Please provide the scripture that say when one believes they are baptised with the spirit, in context.
What you are saying in regards to it *not* saying the believer who does not get baptized. I would concede, if and only if that were the ONLY verse dealing with baptism, that your view may carry some weight. But that is not the case and therefore these problems exist:
1) Just because the Bibble does not say something is an invalid claim because we have a lesson concerning this in the Old Testament.
Then Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his fire pan and put fire in it, set incense on it, and presented strange fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them to do.So fire went out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them so that they died before the Lord. - Leviticus 10:1-2
Nadad and Abihu assumed this would be ok since God had not commanded them not to do this.
The word translated as "strange" means "unauthorized, foreign, or profane". God specifically instructs people in the Torah precisely how to perform sacrifices. If you are going to apply this verse to baptism, then you would need to find a verse that shows God striking someone down for performing a "strange" baptism, and then the problem would be that they weren't doing the ritual of baptism correctly in the same manner as they weren't making an appropriate sacrifice. It has nothing to do with someone not being baptized at all in any case.
2) Your logic is like saying. He that breathes and nourishes his body will live. He that does not breath will die. Clearly if we only breath will not live.
Your analogy implies that there are 100's of other unspoken acts that must be also be performed in order to be saved (blood circulating properly, hearts beating, etc.), along with belief and baptism. Hope you don't leave any of them out and that you perform them all 100% and even then you are ultimately condemned because your body will eventually just stop functioning after it wears itself out.
(But even if every human being on this earth put all their good works together to try to save even one small person, they wouldn't be able to do it. It doesn't matter how many times they've been baptized even if they were baptized every day for the next 200 years. Because it's not *our* works that save us, but God's grace alone.)
3) we have scripture that explains WHY baptism is necessary. Baptism forgives our prior sins.
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. - Acts 2:38
And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. - Acts 22:16
God is the only one who can forgive sins. (Which is why the Pharisees and other religious leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy.) Note that it is the calling on the name of Jesus Christ that is the key here. The act of baptism itself isn't what does it. The act of baptism is symbolic and a public witness to our faith *after* we are saved. If all people needed to do was jump into water every time they sinned (and they may as well just live in the water if that's the case), then they wouldn't need God for something they could easily do themselves by taking a bath.
4) We are specifically told that if we say we love God and keep not His commandments we are liars and the truth is not in us. We are commanded to be baptized.
And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. -
Acts 10:48
Well let's see...who is the "he" and who is the "them"? The "he" in this verse is Peter and the "them" were Gentiles associated with Cornelius. Unless you believe that Peter is God (and I suppose some might, but I am not personally one of them), there is no commandment from God here to be baptized in order to be saved.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: - Matthew 7:21-24
Irrelevant to baptism, but glad that you pointed this one out. Note that the arguments in these verses are from those who argued about how they *did* all these *works* in the Lord's name, thinking that it was their works that were going to save them, which of course turns out not to be the case because it's not and never has been works, no matter how good they may be, that save us, but faith and God's grace alone.
Either way you slice it, unless you have a scripture that specifically says "baptism is unnecessary", you are trusting the eternal destiny of your soul to "your personal interpretation" of scripture. God's word is the truth, this is not what I am saying, it is what God has said.
In Him
What I do have is plenty of scripture that contradicts salvation through our works.
