think there are a number of clues that highlight the fact that Messiah wasn't just this mere human, but that he was God himself, the one who was coming to judge the world was going to be the Lord, God himself. But you have this progressive unfolding revelation throughout Scripture in the Old Testament leading into the New Testament and so the doctrine of the Trinity became clearer and clearer as more revelation was given. But Jews today reject the Christian doctrine of the Trinity and so that's another thing that they would need to turn from to change, recognizing the totality of God's revelation and the Savior Jesus, the Messiah.

Brad, thanks for reaching out to us. Just a follow-up question for you, Adriel. It seems that in the New Testament there is a reference to God's Spirit, but I'm assuming that doesn't mean necessarily the Holy Spirit or what does that mean? In the Old Testament or in the New Testament?

In the Old Testament. Yeah, I think it is referring to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God. And so you do see, I think, echoes of this doctrine, the great doctrine of the Holy Trinity. There are times where the Messiah is referred to as God himself. I think of, you know, Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6, unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government will be upon his shoulders and his name will be Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. So there are, I think, direct references to the divinity of Christ even in the Old Testament and there are references to the Holy Spirit. So you see it there, but again, as more revelation was given, you get more clarity. And this is another thing where many Jews, in terms of Judaism, they don't embrace that doctrine. And so it's important for us to look at the whole of scripture and to believe it.

Amen. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Our phone lines are open if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. The number is 833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. Let's go to Ebenezer calling in from Missouri. What's your question for Adriel? Yes, my question was, if somebody denies the name Yeshua and only holds the name Jesus, is that a salvation issue? And vice versa, if somebody holds the name Yeshua and denies the name Jesus back and forth, is that a salvation issue?

Are they the same name? Hey, Ebenezer, thank you for that question. So in the Gospel of Matthew, in Matthew chapter 1 and in verse 21, this is what we read. She, that is Mary, will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Now, the name Jesus is an echo of the Hebrew name Joshua. Who was Joshua in the Old Testament? He was the one that led the people into the Promised Land. You have this imagery there of this coming Messiah who's going to lead the people of God into victory.

This is a new exodus coming out of slavery to sin and death and entering into the Promised Land of God's new creation, really, ultimately. But the question here is, what about the pronunciation? Do we have to say Jesus, the English translation of Yeshua, the Hebrew name, or do we need to stick with the Hebrew name?

It doesn't matter, I don't think. I don't think this is a salvation issue. It sort of reminds me of Jehovah's Witnesses. A lot of times they'll come around and they'll say, well, you've taken the name of God out of the Bible, Yahweh or Jehovah. And for them, it's this really big thing. It sort of strikes at the vitals of religion.

This is what we've really missed. But what's interesting is the Bible that Jesus and the apostles used, the Septuagint, did the very same thing that our English Bibles do. Instead of translating the divine name, they just said, Lord, kurios.

And so it was no problem for Jesus or his disciples. And similarly with this, I think a lot of times we can get really worked up or caught up in, okay, are we pronouncing it the right way? Are we saying Yeshua or Jesus or Yahweh or Jehovah or Lord? And I just think the focus here, even in Matthew 1, verse 21, is on what Jesus is going to do. And what is he going to do? He's going to save his people from their sins on the basis of faith in his name.

That is his person, who he is, not pronouncing it the right way. And so I appreciate the question. No, the answer is no, it's not an issue of salvation.

Thanks for that. And Ebenezer, thanks so much for your call and for listening to Core Christianity. Hey, we'd love to hear from you.

If you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life, doctrine, theology, or maybe something going on at your church that you're concerned about or confused about, we would love to hear from you. Here's our phone number. It's 833-THE-CORE. That's 1-833-843-2673. Now's the time to call.

We'll be taking calls for the next 15 minutes or so. I also want to tell you about a great resource that we have made available to you. It's on the topic of marital intimacy. Yes, this resource is called Seven Truths About Marital Sex, and it's yours for free over at corechristianity.com forward slash offers, thinking about intimacy in the context of Christian marriage. And so we hope you get a hold of this resource and that it edifies and encourages you in your relationship with the Lord and your relationship with your spouse.

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Well, we do receive voicemails here at the core, and here's one that came in from one of our listeners named Tracy. I have a question. I've heard that even though someone is baptized into Christ, that they're not guaranteed to go to heaven.

