Do I have to be baptized to go to Heven?

Question

My friends tell me that if im a christian I have to be baptized to go to heven. And I just want to know if that is true or not. If it is true why, and if its not true why?

Answer 1

You will get many answers to this question. I don't think you have to be baptised. As long as you have the faith, you will find heaven.

Answer 2

No the Bible says you have to believe Jesus died for your sins and accept His payment for your sins and make Him you Saviour and Lord. You can't be saved by works. The thief on the cross was not baptized and Paul makes a point of saying that he did baptize some people but not others. There are no examples of Jesus baptizing anyone after His sermons, even those he called to be his apostles. Some were likely baptized by John the Baptist, but there is no indication that all were. However it is a wonderful way to be a witness for your faith and show through the symbology of immersion baptism that you have been cleansed for your sins.

Answer 3

Many Catholics believe this to be true. I DO NOT

When someone decides to “get right with God,” part of the “outward sign” of accepting Jesus as their savior is being baptized. It is an exciting time, but there are many questions regarding baptism that should be clarified, since so many conflicting ideas regarding this topic developed over the centuries. The questions often come from four basic areas:

Can you go to heaven by being baptized?

People are saved (and get to go to heaven) by believing that Jesus is the Christ and putting their faith in Him. Baptism alone does not save. However, salvation (being saved) and baptism are always tied together, as we explain on our “Getting Right With God” page.

What is baptism?
The process of baptism is very simple. You begin by standing, sitting, or kneeling in some water. Another Christian then lowers you under the water and then brings you back up out of the water. You could also literally call this “immersion.”

Because some faiths sprinkle water on people instead of immersing them, the obvious question is whether this is OK. Since the only consistent answer around the world comes from the Bible, we recommend using it to find your answers. It is interesting that nowhere in the Bible does anything but “immersion” take place. That is, baptism is always by immersion.


The Bible gives a number of reasons to be baptized:
We “put on Christ” when we are baptized.
Baptism is not an outward cleaning, but saves us through an inward cleaning. It is an appeal to God for a good conscience and asks God to take away the guilt of our past sin (that Christ paid for, wiping our “inner slate” clean).


According to the Bible, baptism is a requirement for salvation ( Mark 16:16; Titus 3:5). Baptism pictures the death and burial of our old self and our resurrection to a new life in Jesus Christ ( Romans 6:1-11). It is a physical demonstration of repentance ( Acts 2:37-38), and faith in Jesus Christ ( Mark 16:16; Acts 8:36-37). When baptized, our sins are forgiven, and spiritually washed away ( Acts 22:16). The physical act of baptism is not what cleanses us of sin ( 1 Peter 3:21), it is not some magical act, but a symbolic ceremony in which we express repentance, faith in Jesus, and the willingness to live a new life in Christ.

Answer 4

no it is not true. All you need to guarantee entrance to heaven is the honest belief that Jesus Christ is your savior. Baptism is generally a purification ritual using water practiced in many of various religions including Christianity. Today, water baptism is most readily identified with Christianity, where it symbolizes the cleansing (remission) of sins, and the union of the believer with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection so that he becomes one of Christ's faithful. It is basically just a symbol of your dedication to Christ. Some Christian groups assert baptism is a requirement for salvation and sacrament for Christians, calling this "baptismal regeneration". This is the general view shared by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, by churches formed early during the Protestant Reformation such as Lutheran, Anglican and Methodist. By contrast, Baptist groups espouse baptism as a worthy practice, but deny that baptism has any sacramental power, but rather only testifies outwardly to the operation of God's power, which is invisible, internal, and completely 'separate' from the rite itself. So, my personal belief is that it is not a requirement for salvation, it is simply an act of love and dedication.

Answer 5

No! Baptism is simply a conscious decision to acknowledge Christ. It's a good idea to get baptized but not getting baptized would not hinder you from getting into Heaven. Baptism is a symbol of death and Resurrection. Dying to the old life and rising to a new life.

Answer 6

This would very much depend on when you were born. In the days before computers everything was done on paper, but mind you the postal service was first class in those days wasnt it, anyway, back then, all you had to do when you got to the pearly gates was look innocent and puzzled, but with a sort of happy look on your face, and surely saint peter would have let you in. Nowadays of course, with all this damned cctv stuff and the bloody internet, for gruds sake, "they", upstairs know all about whats going on, whos been "done", who hasnt, its a nightmare, so many get to the gates only to be told that since the last defrag their name hasnt been found in the "baptised" folder tucked away in "my documents" on gods new laptop......still, cant complain, its all a bloody fairly tale anyway, aint no heaven aint no hell, unless you call asking silly questions to anonymous and equally silly people all over the english speaking world,heaven, then I guess we are already in hell

Answer 7

ABSOLUTELY NOT. Baptism is a "work," and Christians must understand that our works cannot save us. The only way we can be saved (i.e. go to heaven) is by God's grace. In other words, we are not saved by baptism, we are saved by faith.

However, failing (or refusing) to be baptized goes against a commandment from Jesus that we all submit to this. Jesus tells us that, if we love Him, we are to keep His commandments.

So while being unbaptized doesn't render your salvation moot, it does place you into disobedience.

Peace.

Answer 8

what do you beleive. let me guess, you have to be baptized after you are saved so that all your old sins will be washed away. thats suppose to be the purpose. well honey live the way you think is right. everyone makes mistakes. even the righteous. dont let a bible thumper scare you into something you don't beleive. look in your heart, the answer is there.

Answer 9

Man says no, but here is what the bible says.Mark16:16 He who believes and is BAPTIZED SHALL BE SAVED but he who does not believe WILL BE CONDEMNED.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them: Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS and you shall recieve the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Roman 6:3,4,5,6,- Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into he death? 4. Therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of his death certainly we also shall be in the likeness of his ressurection. 6. Knowing this that our old man was crucified with him that the body of sin might be done away with that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body- whether Jews or Greeks, whether slave or free--- and have all been made to drink into one spirit.

Galations 3: 27- For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.1 Peter 3:21 Therefore baptism doth also now save us, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience toward God by the ressurection of Christ Jesus.

Now man will tell you that even though these scriptures say what they do, they do not mean baptism is essential for salvation. That is another gospel than what the apostles preached. Here is what Paul says about people who say something different than they did

Galations 1:8,9 But even if we, or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9. As we have said before so now I say again if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have recieved, let him be accurssed.

Now I ask you this. Will you beleive man or the Bible? People will show you scripture that says we are justified by faith and not of works but then James says we are justified by works and not by faith only. Ask yourself what the bible says and follow only that.

Answer 10

i dont believe u have to. i was though when i was about 6 or 7 years old. it would please God if u did, but it WONT make u a better Christain or if ur not a Christain it wont make u one neither, the only way to become a Christian is to pray, and ask him to come into your heart. If ur still curious on how to become a christian, u can email me, and i will help u through it. God Bless!! ♥♥♥♥

Answer 11

Salvation alone is believing in Jesus Christ and confessing your sins to Him- repenting of them...then God wants us to be baptized. It says:

Mark 16:16
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Also:
Romans 10:9
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:10
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

-So believing is when you are saved, and then baptism is your statement of faith- outward expression to God....

Ephesians 1:13-14 says:
13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.