You're hoping to change the subject then?
No, the subject is the same being that of salvation. Here is some more info I wrote about this.
Mark 16:16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved”
Jesus tells us that two things are needed to be saved,
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Mark 16, 15, 16. We see first, what is offered to men,
is the gospel. This gospel is defined in
1 Cor 15:1-4 as Paul showed, and this gospel is the death burrial and resurrection of Jesus Christ according to the scriptures. When anyone
believes this gospel and is
baptized they shall be
SAVED. We must therefore define what the baptism is here, because this is of vital importance.
When I speak of “
the gospel”, I speak of that truth which men have had revealed to them and to those who have heard the history of Jesus death, burrial and resurrection that was preached to them, or that they have read about. I am not speaking of the OT saints and their salvation, and those who never hear the historical gospel of Jesus Christ death, burrial and resurrection.
In the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed, (
Romans 3:22,23) this righteousness has been witness in the Old Testament Law and the Prophets. All men also have the true Light of Christ (
John 1:9) that shines in the heart to show the Light of the glorious gospel of Christ and the
hope of the gospel
(2 Corinthians 4:4-7, Colossians 1:23, &vs ). Jesus also said that men are blessed when they hunger and thirst after righteousness
(Matthew 5:6). This righteousness is Christ and his work for them in time and in their hearts. We read of the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life through the righteousness of Jesus Christ
(Romans 5:15,18).
So all men have some way that God can reach them though Christ Jesus,
(Acts 17:26-28, Romans 1:17-20 Romans 2:14-16, John 3:19-21) though there was no salvation without the work of Jesus Christ in time., Yet men were saved in the old testament still by grace through faith. But this discussion is for another proposition, to much information to get into at this time and would take us off the present issue of the saving baptism.
One thing we know about the gospel Paul preached, is that he did
not add water baptism to it 1 Cor 15:1-4. Therefore, this baptism spoken of by Jesus in
Mark 16:16 must be something other than water baptism. To be saved we must believe and be baptized as Jesus said. This baptism he speaks of, is spoken of as the baptism into Christ (Galatians 3:27) and this takes place at new birth, this is how we are saved by His grace. Gods grace has been shown on the cross without us and his grace is given to us and in us through faith, “
For by grace are ye saved through faith.” Ephesians 2:8). Grace being God’s working in us by his free gift and favour, and His Spirit, this saves us through faith.
This
two fold aspect of
“believe” and “
be baptised” to be saved, is identical to being saved by “
faith” and “
grace”. This is revealed in many types in the Old Testament, one being the water crossings of Moses and Joshua.
In the story of Moses in Exodus we read ,
“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD” Exodus 13;14, and this shows God’s work
for us without us on the cross and we cannot save ourselves, they were told to stand still, no works which we have done. The work is of God for us. We must simply believe. This is similar to the bronze serpent on the pole, all those who were bit had to simply look unto the serpent on the pole and believe. Then an inward change was done and they were healed, and the sickness was gone. It was not works on their part, but by their faith. Then God did the inward work.by his grace.
In the Joshua crossing through the Jordan river we see the Ark of the covenant going in first and then the 12 stones taken and put into the river and then 12 stones taken out of the river and Joshua went with them into the land and to seek to defeat all the enemies. This is a type of the death burial and resurrection that we have with Christ, as the 12 stones went down into the Jordan river and 12 stones were taken up into the new land, typifying death burial and resurrection. The word Jordan meaning place of death descending? Joshua then goes with the people into the new land and to defeat all the enemies. This is similar to Christ in us and his work in us and as we walk in the spirit in the kingdom of God in our hearts by his grace. But these two fold aspects are needed, the faith part Gods work for us through Christ on the cross, no works but faith, and and the baptism into Christ part, the grace we enter into at new birth by faith.
So in Mark 16:16, the
believing part is by
faith, and the
baptism part is by the
grace of God at the
new birth by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We see this two fold aspect many times in scripture. For example Paul says in Romans ,
” Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1,2. By faith we believe and are justified, and by grace are we saved and born again, and we enter into this grace by that faith being made a new creation in Christ and have God working in us, this is how we put on Christ.
So when Paul says,
“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body” 1 Cor 12:13 , and
“For as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ “ Galatians 3:27. This baptism is how we are saved and brought into Christ, this is a reality is
all believers through continual faith. And as Paul said,
“Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; “ Romans 4:16. The grace here is Gods work in our lives and this is the new life in Christ.
The
believing part, or the faith part, is that which makes reconciliation possible between God and man.
The baptism part, or the grace part, is Gods working in us at the new birth by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”Romans 5:10. His life is that unmerited favour to us, and so it is by grace are ye saved through faith. We enter into that power inwardly as well, for we read, that we are crucified with Christ (verse) buried with him) and risen with him.
So truly if a man says he believes (or has faith) and is not baptized into Christ ( or entered into the grace , grace being the divine influence and working of God and His spirit in our lives and all his favour unmerited to us), he does not have saving faith or the true baptism.. To say I have faith and not new birth is not salvation,. But to those who receive the gospel and truly believe they will then be baptized into Christ and have a new life and shall be saved by his life. Some may dunk under water and never be saved or have the saving baptism into Christ, but ALL those who truly believe the gospel, will be baptized into Christ by one Spirit
(1 Cor 12:13) .
So as Jesus said in Mark 16:16,
“he that believes and is baptize shall be saved”, this again is not talking about water baptism, but rather the baptism into Christ and how, by faith we
enter into the grace wherein we stand. The new birth is by the word of God the engrafted word which is able to save our souls. This is how we are born again and this word of God is the free gift given to men through the righteousness of Christ on the cross. And this is the word by which the gospel is preached