WILL I MISS HEAVEN IF I AM NOT BAPTIZED?
Sakkie Parsons
One of my readers sent me a video where a pastor makes the statement that after the New Testament was put into effect, you will not go to heaven if you were not baptized as an adult.
To begin with in this letter to you:
I think, to put it very mildly, that it is, at least, very reckless to suggest that people don’t go to heaven and, in other words, go to hell, just because they weren’t baptized.
I want to mention from the beginning: Although I was baptized as a baby, catechized in the NG Mother Congregation Worcester, where I was in the school for the blind – went through all the steps and was accepted as a member – I had my immersed baptism years later, when I truly came to repentance.
However, I do not want to talk first about the pastor’s statement regarding baptism – although I will say something about that as well.
I should also mention that I first heard about the pastor when one of my readers sent me the video, with a smile – Because I am blind and also, so to speak, technologically disabled, I rarely go on the internet.
At least I get a great deal into the Word.
The reason I am sharing this with you is because it is statements, like the unbiblical statement of the pastor, that have caused (and you can just Google it), that there are more or less 30,000 different Christian denominations in the world.
People pretend to get this or that from our Lord and then make such reckless statements as the pastor made.
The pastor makes the statement, and I use my own words, that the man on the cross went to heaven because he died before the New Testament came into effect. In other words, before Jesus died and therefore went to heaven.
The video is on the internet.
So, according to this pastor, we cannot use that man on the cross as an example to say that you can go to heaven in the New Testament era, even if you were not baptized as a grown-up.
My motto in preaching the Word is the same as the first reformers’ motto:
“The Word, only the Word and nothing but the Word.”
He can say it’s his opinion and then motivate it, just as I’m going to do the opposite by sharing my opinion with you and motivating it – but it’s simply wrong to say that he got something like that from our Lord and make us understand it’s Biblically correct, if you don’t find it in the Bible.
Let me explain:
He says that the New Testament only came into effect when Jesus died and that is absolutely correct. Although later in the message, it sounds to me like he wants to move the beginning of the New Testament a little further, to the resurrection of Jesus – and just to clear up any confusion here, I will quote for you Jesus ‘ own words regarding this matter:
JOHN 19:30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, (Jesus had been hanging here on the cross for about 6 hours) He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and [voluntarily] gave up His spirit.
So, the pastor is absolutely right when he says that when Jesus died as a man, the New Testament began – but it is certainly not Biblical to pretend that the man who went to heaven died before Jesus died and therefore went to heaven because Jesus told him that he would still be with Jesus in heaven today, because the New Testament had not yet come into effect.
On the contrary, but remember, I’m not saying it is so, simply because I don’t have clear Biblical evidence that it is so – but one could even say you see in the Word that he lived longer than Jesus.
As I am now going to explain to you in my opinion.
Most people who are crucified end up dying from asphyxiation and you can also Google that.
Because your arms are extended sideways, you can’t breathe properly if you don’t use your legs to push yourself up and remember, you’re pushing your legs up against your feet which are also nailed down.
If the soldiers want you to die sooner, they break your legs by chopping them with a heavy object and then you can no longer push yourself up to breathe.
The Jews did not want the bodies to still be hanging on the cross when the Sabbath began and therefore, they asked that the people die sooner, so that they could be taken off the crosses and this was done by breaking the legs of the crucified one, so that he could no longer push himself up to breathe:
JOHN 19:31 – 33
Since it was the day of Preparation [for the Sabbath], in order to prevent the bodies from hanging on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high holy day) the Jews asked Pilate to have their legs broken [to hasten death] and the bodies taken away. 32So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man, and of the other who had been crucified with Him. 33But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.
Now remember, I’m giving my opinion. I don’t get it directly from the Word that the man lived longer than Jesus.
How could the soldiers clearly see that Jesus was dead?
Well for me it’s very simple.
They could clearly see this in two ways with Jesus’ body.
First, his head hung forward. You read this earlier but I’ll share it with you again:
JHN 19:30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, (Jesus had been hanging here on the cross for about 6 hours) He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and [voluntarily] gave up His spirit.
Why is this important?
Well, when you’re hanging from a cross it’s already very difficult to breathe, so you’re going to keep your head up and even bend back a little or a lot to get oxygen along with your legs, which are already sending a lot of pain to your head, to straighten out to get a breath.
The second way in which they could see that Jesus was already dead is, of course, because his body was now hanging limp and his legs were now slightly bent as a result, and quite possibly with his knees slightly outwards and not next to each other, because he had to push himself up and hold himself there to try to get a breath.
Clearly, and I’m just giving my opinion, the other two’s legs were still moving up and down or at least straight and their heads were still upright, or even their chins slightly raised to catch their breath.
The one reason, and this is my opinion, why Jesus had already died, and the Romans were even surprised that He died so soon, is of course all the abuse He had to endure before the crucifixion.
Finally, pay attention to the soldiers’ actions.
They first break one man’s legs, see Jesus’ posture, and move over to the other man and break his legs.
Then, and this is my opinion, they see that it will take a little more action to break His legs as well, because they are not together now and it will look a little senseless in any case if a seasoned soldier now wants to break a corpse’s legs in front of his soldier comrades, so that the corpse can no longer breathe, but simply because something must be done now, to prove that we have made sure He is dead, let’s just stab Him with a spear .
One thing is very certain, there is absolutely no, but no word that you can even almost use to say that the man died before the New Testament began and therefore could go to heaven.
