Can you please God and keep all of His commandments without being baptized?

Question:

Is it possible to please God and keep all of His commandments without being baptized?

The answer is NO. Baptism is a commandment of the Lord Jesus. Jesus commanded the disciples before His ascension to heaven:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20 NASB)

I invite you to watch this show about baptism:

Compared to other commandments, baptism is not a difficult commandment. For example, the command to get rid of the old man is one that you must do daily, while baptism is done only once, at the beginning of your life of faith. If you find it too difficult, how will you be able to fulfill the other commandments?

If you do not want to be baptized, then you refuse to identify with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, because baptism symbolizes this. Entering the water symbolizes the death of Jesus, and exiting the water – the resurrection of Jesus. If you do not want to identify with the death and resurrection of Jesus, then how can you follow the other commandments?

In Mark 16:16 it is also written:

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

So you cannot be saved unless you are baptized. If you have decided to be baptized, I invite you to catechesis classes. At the Church I pastor, the “Buna Vestire” church in Chisinau, we have church services every Tuesday at 18:00, Thursday at 19:00 and Sunday at 10:00. We are on 133 Vasile Alecsandri street.

If you have other questions about baptism, select the titles from the list below and read the articles:

1. Can you be saved without baptism?
2. How long shall a new repented person wait until he can be baptized?

Translated by Didina Vicliuc