Is baptism required for salvation?
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Foreknowledge means that God knows the beginning to the end before He even began to create. He is similar to the fellow that sits in the reviewing stand during a parade. He can see the start of the parade and he can see where it ends. God from His heavenly pulpit can see the beginning, the middle and the end of all things. That is what 'omnipresent' means.
If someone doesn't agree, they're being very legalistic.
As to your last paragraph, I also agree. Baptism is supposed to be an outer sign of an inner change...Also Jesus said to do this so there must be deep reasons we don't even understand.
John said one would come after him that would baptize with power and the Holy Spirit,,,,this is repeated in Acts.
Mathew 3:11
Acts 1:8
I don't know about other churches that baptize babies, but I know why the catholic church does.
It has to do with original sin as understood by Augustine. It was he who declared that original sin is imputed to every human being and so, if a baby should die, it's best to baptize them asap to remove this sin from their soul since nothing unclean can enter into heaven...Rev 21:27
Of course God does not impute other's sins to any one of us, we suffer from the effects of Adam's sin, so babies go to heaven if they die since they have not reached the age of accountability.
As to your last paragraph, I also agree. Baptism is supposed to be an outer sign of an inner change...Also Jesus said to do this so there must be deep reasons we don't even understand.
John said one would come after him that would baptize with power and the Holy Spirit,,,,this is repeated in Acts.
Mathew 3:11
Acts 1:8
I don't know about other churches that baptize babies, but I know why the catholic church does.
It has to do with original sin as understood by Augustine. It was he who declared that original sin is imputed to every human being and so, if a baby should die, it's best to baptize them asap to remove this sin from their soul since nothing unclean can enter into heaven...Rev 21:27
Of course God does not impute other's sins to any one of us, we suffer from the effects of Adam's sin, so babies go to heaven if they die since they have not reached the age of accountability.
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Yup. In fact Augustine is also the forefather of calvinism, the calvinist's church history ends to Augustine, it doesn't go further because the earlier church fathers did not agree with their idea of predestination and defended free will against the gnostics who taught fatalism.
He is held in high regard in many churches for some odd reason.
He is held in high regard in many churches for some odd reason.
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Get your facts straight....
a. Which apostles would that be exactly seeing all of them were dead but possibly John?
b. Baptism is a work of righteousness and the 1st act of obedience AFTER ONE HAS BEEN SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH
C. NOT BY WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS which we have done, but according to HIS MERCY HAS HE SAVED US
D. BAPTIZO <--TO DIP OR PLUNGE--> IT REPRESENTS BURIAL and Jesus was SEALED IN A TOMB and we BURY PEOPLE UNDER THE GROUND
E. It is the PUBLIC TESTIMONY of our faith, a picture a painting of what has taken place INWARDLY in Christ....
How about get your facts straight before you indirectly address me........!!
a. Which apostles would that be exactly seeing all of them were dead but possibly John?
b. Baptism is a work of righteousness and the 1st act of obedience AFTER ONE HAS BEEN SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH
C. NOT BY WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS which we have done, but according to HIS MERCY HAS HE SAVED US
D. BAPTIZO <--TO DIP OR PLUNGE--> IT REPRESENTS BURIAL and Jesus was SEALED IN A TOMB and we BURY PEOPLE UNDER THE GROUND
E. It is the PUBLIC TESTIMONY of our faith, a picture a painting of what has taken place INWARDLY in Christ....
How about get your facts straight before you indirectly address me........!!
Do you realize that's saying we are saved by faith AND works? Works-salvationists will take both faith AND works, wrap them both up in a package, then simply stamp "faith" on the package AND making no distinction between faith AND works.
You can't have it both ways. First you said you agree with the Catholic that we are saved through (faith "infused" with works/faith "conjoined" with works) which amounts to salvation through faith AND works, but now you are back peddling (and in the right direction) when you said, "Only faith can save us. No amount of works can save us..."
Saved through faith, NOT WORKS, is crystal clear in Ephesians 2:8,9. I've heard Roman Catholics try to twist Ephesians 2:8,9 in order to make it say that we are saved through faith "plus these works" - "Being baptized, Eating His body and drinking His blood/partaking the Lord's Supper during Mass, Works of mercy and charity, Obeying his commandments etc.." and just not "those works" - works of the law, but that is NOT what Paul said. Elsewhere Paul said that we are not saved by works of righteousness which we have done.. (Titus 3:5) and God saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
Verse 10 makes it clear that we are saved FOR good works and NOT BY good works.
It's not that we "must" perform good works in order to become saved, but that we "will" perform good works IF we truly are saved. All genuine believers are fruitful, but not all are equally fruitful (Matthew 13:23).