Is that true? Thank you. Okay. Thank you for that question, Tracy. And if what you mean by baptized into Christ is truly united to Jesus Christ by faith, can that person truly united to Jesus by faith ever be severed from Christ and eternally condemned, the person who's been justified and sealed with the Holy Spirit? My belief is that no, that person will not be lost, but they'll be kept and preserved by the Lord. But just because someone receives the sign or sacrament of baptism, that doesn't mean that they have faith. And so, yeah, there are people, and I think many people, who have been baptized in water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and yet who on the day of judgment are cast away. And it's not because God's grace and power aren't efficacious. It's because they didn't believe, because they rejected the truth of the Gospel. There's a really interesting story, Tracy, in the book of Acts, in Acts 8, where the disciples are ministering and they come across a man named Simon.

And let me just read some of this passage. This is Acts 8, verse 9. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying this man is the power of God that is called great. And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. But when they believed Philip, as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized, he continued with Philip, and seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit. But Peter said to him, May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money. You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.

Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that if possible the intent of your heart may be forgiven you, for I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. Here was a guy, Simon the magician, who came to the apostles. He's got this kind of faith we might say, this is he believed. I mean, he's seeing these miracles, he's overwhelmed, he's amazed, and yet the motives were not right.

It seems as if he's really trying to make himself great still, trying to put himself on a pedestal. He's not really turning to the Lord and confessing his sins. In fact, he's told, You're still in the bond of iniquity. And so, baptism is this sign and seal of the gospel, of our salvation. It conveys to us in a very real way the objective promises of the gospel, and we are called to lay hold of those promises every single day of our lives. But if we turn from the promise of the gospel, if we reject the gospel, if we have no faith, then just because we were baptized doesn't mean that we're going to be saved.

No, we lay hold of the reality that baptism points us toward, which is that forgiveness, that washing that comes through faith in Jesus's name. God bless. Thanks for that question.

Great explanation. Thank you for that, Adriel. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez.

Let's go to John calling in from Indiana. John, what's your question for Adriel? I was wondering who Melchizedek was, because I read a little bit about it. I hadn't been reading my Bible for a while, and the Lord spoke to my heart and told me that he was the Holy Spirit. And then I did some more research, because I hadn't been reading in a while, and it said that he was a priest to the Most High. And since God, nobody has seen God's face, God the Father, and Jesus, you know, everybody saw him, everybody knew him. There's only one left in the Trinity that could be a priest to the Most High. So I just wanted his opinion, well, his biblical, because my Bible scholarness is not that great, because I'm a slow, slow reader.

And that's my question. I love you guys, and I love your wisdom, and I pray, and I thank God for you, and I bless the Lord for you and your station and your testimony towards God. John, thank you for your encouragement, and I want to encourage you as you're beginning to open up the Word of God again and study the Scriptures. May the Lord strengthen you in your relationship with him. I hope that you're plugged into a good church where the Word of God is proclaimed faithfully and where you can continue to grow with other believers under the ministry of the Word.

Now, the question you ask is a really good one. Who is Melchizedek? And it's fascinating, because he's this important figure, it seems like, in the Bible, but he's not mentioned very often. He's only mentioned twice in the Old Testament, for example, in Genesis chapter 14, and then, not again until Psalm 110. So in all the Old Testament, you have those two references, and in Genesis chapter 14, he blesses Abram, the patriarch, after the slaughter of the kings. There's this great battle, and Abraham comes out on top, or Abram comes out on top, and after his return from the defeat of Shedro-laomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him, that is, Abram, at the valley of Shaveh, that is, the king's valley, and Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed him and said, Blessed be Abram by God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your hand into your enemies.

Your enemies into your hand, excuse me. And then again in Psalm 110, which I've just said, verse 4, the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind. You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. This is a messianic Psalm, Psalm 110, talking about the Davidic king, who is also this priestly figure. So Melchizedek is this kingly priest, this mysterious kingly priest, and the answer to your question is really found in the book of Hebrews, chapter 7. The author to the Hebrews, John, really outlines who Melchizedek is. Now, Melchizedek was not an incarnation of the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, I don't think that Melchizedek was even necessarily, you know, a pre-incarnate Christ. Sometimes people will say that, this is Jesus. I think he's just this figure that sort of appears out of nowhere, which is why the author to the Hebrews in Hebrews, chapter 7, says he has no father or mother.

He's just not presented with any genealogy. He appears out of nowhere, and in that sense, he says he resembles, this is Hebrews, chapter 7, verse 3, the Son of God, and he continues his priest forever. That word resembles, right?

