2 Timothy 1:9 (HCSB)
9
He has 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.
John 3:36 (HCSB)
36
The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.
John 6:47 (HCSB)
47
“I assure you: Anyone who believes has eternal life. {The very moment the Holy Spirit and birthed our human spirit}
1 John 3:15 (HCSB)
15
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
You are not one of those who thinks SALVATION and Sanctification are the same thing, are you ? ? ?
THEY ARE NOT AT ALL.
SALVATION happens before the beginning of time, and takes up residence in our Human Spirit, where it involves the Holy Spirit coming in, birthing our Human Spirit into eternal life, Pouring GOD's LOVE in our Human Spirit, and Baptizes us by immersing our Human Spirit Into the Spiritual Body of Christ. It happens the moment HE put Saving Faith in us, and it TOTALLY involves our Human Spirit.
SANCTIFICATION is disciplining our body a life long struggle, only because WE AGAPE LOVE HIM, to learn to walk like Christ, and includes getting Baptized in Water, but that is not the Baptism that SAVES US, that happened the Moment we BELIEVED.
Here is the Baptism that SAVES US:
1 Corinthians 12:13 (HCSB)
13
For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body— {Even the Thief on the Cross was SAVED that way.}
whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Now I will show you another Portion of Scripture that has BOTH BAPTISMS in it, and SEE WHICH COMES FIRST.
So which is the BAPTISM THAT SAVES? It is Spiritual Baptism being Immersed into CHRIST's spiritual body.
THAT IS THE ONE BAPTISM that SAVES.
Acts 8:26-39 (HCSB)
26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road.)
27 So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem
28 and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud.
29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”
30 When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this: He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before its shearer, so He does not open His mouth.
33 In His humiliation justice was denied Him. Who will describe His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.
34 The eunuch replied to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about—himself or another person?”
35
So Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning from that Scripture.
36 As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water! What would keep me from being baptized?”
37
And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
{Now right after HE declared HE BELIEVED in Jesus Christ, was the MOMENT his human spirit was immersed into the Spiritual Body of Christ, literally. THAT IS THE MOMENT HE WAS SAVED, and CONFESSED, Rom 10:9-10. SALVATION has Nothing to do with WATER.}
38
Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
{So this guy got busy on his walk with Christ immediately.}
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer. But he went on his way rejoicing.