BECAUSE we are saved or in order to become saved?
This is "descriptive" of BELIEVERS. 1 John 2:3 - By this we know that we have come to know Him, (demonstrative evidence) if we "keep" (Greek word - "tereo" - guard, observe, watch over) His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep (guard, observe, watch over) His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. We must not confuse "descriptive" passages of scripture with "prescriptive" passages of scripture.
In regards to Romans 1:5, although Paul can speak of people’s initial response of choosing to believe the gospel as an act of obedience, in which he describes it as "obeying the gospel" (Romans 10:16; 1:16), the purpose of Paul’s apostleship was not merely to bring people to conversion but also to bring about transformed lives that were obedient to God.
*Notice that Paul said they HAVE (already) received grace and apostleship FOR/UNTO obedience to the faith. Just as in Ephesians 2:10, Paul said that we are created in Christ Jesus FOR/UNTO good works. We are clearly saved FOR good works, NOT BY good works (Ephesians 2:8-10). Paul did not say that they did not receive grace and apostleship until they produced obedience "afterwards." We have access by faith into grace.. Romans 5:2 not faith "and obedience/works." We are saved through faith in Christ first, then "unto" obedience/good works.
You can't have it both ways. First you said you agree with the Catholic that we are saved through (faith "infused" with works/faith "conjoined" with works) which amounts to salvation through faith AND works, but now you are back peddling (and in the right direction) when you said, "Only faith can save us. No amount of works can save us..."
Saved through faith, NOT WORKS, is crystal clear in Ephesians 2:8,9. I've heard Roman Catholics try to twist Ephesians 2:8,9 in order to make it say that we are saved through faith "plus these works" - "Being baptized, Eating His body and drinking His blood/partaking the Lord's Supper during Mass, Works of mercy and charity, Obeying his commandments etc.." and just not "those works" - works of the law, but that is NOT what Paul said. Elsewhere Paul said that we are not saved by works of righteousness which we have done.. (Titus 3:5) and God saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
Verse 10 makes it clear that we are saved FOR good works and NOT BY good works.
It's not that we "must" perform good works in order to become saved, but that we "will" perform good works IF we truly are saved. All genuine believers are fruitful, but not all are equally fruitful (Matthew 13:23).
BECAUSE we are saved or in order to become saved?
This is "descriptive" of BELIEVERS. 1 John 2:3 - By this we know that we have come to know Him, (demonstrative evidence) if we "keep" (Greek word - "tereo" - guard, observe, watch over) His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep (guard, observe, watch over) His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. We must not confuse "descriptive" passages of scripture with "prescriptive" passages of scripture.
In regards to Romans 1:5, although Paul can speak of people’s initial response of choosing to believe the gospel as an act of obedience, in which he describes it as "obeying the gospel" (Romans 10:16; 1:16), the purpose of Paul’s apostleship was not merely to bring people to conversion but also to bring about transformed lives that were obedient to God.
*Notice that Paul said they HAVE (already) received grace and apostleship FOR/UNTO obedience to the faith. Just as in Ephesians 2:10, Paul said that we are created in Christ Jesus FOR/UNTO good works. We are clearly saved FOR good works, NOT BY good works (Ephesians 2:8-10). Paul did not say that they did not receive grace and apostleship until they produced obedience "afterwards." We have access by faith into grace.. Romans 5:2 not faith "and obedience/works." We are saved through faith in Christ first, then "unto" obedience/good works.
Repentance actually "precedes" saving faith in Christ. Acts 20:21 - testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. *Notice the order. Salvation through faith also "precedes" water baptism. Acts 10:43 - Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, 47 “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?”
Repent only means to be sorry for the sins you committed and that you don't want to do them again. Our flesh is at war with our spirit self and sometimes wins as it did with Paul or he would not write about his continued sinning in Romans 7 14-25
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (From the NIV bible)
So, if we are spiritual when we are saved, then there is no problem in being baptized. Our baptism is for the showing of our acceptance of Jesus as our saviour and is not dependent on being perfect.
I also see no need to laugh at someone you feel may be going to the lake of fire in the end. But don't worry about me. God has shown me that he has accepted me as his own by his punishments when I screw up.
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (From the NIV bible)
So, if we are spiritual when we are saved, then there is no problem in being baptized. Our baptism is for the showing of our acceptance of Jesus as our saviour and is not dependent on being perfect.
I also see no need to laugh at someone you feel may be going to the lake of fire in the end. But don't worry about me. God has shown me that he has accepted me as his own by his punishments when I screw up.
I'm sorry if I offended you. I didn't mention you or I would have tagged you.