It just means to be similar to something else. In other words, he's not identified as Jesus or with Jesus in the sense that Jesus is Melchizedek, but this priestly king pointed us toward Jesus as the great priestly king of his people. Let me just read some of Hebrews, chapter 7. It says, For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him.

And to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God. He continues his priest forever. In other words, Melchizedek pointed us forward to the priestly ministry of Jesus, the true king of righteousness and king of peace and one who has no beginning of days.

He's the uncreated Lord and Son of God, and we rejoice because he's our great high priest as well. God bless. Great explanation. Thank you for that, Adriel.

A lot of people wonder about Melchizedek. What a mysterious figure he is, so thanks for that. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez.

Love to hear from you if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. In fact, you can call us 24 hours a day and leave your voicemail on our voicemail system. Here's the number. It's 833-THE-CORE. That's 1-833-843-2673. Let's go to Ivana calling in from Tennessee. Ivana, what's your question for Adriel? Yes, thank you for taking my call.

I was wanting to tag onto a previous caller's question. A previous caller asked how Jewish people could be saved if they don't believe in Jesus, and Romans 9 was referenced. So I'm wondering about Romans 8 where it says that because of the Jews and the deafening of their ears, the fullness or the riches of Jesus have come to the Christians, to the Gentiles. But that when the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, all Israel will be saved on account of the patriarchs. So my question is, when it says all Israel will be saved, what does that mean?

That's a great question. So it's not actually Romans 8, it's a little bit ahead of or after Romans 9 and Romans 11, again where Paul had talked about the Gentiles being grafted in, in verses 11 and following. And then the fact that some of the branches were broken off, and there he's talking about unbelieving Hebrews, unbelieving Israelites who rejected Messiah. And he encourages the church not to be haughty but to fear, to continue to trust the Lord, to have faith in His name.

And then he says in verse 25, lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers. A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved as it is written. The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will banish ungodliness from Jacob, and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins. And then he says, as regards the Gospel, they are enemies for your sake, but as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers, for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience. In other words, you Gentiles, at one time you were disobedient but you've received mercy through their disobedience, through their rejection of Messiah. So they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you, they also may now receive mercy.

For God has consigned all to disobedience that He may have mercy on all. In other words, the Jews seeing the grace of Jesus Christ that's been given to you Gentiles, grow in a kind of holy jealousy saying, hey, that should have been ours. And that should lead them to turn to Messiah, the Savior, the one who washes away their sins. And when they do, they experience salvation and forgiveness. And so it seems like what Paul is talking about there in Romans chapter 11 is this large-scale reconversion of the Jews who had rejected Messiah, Jesus, at the end of the age. It's not saying that everybody who's ethnically Jewish is just saved, it's saying that through the proclamation of the Gospel and the advancement of God's kingdom among the Gentiles, that's going to result and that's going to lead to a revival, if you will, among the Hebrew people, among the Jewish people, through the Gospel and as they receive the Gospel. So we're only saved by faith in Jesus's name.

And so that's what I would say about that. Ivana, thank you for bringing up that that passage and may the Lord bless you. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez.

We do receive emails here at the Core and here's one that came in from Melissa. She says, many times in the Bible, it speaks to how God loves us and is watching over us. I've always tried to believe and trust in these promises, but please explain to me why my brother-in-law was tragically killed in a car accident. I'm really struggling to make sense of the devastation this has caused and how I can believe anything that tells me the Lord is my protection.

Any insight would be most appreciated. Let me just read a part of Romans chapter 8, verses 31 and following, because what it highlights is that the love of God for us is not dependent upon our circumstances around us. Ultimately, it's rooted in what Jesus has done for us in the Gospel, which means that we can experience horrible things, and I'm so sorry to hear about this tragic loss.

May God comfort you and be with you. I think this is going to be a process of healing, but it doesn't mean that God doesn't love and that He doesn't love you. What then shall we say to these things, Paul says in Romans 8, 31, if God is for us who can be against us, He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is it to condemn Christ? Jesus is the one who died.

More than that, who was raised? Who is at the right hand of God? Who is indeed interceding for us?

Jesus is interceding for you. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword as it is written?

For your sake we are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No, Paul says, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Suffering and pain doesn't mean God doesn't love us. Look to Jesus. Look to the cross.

He loves you. Thanks for listening to CORE Christianity. To request your copy of today's special offer, go to corechristianity.com forward slash radio, or you can call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 the CORE. When you contact us, let us know how we can be praying for you. And be sure to join us next time as we explore the truth of God's word together.