Let me ask you , in the COC if one is drawn by the Father to repentance and belief and he gets hit by a car and dies before he is baptized IN YOUR CHURCH does that man go to hell?
Back to rightly dividing the word of God my friend. The book of James teaches about how the world sees us and believes our testimony . It is written to the saved, (the church) it is not a teaching on how to be saved, but on how a saved man lives .To whom is it addressed?
Jam 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
It is addressed to the saved.Jam 1:3 Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
James tells us how to live in the world as a testimony
Jam 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Who are we to be showing? God who knows the heart? NO God knows.. this letter is about our testimony to the world how the world sees our Justification .
The example of Abraham is clear to the jewish audience.. Abraham was justified by his faith
Rom 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath [whereof] to glory; but not before God.
Rom 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
The obedience of Abraham to offer His son was a Testimony to Abraham himself and to his son and to the men with him that he had a living Faith . He was justified in the sight of men by that act. God KNEW that Abraham would be obedient, God was not surprised. This test was to prove to Abraham and his seed and the people that would come after Him that men are justified by faith .
Abraham believed the promise of God for the nations coming out of his loins, so in faith he trusted God when he put his son on that altar.. this was all about faith and the testimony of it to the world.. His obedience and his works came from his faith .
That is the same as Baptism, Baptism is a testimony to the world of Gods work in us and our faith in him. It is a sign of our salvation