What should I get straight? Since you brought it up... You're post #5 says this:
No.....immersion is the first act of obedience, it is the public testimony of your faith, it is a picture or painting of what has been accomplished inwardly..I.E. by faith you have died with Christ, been buried with Christ and are risen a new creation in Christ Jesus.......it is an answer of a good conscience toward God....it does not help save you, keep you saved, top off salvation, embellish or finish salvation.........!!
I understand that you're saying baptism does not save.
But aren't you also saying that it must be by immersion? This is the part of your statement I wouldn't agree with. If you make immersion absolutely necessary, it becomes a legalistic thing to do instead of a spiritual thing to do.
As to the Early Church Fathers, the apostles may have been dead, but didn't they teach others before dying? The others that they taught were the Apostolic Fathers and the Early Church Fathers. I like to check them out when there's a question because I believe they knew better what Jesus would have wanted and taught in His ministry.
This is from Wikipedia:
The Apostolic Fathers were Christian theologians who lived in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, who are believed to have personally known some of the Twelve Apostles, or to have been significantly influenced by them.[1] Their writings, though popular in Early Christianity, were ultimately not included in the canon of the New Testament once it reached its final form. Many of the writings derive from the same time period and geographical location as other works of early Christian literature that did come to be part of the New Testament, and some of the writings found among the Apostolic Fathers' seem to have been just as highly regarded as some of the writings that became the New Testament.
For instance, Ignatius of Antioch knew John personally and was taught by him.
I agree with everything else you've said except I don't agree that immersion is the only way to be baptized.
What should I get straight? Since you brought it up... You're post #5 says this:
No.....immersion is the first act of obedience, it is the public testimony of your faith, it is a picture or painting of what has been accomplished inwardly..I.E. by faith you have died with Christ, been buried with Christ and are risen a new creation in Christ Jesus.......it is an answer of a good conscience toward God....it does not help save you, keep you saved, top off salvation, embellish or finish salvation.........!!
I understand that you're saying baptism does not save.
But aren't you also saying that it must be by immersion? This is the part of your statement I wouldn't agree with. If you make immersion absolutely necessary, it becomes a legalistic thing to do instead of a spiritual thing to do.
As to the Early Church Fathers, the apostles may have been dead, but didn't they teach others before dying? The others that they taught were the Apostolic Fathers and the Early Church Fathers. I like to check them out when there's a question because I believe they knew better what Jesus would have wanted and taught in His ministry.
This is from Wikipedia:
The Apostolic Fathers were Christian theologians who lived in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, who are believed to have personally known some of the Twelve Apostles, or to have been significantly influenced by them.[1] Their writings, though popular in Early Christianity, were ultimately not included in the canon of the New Testament once it reached its final form. Many of the writings derive from the same time period and geographical location as other works of early Christian literature that did come to be part of the New Testament, and some of the writings found among the Apostolic Fathers' seem to have been just as highly regarded as some of the writings that became the New Testament.
For instance, Ignatius of Antioch knew John personally and was taught by him.
I agree with everything else you've said except I don't agree that immersion is the only way to be baptized.
I know we have this problem. Can the reason be our understanding of the terms Justification and Sanctification? What does sanctification mean to you?
J is an immediate act. We become saved ONLY by our faith. God deems us righteous...right with God.
It has nothing to do with anything we do or can do...it is purely by faith. Epesians 2:8-9 It's a gift of God based on our faith in Him and our promise to Him to follow Him.
100% correct. Except you veer off a bit when speaking about works of righteousness. You must surely know that works of righteousness are the works we do without faith, or the works the Jews tried to do to save themselves without faith in God. WORKS DO NOT SAVE. Emphasis (I don't scream). IOW, we are not under the Law, but under grace. This does not mean the law has been abolished, Mathew 5:17, it means we now have the grace to "keep" the law. By keep, I don't mean never sin - I've come to learn that some understand it this way. We will always sin to some degree.
Yes, we are saved FOR good works, NOT BY good works. And I hate that silly question: How many good works will it take to remain saved? Just those God tells us to do and gives us the strength to do. Maybe one person feels they only have to do little, maybe another person feels they have to do many....this is personal and is between the person and God.
BUT, here's a question you've never answered:
What if we don't do ANY "works"?
What if we just continue living our life as we were before?
Not having consideration for anyone, not helping any of God's creatures...etc.
What's the answer?
We make every thought captive to Christ....Because we are saved.
Maybe this is my problem. I see the church with persons in it who are clearly not following Jesus and yet they call themselves Christian and believe they are saved. I believe this preaching of just believing is very harmful to the Church , the body of believers. If we could agree that "works" are a sign of our faith in God, we'd be able to agree on everything...
