Subject: Saved by belief or belief and baptism? |
Bible Note: I do believe that baptism in water is necessary for the forgivness of sins. I do not believe that there is power in the water. I merely believe that God meets us with salvation when we are immersed into water by the authority of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When did God meet Naaman with a healing from his leprosy? After he dipped in the Jordan River seven times. It is true that Romans 3:28 tells us that we are not saved by the works of the law. Yet, this is the Law of Moses he is talking about here. The Law of Moses and baptism have nothing to do with one another. The command to be baptized is a New Testament precept, not Old Testament. At the same time we should never look at baptism is a thing we do to earn salvation. We are baptized to obey God. It is one of the conditions of salvation. Salvation can be likened unto a check. If I decided I wanted to give you a gift and wrote out a thousand dollar check, what conditions would you have to meet before recieving the 1,000 dollars. You would have to sign it and take it to the bank. Just because you signed it and took it to the bank doesn't mean you earned it or worked for it. God gives salvation freely out to all those who will obey him. Some will ask, "What if you were to die while you were on your way to be baptized?" That's a good question. I'm glad God is the judge and not I. I believe God would still save that person because of his willingness to obey. But this still does not take away the importance of baptism. You also say we are saved by faith alone. I will have to agree. The devils believe in God as well, but we know they are not saved(James 2:19). The only time the Bible mentions the words "faith only" is in James 2:24. Yet it says a man is not saved by faith alone. There is much more that could be said, but I will stop here for right now. Thank You and In Christ, Coty |