As you have just read, and I am not saying this is so, simply because I am not going to say something that is not in the Word – but you can make a good case to show that the man was actually murdered after Jesus’ death on the cross.
One thing you cannot do, and what this pastor tried to do with great conviction, is to take the man out of the picture, so that you can make your statement, that no man, when the New Testament began, could go to heaven if he/she was not baptized as a grown-up.
When you are blind, you listen carefully to people’s voices when they speak and it sounded to me, when the pastor made his statement about why the man, without being baptized, has now gone to heaven, he played a trump card but with a smile, it was a “joker” that he played.
For one, because there is no evidence in the Word that the man died before Jesus and for two, because you can, as I have shown you, make a good case that the man was still alive when Jesus died.
It upsets me greatly when people make such unbiblical statements. Because it only ridicules our Lord Jesus’ gospel of love in the eyes of the world, and in most cases, to polish your own image.
Since I started working for our Lord in 1973, you have found this tendency among many evangelists and pastors – whatever they want to be called, to get as many people into the baptismal font as quickly as possible for the sake of numbers, and I have experienced it countless times, that a dry unconverted person goes into the baptismal pond and a wet unconverted person gets out of the baptismal pond.
I would like to share with you just two cases out of several that I could have used to show that Jesus had already saved people before He said “it is finished.”
Then I will share with you a case in the New Testament where people became children of God without first being baptized – and it is simply evil to suggest that God will let one or more of His children go to hell if for some reason they were not baptized as adults.
LUKE 7:48 – 50
48Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49Those who were reclining at the table with Him began saying among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith [in Me] has saved you; go in peace [free from the distress experienced because of sin].”
This next one you are going to read is about the one leper man of the 10 who were all healed, who turned to Jesus:
LUKE 17:15 –19
15One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.
16He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 17Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”
19Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
I don’t know why Jesus sometimes does something one way and then at another time does something seemingly different.
Just look at the different ways that Jesus healed the blind.
Because like my great hero Paul, I too look in a mirror and see something that is a mystery to me – but I may not preach something as if it comes from our Lord, if, as in so many cases, it is not the truth and all lies originate with satan himself:
Now remember, that the pastor made it clear to us that he received what he preached in that video from our Lord.
JOHN 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and it is your will to practice the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks what it natural to him, for he is a liar and the father of lies and half-truths.
From people who are in denominations that adhere to infant baptism and who, according to them, can justify it from the Word; Well, I have met many of those Christians who, in my opinion, are better Christians than I am.
I don’t know why some of them don’t get baptized by immersion, but I know for sure:
1SAM 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Now I also share with you an example from the New Testament, after the New Testament came into effect.
These next people you are about to read about had probably never even heard of such a thing as baptism, when what happened to them happened to them:
You can read the whole story in Acts 10. but I will just share with you the following:
ACTS 10:44 – 46
44“All the prophets testify about Him, that through His name everyone who believes in Him [whoever trusts in and relies on Him, accepting Him as Savior and Messiah] receives forgiveness of sins.”
45While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who were listening to the message [confirming God’s acceptance of Gentiles]. (And they became children of God, just as we are)
Later, Peter testified as follows about what happened to these people:
ACTS 15:8-9 And God, who knows and understands the heart, testified to them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith [in Jesus]. (And they became children of God, just as we are.)
Do people go to hell just because they weren’t baptized like me? Because unfortunately, some people baptize in one way and others in another.
No, certainly no one goes to hell because he or she was baptized this way or that.
I know, however, that the closer you live to the Word, the more clearly you hear our Lord’s voice in your life, and that is also why I was baptized as a grown-up, in the specific way I was baptized.
Ultimately, this is how it works when we arrive on the other side of the grave:
1COR 3:11–15
for no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, (that cannot burn in a normal fire) silver, (that cannot burn in a normal fire),precious stones, (that cannot burn in a normal fire)wood, (That will burn in a normal fire) hay, (that will burn in a normal fire) straw, (that will burn in a normal fire)
13each one’s work will be clearly shown [for what it is]; for the day [of judgment] will disclose it, because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality and character and worth of each person’s work. 14If any person’s work which he has built [on this foundation, that is, any outcome of his effort] remains [and survives this test], he will receive a reward. 15But if any person’s work is burned up [by the test], he will suffer the loss [of his reward]; yet he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has barely escaped] through fire.
I would then like to conclude by sharing the following with you as I understand the Word:
Jesus has already done everything to make it possible for you to step into heaven when you step out of this life.
All that will ultimately determine where you will spend eternity is whether you arrive on the other side of the grave with or without Jesus.
Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord?
Is He the foundation on which you build your life?
Well, then you are going to arrive on the other side of the grave with Jesus.
If you are unsure whether you have accepted Him as your Savior and Redeemer, then you have not truly accepted Him as your Savior and Redeemer yet.
You will know for sure when you have taken this, the most important step you will ever take in your life.
If you have done this in all sincerity, you know that when you have taken your last step on this earth, you will arrive with Jesus on the other side of the grave, because His Holy Spirit is in you and you know, you are now going to enter heaven.
In this life you also have Jesus’ Holy Spirit dwelling in your heart and He will guide you on how you should be baptized, if you need to be baptized again.
His Holy Spirit, who will guide you into all truth, will also put on your heart what you should do:
JOHN 14:15 – 17
“If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments.
Role of the Spirit
16And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.
Greetings,
Sakkie