This will be a short post where I refute the abuse and misuse of Ephesians 1:13-14 by heretics who seek to deny that water baptism regenerates:
“In Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”
It is claimed that this inspired text of Scripture affirms that the holy and beloved Apostle taught that a person is sealed by the Holy Spirit by believing, and therefore refutes water baptismal regeneration.
On the contrary, if an individual doesn’t butcher Paul’s words by reading him out of context, s/he will discover what it means to believe according to this inspired emissary of Christ:
“one Lord, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM;” Ephesians 4:5
“For you are all sons of God THROUGH FAITH in Christ Jesus. For all of you WHO WERE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.” Galatians 3:26-29
“in whom you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, HAVING BEEN BURIED WITH HIM IN BAPTISM, in which you were also raised up with Him THROUGH FAITH in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” Colossians 2:11-13
“Or do you not know that all of us WHO WERE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST JESUS were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him THROUGH BAPTISM into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died has been justified from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all, but the life that He lives, He lives to God.” Romans 6:3-10
“that if you CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, leading to righteousness, and WITH THE MOUTH HE CONFESSES, leading to salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes upon Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him, for ‘Whoever CALLS ON the name of the Lord will be saved.’” Romans 10:9-13
The foregoing emphatically affirms that Paul defines belief as confessing that Christ is Lord and being baptized for his sake. It is only then that the Spirit seals believers by uniting them to the risen Lord, making them a part of Christ’s spiritual Body:
“For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For also by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-14
Interestingly, the NT indicates that this confession of calling upon Jesus as Lord occurred during the act of baptism, as we find in the case of Paul’s own conversion!
“But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ And those who were with me beheld the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. And I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been determined for you to do.’ But since I could not see because of the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those who were with me, I came into Damascus. Now a certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me, and standing near, said to me, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ And at that very hour I regained my sight and saw him.And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from His mouth.For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.Now why do you delay? Rise up AND BE BAPTIZED, AND WASH AWAY YOUR SINS, CALLING ON HIS NAME.’” Acts 22:6-16
Notice how confession and water baptism are directly connected to the washing away, i.e., forgiveness, of sins!
Therefore, according to this blessed Apostle there can be no true faith that doesn’t encompass and include being baptized into Christ, since true belief is being faithful to do all that God commands:
“For by grace you have been saved THROUGH FAITH, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast. FOR we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus FOR GOOD WORKS, which God prepared beforehand SO THAT WE WOULD WALK IN THEM.” Ephesians 2:8-10
And one of God’s commandments involves being baptized into water for salvation, especially for the forgiveness of sins:
“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.’” Mark 16:15-16
“Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men, brothers, what should we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.’” Acts 2:37-39
“Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal of a good conscience to God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.” 1 Peter 3:21-22
All scriptural references taken from the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB).
FURTHER READING
Answering Islam Blog 
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