South End
Church of Christ

4001 Taylor Blvd
Louisville, KY 40215

 

Is Baptism a Meritorious Work?
Aaron Erhardt
 

There are different kinds of works mentioned in the New Testament. We read about "works of the law" (Galatians 2:16), "works of the flesh" (Galatians 5:19), "works of darkness" (Ephesians 5:11), "our works" (2 Timothy 1:9), "works of the devil" (1 John 3:8), etc. We are not saved by any of those works. However, to say that there are no works involved in salvation will take one further than he wants to go because belief is a work (John 6:28-29). Must one believe to be saved? Then works are involved in salvation. Baptism is the same kind of work as belief. Both are works of God.

Baptism is distinguished from meritorious works in the New Testament. Titus 3:5 says that God saved us "not because of works done by us in righteousness" (i.e., meritorious works) but by "the washing of regeneration" (i.e., baptism). Hence, baptism is not a meritorious work.

By being baptized, one is simply meeting the conditions of God's grace. It is no different than Noah building the ark, the Israelites marching around the walls, Naaman dipping in the Jordan River, or the ten lepers going to show themselves to the priests. They were not engaging in meritorious works; they were merely meeting the conditions of God's grace.

   

 


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