Naamanism: The Faith That Refuses Obedience
Naamanism: The Faith That Refuses Obedience
If you have your bibles turn with me to 2 kings 5
In 2 Kings 5, we meet Naaman, this man is not an Israelite. Actually he hated the Israelites. commander of the Syrian army — a man of great power, position, and pride. He was a mighty warrior, respected and wealthy, yet underneath all his armor was a hidden shame:
He was stricken with a deadly disease known as leprosy.
This disease caused extremities to die and turn purple and black and fall off
It caused boils all over your skin
And in his desperation for healing, Naaman traveled to Israel after hearing that the prophet Elisha could make him whole. When he arrived, Elisha did not even come out to meet him personally. Instead, he sent a messenger with a simple instruction:
“Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” — 2 Kings 5:10
Now lets stop for a second theres something I want you to see
The Hebrew word for “wash” here is רָחַץ (rachatz), which literally means to bathe, immerse, or dip. This is word is equivalent to the new testam,tn word baptize where we get the word baptize. So Naaman was commanded to baptize himself in the water in order to be healed of his disease.
Easy enough right? Well I guess not for naaman
Because Naaman got angry.
Listen to what he said
“Behold, I thought he would surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and cure the leper!” — 2 Kings 5:11
Do you see what I see?
Namaan wanted what some call a faith-only salvation,
an Old Testament version of the “sinner’s prayer” if you will
: some words spoken, a hand waved, and he believed he would be healed — no action, no obedience, just some words.
This is what I am going to start calling Naamanism —
A religion of faith without obedience.
Yes He had faith in God’s power but refused God’s method.
Which is disobedience. And really not faith at all/
So as we continue to read Naaman’s leprosy remained until his servant said some simple yet profound wordsa
Look at v. 13
So namaan humbled himself and baptized himself in the Jordan seven times, exactly as God commanded. On the seventh dip:
“His flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” — 2 Kings 5:14
Now we know that The water itself had no inherent healing power. It was his Obedient faith that did.
Now this brings us to today
What do we learn from this
Because after all look at what the bible says
Romans 15:4
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
Today many people in the spirit of naamanism
Deny baptism as essential for being cleansed
And like Naaman want to say what they call a sinners prayer
Where some words are spoken a hand is usually laid on their shoulder
But nowhere in the bible do we see this method or pattern
And in the story of Naaman we actually learn that this method is not of God
Now with that said There is similiarties between naamans baptism and new testament baptism
But there are also differences
Lets talk about the similiarties first
Naamans baptism and Christian baptism
Were for a cleansing of a disease
Nammans was physical but our disease is spiritual.
We all have a disease that is destroying and eating away at our soul and is ultimately going to kill us and separate us from God for all eternity
Naamans baptism and Christian baptism both involve immersion in water
Its very important we learn in the scriptures to follow Gods pattern exactly
Noah built the ark
Moses built the tabernacle
Solomon built the temple exactly according to the pattern
Not an inch off
Not a substitute for material
And again the bible says that happened to teach us a spiritual lesson
Do not build your life according to your own design
Do exactly what God says
That’s just common sense
Who here would change or ignore certain steps if following directions?
What would happen if we ignore step 2 in the directions?
If we are building something it would not be built right
If we were going on a trip we would never reach our destination
So it is with our spiritual journey and life
Some say sprinkle water on your head
Some say no pour it
Some say you don’t need water at all but a spiritual baptism!
If God told Naaman immerse himself 7 times
Then what would of happened if he sprinkled water on himself;f?
Or only did it 6 times/
Would he be cured?
Who are we to change the method and mode of baptism?
a key difference between Naaman’s experience and New Testament baptism:
1. Old Testament: Naaman was commanded to act personally — he himself dipped in the Jordan. His obedience was a private, personal act of submission.
2. New Testament: Baptism is still obedience in faith, but it is done within the community of believers. Other disciples or followers of the Way perform the baptism, emphasizing unity, accountability, and the one-body principle (1 Corinthians 12:13).
Many today miss this. They think they can be baptized once and live disconnected from the body of believers. But Scripture shows baptism is an act performed by believers for believers, initiating someone into the ekklesia, the one body of Messiah, and calling them to ongoing fellowship and obedience.
The New Testament Pattern
On Pentecost, Peter said:
“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Yeshua the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins.” — Acts 2:38
Saul (Paul) was told:
“Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” — Acts 22:16
Here we see that calling on the name of the Lord happens in obedience through baptism, not merely in words. Baptism is the washing of the soul, the cleansing from sin, and the regeneration of life in Messiah. And it is performed by one believer for another in the context of the body of Messiah, emphasizing community, accountability, and unity.
Faith in Action: Grace, Obedience, and the False Gospel of Belief-Only
The foundation of our salvation is the free gift of Yeshua’s death on the cross. That is grace. We are saved by grace through faith, not by works (Ephesians 2:8–9). Nobody can boast, for the gift is entirely God’s.
But grace is not forced on anyone. God offers it freely, but we must respond. Belief alone is not enough. Even demons believe that Jesus is the Son of the living God — yet they do not obey and are condemned (James 2:19).
There is a difference between belief and faith:
Belief is mental acknowledgment: “I think this is true.”
Faith is acting on what you believe — obedience to God’s commands that proves your belief is alive.
If you truly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God, that He came to give you a free gift of salvation, your response must be faith in action: obedience through repentance and baptism. True faith will act on God’s Word. Faith without works is dead (James 2:26).
The Danger of Belief-Only Teaching
Many popular ministers and televangelists teach belief-only salvation. Tens of thousands, even millions, have been told that simply saying a prayer or mentally acknowledging Jesus is enough, with no instruction to repent and be baptized.
Even the most fiery, correct sermons are worthless if the invitation at the end is “belief only.” Souls are left unwashed because obedience was removed. That is Naamanism in the modern church — believing without obeying.
Jesus’ Warning: Matthew 7
Jesus warned against this error:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many mighty works in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” — Matthew 7:21–23
Passionate ministry, miracles, and public works cannot substitute for obedience. If faith does not result in obedience, it is dead.
Baptism Is the Beginning, Not the End
Baptism is often misunderstood as the end of the journey. It is not. It is the beginning of a new life in Messiah. Too many stop at the water, thinking getting wet is enough. True baptism is a doorway into a life fully surrendered to Yeshua:
He is your life now; your mission, purpose, and desires are transformed.
Your behaviors, decisions, and goals are reshaped to follow Him.
If that transformation does not happen, then baptism was only physical immersion — you have simply gotten wet.
Baptism without understanding its true meaning is false baptism. Many treat it as a ritual, sacrament, tradition, or ticket to heaven — this is legalism, not surrender. True baptism is obedient faith in action, the first step into a life fully submitted to Messiah.
Conclusion: Faith That Obeys Is Faith That Saves
Naamanism — faith without obedience — is still alive today. The lesson of Naaman, the Hebrew word rachatz, the Greek baptizo, and the New Testament pattern all teach the same truth:
Faith must obey God’s commands.
Baptism is an act of obedient faith, done in community, calling on the name of the Lord.
Faith without action is dead; belief alone cannot save.
Baptism is the beginning of a transformed life, not a ritual to complete salvation.
To live is Christ. Your life, purpose, mission, and desires are now His. Anything less is Naamanism — belief without obedience — and it cannot save.
“He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.” — Mark 16:16
Faith begins with belief — but it is proven, completed, and made alive in obedience and surrender.