Hi again Evangelist
I seems that you didn't respond much to the last three posts that I've written. I would ask that you go back through them, especially the one that talks about love. I'm very interested to hear what you have to say about them

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evangelist said:
First, we are told throughtout Scripture that Jesus is our salvation, not water.
I have never said that water is our salvation. You must be confusing me with someone else. In fact, time and time again I have said that there is
no power in the water. Being baptized for the remission of sins is something that we must do because it is something that God has said we must do - it is at this point that God has chosen to forgive our sins (this is what remission of sins means) and to bestow His grace upon us (Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, Colossians 2:12)
"Fix your eyes upon Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith..."
The question I ask you, my friend, is this, does water begin or finish your faith? Does water or Jesus begin and perfect your faith? The Scripture, the truth, tells us Jesus perfects our faith not water.
I would appreciate it if you would put verse references when you quote from the Scriptures, that makes it easier for everybody to find out exactly where you're quoting from. WIth that said, let's consider what you've quoted within the context of where it's found. You've quoted from Hebrews 12:2, so let's consider what's around that:
Hebrews 11:24-12:3 ASV
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; (25) choosing rather to share ill treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; (26) accounting the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he looked unto the recompense of reward. (27) By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. (28) By faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, that the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch them. (29) By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were swallowed up. (30) By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been compassed about for seven days. (31) By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that were disobedient, having received the spies with peace. (32) And what shall I more say? for the time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah; of David and Samuel and the prophets: (33) who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, (34) quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, waxed mighty in war, turned to flight armies of aliens. (35) Women received their dead by a resurrection: and others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: (36) and others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: (37) they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword: they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (38) (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves, and the holes of the earth. (39) And these all, having had witness borne to them through their faith, received not the promise, (40) God having provided some better thing concerning us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. [Chapter 12] Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (2) looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (3) For consider him that hath endured such gainsaying of sinners against himself, that ye wax not weary, fainting in your souls.
I've quoted quite a bit, but if you really want to get the full picture you should read the entire 11th and 12th chapters - we have to remember to keep things in Context!
Nowhere withing this passage of Scripture do we have the idea that we have to do nothing but believe. As a matter of fact all of the people who are mentioned in chapter 11 are doing things because they believe - believing wasn't enough, they had to act on their belief. This is the reason that Christ is mentioned. He suffered because He knew what He was saying to be true: He was the Son of God, He came to save sinners, He was the Way, the Truth and the Life. He was also the fulfillment of promises that were given in the Old Covenant. In this way He is the perfector of our faith,
not that He magically makes
your faith perfect, but He made
the faith perfect or complete. He fulfilled all of the promises from the Old Testament, lived a perfect life and died as a sacrifice for sins, once for all. Hebrews 11:39, 40 is crucial to this understanding. If we have the faith that Christ perfected, then we can have the faith that is perfect.
The way that you are trying to use the verse would imply that your own personal faith had been perfected, and that's simply not what this passage means. I do agree with you, however, that Christ is the author and perfector of faith.
This means, then, that when Jesus tells us something, that we should do it. In Mark 16:16 and Matthew 28:19 Christ tells us that we should be baptized. Why do you argue against this?
Secondly, can one find righteousness through water or through Christ? The Scripture states we find righteousness through Christ.
Again, there is no power in the water, it is simply water. God has chosen to forgive us of our sins when we are baptized, that is why baptism is for the remission of sins. One becomes a child of God after they have been baptized, and then has the promises and privelidges of being a child of God.
I hope that this has helped, at least a little. If you're interested in talking more about the section from Hebrews I would readily welcome that

. If there's any other questions or comments you have, I'm also looking forward to those, too.
