Hi Dan,
Greeetings in the Lord!
Not to leave a question unanswered, I agree with the validity of your point in repetitive mention of an ordinance being unnecessary.
Where you say, "If the testament says ONE TIME that by being baptized I show a good conscience towards God then Yes Lord it is so. I don't need it in every verse."
This is my point exactly. We agree upon salvation by grace only, and differ where I view baptism as an act of obedience "showing good conscience" but not the actual act being necessary to be saved. This is my understanding please correct me if I'm misinterpreting your view.
You know I would bring up the thief on the cross :0)
The viewpoint that the repentant thief was not under the new covenant of grace as the sacrifice was not yet complete therefore his words to Jesus on the cross were counted as faith for righteousness at the end. Therefore they say that baptism wasn't necessary for the repentant thief to be saved as he was still under the law and the new covenant of grace had not been established as of yet.
This is why I disagree....
The repentant thief died after Jesus did.
John 19
31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs...
The grizzly act of breaking the legs of crucifixion victims invoked suffocation in short order as they could no longer support their body weight. Because of the position of the arms it would be like trying to lift your lower body weight using the diaphragm with each breath.
With the Lord's last words at death, "It is finished" the new covenant is firmly in place. The veil is rent signifying the end of the old.
The thief who is still alive cannot be baptized other than by the Spirit entering into him. If water baptism is necessary for salvation this man could not be saved as the Lord told him he would be.
This I think is one of the strongest indicators that the physical act of baptism is not necessary for salvation. What do you think of his postition?
In Christ,
John |
