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NASB | Romans 10:9 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; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 10:9 because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. |
Subject: Isn't Baptism neccessary for salvation?? |
Bible Note: Good Morning, You wrote: "The baptism you describe is devoid of the meaning given it in the Holy Bible. If I understand you correctly, it is God who, essentially, makes you get baptized. So it's not about if you want to be baptized, you just will. You would have to conclude that God makes a lot of people put off their baptism for weeks, months, years, and indefinitely." Perhaps I was not clear. It is not a case of God "making" a new believer be baptized or "making" him repent or anything else. When one is born from above by the will of God (John 1:13) they will desire to obey and please their Lord. When their eyes have been opened and they see themselves for the first time; their sinfulness; their depravity and their hopeless condition apart from Christ. They, for the first time, desire to please God from a heart of love for Him. So rather than baptism being devoid of mraning, it takes on real meaning! The new christian is identifying with His Lord's death, burial and resurrection before the face of God and the world. You also asked: " How would that theory work with other doctrines. Excuse me Mr. Pastor, can I put off tithing for a time when God moves me to do it?" Do you trust that God is working in you, changing you and making you into more perfect reflection of His Son; or are you relying on what you make up your mind to do i.e. works? John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing". Your last point was: " I believe that truth convicts my heart to respond to the Gospel to be saved." Were you a natural man when you heard the gospel call? Yes, you were. If you are like me (and many other believers) you have looked back on that day and wondered "Why did God choose such a wretch like me?". I am certain (at least I hope) that you took no credit whatsoever for your salvation. You never said "I had a good thing in and of myself that responded to God's call". No! You gave God all the glory...It must be so! Why do you now give credit (for thats what it seems) to your own sensitivity to truth and humility? You were DEAD and dead things respond to NOTHING. Just as Jesus raised Lazurus' dead body from the tomb, God raised your dead spirit to eternal life. "But", you say, "I exercised faith, I repented; I believed; I confessed Christ with my mouth and was baptized!" Yes you did thaose things but only by the grace of God. He gave you the gift of faith, granted you repentance and placed within in you new desires from a new heart. Salvation is God's work not ours. That is why none will boast. John Reformed |