Amen to that.
J is an immediate act. We become saved ONLY by our faith. God deems us righteous...right with God.
It has nothing to do with anything we do or can do...it is purely by faith. Epesians 2:8-9 It's a gift of God based on our faith in Him and our promise to Him to follow Him.
100% correct. Except you veer off a bit when speaking about works of righteousness. You must surely know that works of righteousness are the works we do without faith, or the works the Jews tried to do to save themselves without faith in God. WORKS DO NOT SAVE. Emphasis (I don't scream). IOW, we are not under the Law, but under grace. This does not mean the law has been abolished, Mathew 5:17, it means we now have the grace to "keep" the law. By keep, I don't mean never sin - I've come to learn that some understand it this way. We will always sin to some degree.
Yes, we are saved FOR good works, NOT BY good works. And I hate that silly question: How many good works will it take to remain saved? Just those God tells us to do and gives us the strength to do. Maybe one person feels they only have to do little, maybe another person feels they have to do many....this is personal and is between the person and God.
BUT, here's a question you've never answered:
What if we don't do ANY "works"?
What if we just continue living our life as we were before?
Not having consideration for anyone, not helping any of God's creatures...etc.
What's the answer?
We make every thought captive to Christ....Because we are saved.
Maybe this is my problem. I see the church with persons in it who are clearly not following Jesus and yet they call themselves Christian and believe they are saved. I believe this preaching of just believing is very harmful to the Church , the body of believers. If we could agree that "works" are a sign of our faith in God, we'd be able to agree on everything...
Amen to that.
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To be "sanctified" is to be "set apart/made holy" in standing before God, positionally in Christ. 1 Corinthians 6:11 - Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 1:2 - To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified (past tense) in Christ Jesus..
Yet I also see progressive sanctification in which the reality of that holiness becomes more and more evident in our actions, words, thoughts, attitudes, and motives. In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, we read - For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain (present tense) from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor. Some may ask the question, "is sanctification an event, a process or both?"
Here is how I see it. The believer possess a positional, judicial standing of righteousness positionally in Christ (sanctified/set apart/made holy) and, second, a remaining need for practical, progressive holiness.
Justification is an instantaneous occurrence with the result being eternal life. It is based solely on Jesus Christ and His finished work of redemption and is not based on our works (Romans 4:4-6; Philippians 3:9). So Christ saves us through faith based on the merits of His finished work of redemption alone and not based on the merits of our works.
I disagree. The Bible says in Titus 3:5 that it is not by works of righteousness which we have done, (Literally, "of works which are done in righteousness") but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which takes place when one is born again at the moment of salvation. This passage fully refutes the doctrine of meritorious works for salvation.
We are not under the law of Moses. Since the old covenant has been made obsolete, does this leave us with no moral direction? Absolutely not. God made obsolete the old covenant to "put legally into place" the new covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6-9; Hebrews 8:6-13). The life of discipleship flows out of the new command, to love one another as He loved us (John 13:34), which Paul refers to as the "law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). Love fulfills the law (Romans 13:8-10). Out of this single command comes other commands, including references for the moral aspect of 9 of the 10 commandments which are reiterated under the new covenant, yet the command to keep the Sabbath day is not binding on Christians under the New Covenant.
1. You shall have no other gods before Me. - Acts 14:15
2. You shall make no idols. - 1 John 5:21
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. - James 5:12
4. Keep the Sabbath day holy. - Not binding on the Church - Colossians 2:16-17
5. Honor your father and your mother. - Ephesians 6:1-2
6. You shall not murder. - Romans 13:9-10; 1 John 3:15
7. You shall not commit adultery. - Romans 13:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
8. You shall not steal. - Romans 13:9-10; Ephesians 4:28
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. - Romans 13:9-10; Colossians 3:9-10
10. You shall not covet. - Romans 13:9-10; Ephesians 5:3
From beginning "have been saved through faith" (Ephesians 2:8) to end "receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter 1:9) salvation is by grace through faith and is not by works.
James answers that question. In James 2:14, we read of one who says/claims he has faith but has no works (to evidence his claim). That is not genuine faith, but a bare profession of faith. So when James asks, "Can that faith save him?" he is saying nothing against genuine faith, but only against an empty profession of faith/dead faith. *Yet James does not teach that we are saved "by" works. His concern is to show the reality of the faith professed by the individual (James 2:18) and demonstrate that the faith claimed (James 2:14) by the individual is genuine. So to answer your question -- If someone says-claims he has faith but lacks resulting evidential works, then he has an empty profession of faith/dead faith and not authentic faith.
Amen!
