One must believe Christ's words before they can repent....."the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." People believed Jesus existed but did not believe the words He said.
Works salvationists believe Jesus existed, but do not believe the words He said and instead twist His words, which does not result in repent and believe the gospel.
One's unbelief is demonstrated/proven by them NOT DOING what Christ said one must do to be saved in repenting, confession and submitting to baptism.
Jesus told us what to do to be saved in John 3:15,16,18; 6:40,47; 11:25,26. Repent (Luke 13:3) precedes saving belief and confession is an expression of faith and the mark of a genuine believer (Matthew 10:32-33), not a work for salvation. Believers receive water baptism BECAUSE they are saved and not in order to become saved (Acts 10:43-47).
The kind of belief in the NT that saves is always the same belief which includes repentance confession and baptism. You have consistenly failed to provide a logical, biblical reason as to why water baptism is not essential to being saved.
The kind of belief in the NT that saves is belief that
trusts exclusively in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Trusting in works for salvation = unbelief. I have provided numerous Biblical reasons as to why water baptism is not absolutely necessary for salvation on Christian Chat to you in the past, but the truth continues to go right over your head. Your 4 step plan of salvation is the result of bad semantics and flawed hermeneutics.
You posted
Many people (including myself) have refuted your watered down gospel and have defended the truth that salvation is by grace through faith, not works,
This proves my point in your inability to provide a logical, biblical reason against the necessity of water baptism in being saved.
I have already provided a Biblical reason why numerous times on Christian Chat and continue to do so. -
"EIS" OR "DIA" OR "HOTI" ?? - Page 6 - Christian Chat Rooms & Forums
In Ephesians 2:8-10 the phrase "not of works" refers to works of merit one does to earn salvation whereby he could boast of those works. The faith onlylist creates a whole host of logical biblically contradictions by trying to claim "not of works" eliminates ALL works from being saved.
Works salvationists try to "get around" Ephesians 2:8,9 by teaching that works are limited to merely certain works (saved by these works and just not those works), yet Paul goes not to say in Titus 3:5 - "not by works of righteousness which we have done" and in 2 Timothy 1:9, Paul said "not according to our works," so good works in general are covered.
--Faith/believing is a work, so not of works cannot eliminate the work of faith.
Faith is not just another work in a series of works in a quest to receive salvation by works. Believing is not a work that merits salvation. Through believing, we are completely trusting in "Another's work," (Christ's finished work of redemption). Repenting is not a work that merits salvation either. We must first repent "change our mind" before we can believe (trust in Christ's finished work of redemption) to save us. Through repentance/faith, Christ is still the object of our
complete trust in receiving salvation. Baptism is a work which
follows faith and if it's necessary for salvation, that would add merit on our part to our salvation because now we are saved through Christ's finished work
plus our baptism.
--Paul would contradict himself where twice just in this one chapter he put obedient works BEFORE salvation
Paul does not contradict himself by putting obedience works before salvation. You have misinterpreted Paul.
--it contradicts all the verse where Christ said men are to 'DO' to be saved Luke 6:46; Matthew 7:21-26; John 3:21; John 6:27; John 9:31; Luke 13:24; etc
There is nothing in any of these verses that teach DO works to be saved, but those who are saved DO works. You are putting the cart before the horse. The natural man does not understand - 1 Corinthians 2:14.
Matthew 7:21 - Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the
will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
John 6:40 - For
my Father’s will is that everyone who
looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
These many people (unbelievers) in Matthew 7:22 had the wrong foundation. They were trusting in their works to save them and NOT IN CHRIST ALONE. Jesus
NEVER knew them which means they were
NEVER saved. Their hearts were not right with God, so their attempted external obedience was stained with sin. *Seeking salvation by works is not the will of the Father.
John 17:3 - And
this is eternal life, that they may
know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. The term "know" implies intimate, experiential knowledge, through a relationship with Him, not merely theoretical knowledge. These many people were not true converts.
