1 Peter 3: 20-22 - 21
and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
Notice the wording “pledge” of a clear conscience toward God. Like the old you died and the new saved you promises a in the keeping of Christ Jesus’s commands. Also note that the resurrection is what saves not the baptism. ‘
Hebrews 9:14 14
How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,[a] so that we may serve the living God!
What this says is that once you accept Christ Jesus as your personal savior you are saved and start your life time commitment of salvation. That commitment includes Baptism, charity, and love
Romans 10:9-13 - 9
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Luke 3:8 - 8
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
Luke 7:50 - 50
Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
1 John 1:9 - 9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Ephesians 2:8-9 - 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
John 3:16 -
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 10:9 - 9
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture.
Mark 1:15 - 15
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!
Mark 16:16 - 16 W
hoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Note that it says “does not believe will be condemned” it does not say does not believe and isn’t baptized will be condemned.
Acts 2:21 - 21
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Acts 16:30-31 - 30
He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Romans 6:4 - 3
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Live a new life like a new saved creature not salvation.
2 Corinthians 5:17 - 17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Luke 7:44-50 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Your faith has saved you not your faith and baptism has saved you!
John 7:53-8:11
53 Then they all went home, 8 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Again she is saved by Jesus not by man’s hands of baptism.
Ephesians 2:8-10 8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Luke 23:39-43 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[a]”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
This scripture clearly shows that baptism isn’t part of salvation, but a commandment afterward. The thief clearly was saved with his last minute confession.
The first post ascension sermon was interupted by convicted souls asking, “Men and brethern, what shall we do?”
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 Holy Ghost”.
That’s Acts 2:38.......is it from heaven, or of men?
**Hebrews 9:14**
Written to those already born again (See Heb. 6:1-3).
**Romans 10:9-13**
Written to the saints at Rome (they were already born again. See Rm 6:3-7, and 17).
**2 Corinthians 5:17**
Written to the saints at Corinth. They were already born again as well.
**Ephesians 2:8-10**
Written to the saints at Ephesus. Yep, already born again.
Your references to the Gospels, including this...
**The thief clearly was saved with his last minute confession.**
...are examples of people who were still under the old testament, for Jesus hadn’t died yet. (Heb. 9:17).
**Acts 16:30-31**
Why did you stop with 31...Paul preached the word, and baptized them.
**This scripture clearly shows that baptism isn’t part of salvation, but a commandment afterward.**
I ask again, Acts 2:38...is it from heaven or of men?
>”Notice the wording “pledge” of a clear conscience toward God. Like the old you died and the new saved you promises a in the keeping of Christ Jesus’s commands. Also note that the resurrection is what saves not the baptism.”
Well as I noted in my other reply, I don’t speak Greek - but the translation as “pledge” is unique to the NIV.
To read it the way you are insisting, you’re saying that “my pledge saves me.” That’s jumped right past decision theology, that’s gone straight to works righteousness.
Here again is the link to the exegesis of the Greek of this passage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjcrsZFVyKw It’s only a few minutes, well worth the listen. If you accept his analysis, the translation of “pledge” is kinda dishonest.
“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6 3-4.
>40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[a]”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
This scripture clearly shows that baptism isn’t part of salvation, but a commandment afterward. The thief clearly was saved with his last minute confession.
Nope. Jesus was right there, personally told the thief “you’re saved.” Did Jesus say that to you? Not to your face. He instituted baptism (AFTER the thief on the cross, so baptism wasn’t even instituted yet at the time of the crucifixion) to accomplish this. Baptism is Jesus telling you “you’re saved, oh and here’s the Holy Spirit too.”
No doubt that Jesus’ resurrection saves you. No one is saved BY their baptism, merely THROUGH their baptism. I can look to God’s promises made in baptism that through it, I am His.
Also, for the rest of your life, you can look back to your baptism in times of doubt and know of God’s promises made therein, instead of looking towards some emotional “decision” I made to “accept Jesus as my personal Savior.”
>Your faith has saved you not your faith and baptism has saved you!
Actually, God’s grace saved me, though my faith. And God’s promises were given to me in my baptism.
It’s not absolutely required to be baptized to be saved. One who has faith without being baptized is certainly saved. But if one comes to faith by hearing the word (if you can be saved via audible sound waves, why can’t you be saved via water?), yet rejects being baptized, one certainly can question whether he has faith. Why would one have faith reject God’s promises?