There are genuine Christians and there are "nominal" Christians. There are genuine believers and there are make believers. Works are the fruit, by product and demonstrative evidence of genuine faith, but not the essence of faith and not the means of our salvation. Faith is the root of salvation and works are the fruit. No fruit at all would demonstrate there is no root.
Man is saved through faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9); yet genuine faith is vindicated, substantiated, evidenced by works (James 2:14-24). It is through faith "in Christ alone" (and not by the merits of our works) that we are justified on account of Christ (Romans 3:24; 5:1; 5:9); yet the faith that justifies is never alone (solitary, unfruitful, barren) if it is genuine (James 2:14-26). *Perfect Harmony*
Yet I also see progressive sanctification in which the reality of that holiness becomes more and more evident in our actions, words, thoughts, attitudes, and motives. In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, we read - For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain (present tense) from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor. Some may ask the question, "is sanctification an event, a process or both?"
Here is how I see it. The believer possess a positional, judicial standing of righteousness positionally in Christ (sanctified/set apart/made holy) and, second, a remaining need for practical, progressive holiness.
Justification is an instantaneous occurrence with the result being eternal life. It is based solely on Jesus Christ and His finished work of redemption and is not based on our works (Romans 4:4-6; Philippians 3:9). So Christ saves us through faith based on the merits of His finished work of redemption alone and not based on the merits of our works.
I disagree. The Bible says in Titus 3:5 that it is not by works of righteousness which we have done, (Literally, "of works which are done in righteousness") but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which takes place when one is born again at the moment of salvation. This passage fully refutes the doctrine of meritorious works for salvation.
We are not under the law of Moses. Since the old covenant has been made obsolete, does this leave us with no moral direction? Absolutely not. God made obsolete the old covenant to "put legally into place" the new covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6-9; Hebrews 8:6-13). The life of discipleship flows out of the new command, to love one another as He loved us (John 13:34), which Paul refers to as the "law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). Love fulfills the law (Romans 13:8-10). Out of this single command comes other commands, including references for the moral aspect of 9 of the 10 commandments which are reiterated under the new covenant, yet the command to keep the Sabbath day is not binding on Christians under the New Covenant.
1. You shall have no other gods before Me. - Acts 14:15
2. You shall make no idols. - 1 John 5:21
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. - James 5:12
4. Keep the Sabbath day holy. - Not binding on the Church - Colossians 2:16-17
5. Honor your father and your mother. - Ephesians 6:1-2
6. You shall not murder. - Romans 13:9-10; 1 John 3:15
7. You shall not commit adultery. - Romans 13:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
8. You shall not steal. - Romans 13:9-10; Ephesians 4:28
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. - Romans 13:9-10; Colossians 3:9-10
10. You shall not covet. - Romans 13:9-10; Ephesians 5:3
From beginning "have been saved through faith" (Ephesians 2:8) to end "receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter 1:9) salvation is by grace through faith and is not by works.
James answers that question. In James 2:14, we read of one who says/claims he has faith but has no works (to evidence his claim). That is not genuine faith, but a bare profession of faith. So when James asks, "Can that faith save him?" he is saying nothing against genuine faith, but only against an empty profession of faith/dead faith. *Yet James does not teach that we are saved "by" works. His concern is to show the reality of the faith professed by the individual (James 2:18) and demonstrate that the faith claimed (James 2:14) by the individual is genuine. So to answer your question -- If someone says-claims he has faith but lacks resulting evidential works, then he has an empty profession of faith/dead faith and not authentic faith.
Amen!
There are genuine Christians and there are "nominal" Christians. There are genuine believers and there are make believers. Works are the fruit, by product and demonstrative evidence of genuine faith, but not the essence of faith and not the means of our salvation. Faith is the root of salvation and works are the fruit. No fruit at all would demonstrate there is no root.
Man is saved through faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9); yet genuine faith is vindicated, substantiated, evidenced by works (James 2:14-24). It is through faith "in Christ alone" (and not by the merits of our works) that we are justified on account of Christ (Romans 3:24; 5:1; 5:9); yet the faith that justifies is never alone (solitary, unfruitful, barren) if it is genuine (James 2:14-26). *Perfect Harmony*
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Baptism is a command to do when you get saved. Does the servant think he is greater than his master? Jesus was baptized, the disciples and the early churched baptized in water. Clearly if one claims to be a Christian why would your first actions as one be disobedience and not do what the Lord said to do as soon as you could?
That is why baptismal instruction is so important. Most pastors do not provide sound doctrinal teaching on the subject and we see the results all across the church.
Ac 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
For the cause of Christ
Roger
Ac 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
For the cause of Christ
Roger