Faith "alone"

[Bro.T]

Faith always produces repentance. They cannot be divorced. Saving faith is when you believe you are a sinner and deserve wrath and believe Christ bore the wrath of God for you and want to be right with God and trust in Jesus' atoning sacrifice for your righteousness. That will always produce repentance, a turning away from sin. If you do not turn away from sin then either you don't truly want to be right with God or you don't truly believe God keeps his promises.

So repentance is necessary for salvation in that faith is necessary for salvation. You can't have one without the other. Faith is a prerequisite to repentance and repentance always accompanies true faith.

Water baptism is not necessary or else Jesus lied when he told the man who died next to him, "Today you will be with me in Paradise."

As Piper says, the great error of a salvation by faith and works view is the mingling of sanctification and justification. We are justified by faith, and all those who are justified will be sanctified. Piper explains:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...12&start=10&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=5

Water baptism is not necessary or else Jesus lied when he told the man who died next to him, "Today you will be with me in Paradise."

That is totally wrong, Where is it written that those two men never got baptize. Jesus said to repent then get baptize in the name of Jesus.


If we truly love God, then we will obey "[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Every word[/FONT][/FONT]" that proceeds out of his mouth. Baptism is one of those words. In order to be baptized, certain events must take place: You must give up a lifestyle where sin has dominion, (ruler ship) over you. Sin according to 1 John 3:4, is the transgression (breaking) of the law.

You must be taught "The Word", before you can adhere to God's commandments (judgments\statues). These laws are found in the Holy Bible; beginning with Genesis and ending with Revelation. You must believe what the bible says and finally, you must confess that Jesus is Lord. Once this has been accomplished, you are qualified to be baptized.

"And he said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:15-16). Listen people! Baptism is a commandment or requirement for salvation. To reject baptism is death; so, why will you die? Every soul that is baptized honors God and every soul that rejects baptism dishonors God.

"And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him." (Luke 7:29-30).

People, if you are in a position to be baptized, why reject the counsel of God? Rejecting God's counsel will get you eternal life in the burning flames (lake of fire) with the scribes and Pharisees. "For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, Ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5: 20).

Anyone that is not baptized is a person with their sins yet upon them, because it is the baptism that washes away our past sins. "And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16):Remember, before his crucifixion, Jesus told his disciples that his time (death) is not yet come; He also informed them that their time (death) can come at any moment. Brothers and sisters I beg of you, don't delay your baptism.

 

[heymikey80]

This is a "forum to ask Calvinists questions about their beliefs."

I appreciate that you understand these verses to mean what you say, and actually they are very enlightening and useful to point up the importance of baptism, yes, and that it is a great sin to neglect baptism. They just don't demand the rite of baptism be applied in order for each person to be saved. Unbelief is what is damned.

Jesus Christ came to forgive sins -- transgressions of truly, perfectly good rules.