Without faith it's impossible to please God no matter how many alleged wonderful works that these many people set out to conjure up through the flesh. This is why Jesus referred to them as WORKERS OF INIQUITY/LAWLESSNESS! They were self righteous. Sound familiar?
As we read on in Matthew 7:24-27, we find two different foundations with two different results, and not salvation by works, as some would suppose. Each house has a different material upon which its foundation is laid, and each house has a different final outcome. One house is built by a wise man upon a
rock and it
stands. The other is built by a foolish man upon the
sand and it
collapses.
Those deceived by their own self-righteousness in Matthew 7:22-23 were "outwardly" doing all the things that the righteous would do yet they
did not truly know Christ (had no personal relationship with Christ)
which stemmed from not truly believing in Him. The rock the wise man builds upon is true righteousness found in Jesus Christ alone. The sand the foolish man builds upon is self-righteousness.
*Only those who
truly believe in Him are wise and hear the words of Jesus and properly act on them. *The foolish man twists the words of Jesus and acts on their own self-righteous works system and calls that acting on the words of Jesus.
In regards to "strive" to enter through the narrow gate, this signifies a great struggle against conflict. Christ was not suggesting that anyone could merit heaven by striving hard enough to receive salvation based on the merit of their own works. No matter how rigorously people labor, we could never save ourselves by works. Entering through the narrow gate is nonetheless difficult because of it's cost in terms of human pride and because of the sinner's love for sin which prevents them from coming to FAITH. It's a struggle and an endeavor for unbelievers let go of their pride and their works and take hold of Christ by FAITH.
--the arguments against obedient works in doing God's will is based upon the faulty idea that if one does any work he is trying to earn salvation. Ye this false notion rejects the every day fact free gifts (as salvation) comes with conditions and meeting the conditions do not/cannot earn the free gift that has already been offered.
This is nothing but sugar coated double talk. Free gifts don't come with conditions other than accept the free gift or reject it. You are trying to earn your salvation based on works so you have rejected it. There is a difference between doing God's will in order to receive the gift of eternal life (John 6:40) and doing God's will after we have received the gift of eternal life (1 Thessalonians 5:14-18).
One must obey the gospel to be saved (2 Thessalonians 1:8) and the gospel is the death burial and resurrection of Christ (1 Cor 15:1-4) and water baptism is a form of the gospel's death burial and resurrection (Romans 6) therefore is HOW one obeys the gospel.
One must obey the gospel to be saved (2 Thessalonians 1:8) and we obey the gospel by choosing to believe the gospel (Romans 10:16; 1:16). Water baptism is a picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and we get water baptized AFTER we believe the gospel and become saved (Acts 10:43-47; 11:17,18; 15:8,9; Ephesians 1:13). Your perverted Campbellism gospel is a "different" gospel.
Faith only is NOT that form of doctrine where one obeys the gospel in dying, being buried and resurrected for faith only is dead, it's nothing.
Faith only (per James) is an empty profession of faith (James 2:14) that merely claims to be genuine but demonstrates by the lack of producing any works that it's dead. That is not genuine faith, but a bare profession of faith. Dead faith cannot save and faith in works cannot save. Only faith (rightly understood) in Christ alone saves (Ephesians 2:8,9). "Obeying the gospel" and "obeying that form of doctrine" in these passages is really a synonym for BELIEVING the gospel. Being slaves of sin is put in the past tense. Paul goes on in Romans 6:18 -
"You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."
Notice in Romans 10:10 - For with the heart one
believes unto righteousness..
Notice in Romans 4:5 - But to him who does not work but
believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his
faith (not works) is accounted for righteousness.
It's painfully obvious that you are still deeply indoctrinated into Campbellism (same old Seabass) and you still simply REFUSE to REPENT and BELIEVE the gospel. This has been an interesting trip back down memory lane with you, but I have better things to do than continue to waste my time beating a dead horse. As always, I will continue to pray for you.
