“But, if one considers it again, what bath would Jesus have been speaking of? Baptism?”
No, he was speaking of washing feet.
“If baptism is a remission of sins, then Jesus is saying that when one has been baptized, one has no need to be baptized again.”
Baptism of water is in recognition of forgiveness that happens when Jesus baptizes one in the Holy Spirit.
“We are forgiven our sins when we repent of them, so we must always be repentant.”
We are forgiven when we believe the promise of Jesus:
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
When you believe Jesus, you are placed IN CHRIST. God judges the heart, not a list of individual sins. “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already...”
It is a matter of adoption, not a series of court cases. Are you his child? Your son doesn’t cease to be your son every time he does wrong. And someone who is not your son will still not be your son, even if he does something right.
One of the errors of the Catholic Church - an error my Protestant parents also believed - is that God is an accountant, weighing how much good vs how much evil. He isn’t. He is your father, or not.
“1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” - Romans 8
Or as it is put in Hebrews 10:
For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
15And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,”
17then he adds,
“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
18Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.”
God is either your father, or not. He is not an accountant. You are his, or not. If you are his, then:
“...those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.”
“Called (ekalesen)
—Justified (edikaiwsen)
—Glorified (edoxasen).
All first aorist active indicatives of common verbs (kalew, dikaiow, doxazw). But the glorification is stated as already consummated (constative aorists, all of them), though still in the future in the fullest sense. “The step implied in edoxasen is both complete and certain in the Divine counsels” (Sanday and Headlam).”
http://www.studylight.org/com/rwp/view.cgi?book=ro&chapter=008&verse=030
It is 1:30 AM here, and I’m up with a sinus headache, so I apologize if I’m not clear. I will try to write more tomorrow.
The comments of Barnes on Romans 1:17 are worth reading:
“16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
“Verse 17. For. This word implies that he is now about to give a reason for that which he had just said, a reason why he was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. That reason is stated in this verse. It embodies the substance of all that is contained in the epistle. It is the doctrine which he seeks to establish; and there is not perhaps a more important passage in the Bible than this verse, or one more difficult to be understood.
Therein. In it—\~en autw\~—i.e. in the gospel.
Is the righteousness of God—\~dikaiosunh yeou\~—. There is not a more important expression to be found in the epistle than this. It is capable of only the following interpretations.
(1.) Some have said that it means that the attribute of God, which is denominated righteousness or justice, is here displayed. It has been supposed that this was the design of the gospel to make this known; or to evince his justice in his way of saving men. There is an important sense in which this is true, (Romans 3:26.) But this does not seem to be the meaning in the passage before us. For
(a) the leading design of the gospel is not to evince the justice of God, or the attribute of justice, but the love of God. See John 3:16; Ephesians 2:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; 1 John 4:8.
(b) The attribute of justice is not that which is principally evinced in the gospel. It is rather mercy, or mercy in a manner consistent with justice, or that does not interfere with justice.
(c) The passage, therefore, is not designed to teach simply that the righteousness of God, as an attribute, is brought forth in the gospel, or that the main idea is to reveal his justice.
(2.) A second interpretation which has been affixed to it is to make it the same as goodness, the benevolence of God is revealed, etc. But to this there are still stronger objections. For
(a) it does not comport with the design of the apostle’s argument.
(b) It is a departure from the established meaning of the word justice, and the phrase “the righteousness of God.”
(c) If this had been the design, it is remarkable that the usual words expressive of goodness or mercy had not been used. Another meaning, therefore, is to be sought as expressing the sense of the phrase.
(3.) The phrase, righteousness of God, is equivalent to God’s plan of justifying men; his scheme of declaring them just in the sight of the law, or of acquitting them from punishment, and admitting them to favour. In this sense it stands opposed to man’s plan of justification, i. e. by his own works. God’s plan is by faith. The way in which that is done is revealed in the gospel. The object contemplated to be done is to treat men as if they were righteous. Man attempted to accomplish this by obedience to the law. The plan of God was to arrive at it by faith, here the two schemes differ; and the great design of this epistle is to show that man cannot be justified on his own plan—to wit, by works; and that the plan of God is the only way, and a wise and glorious way of making man just in the eye of the law. No small part of the perplexity usually attending this subject will be avoided if it is remembered that the discussion in this epistle pertains to the question, “How can mortal man be just with God?” The apostle shows that it cannot be by works; and that it can be by faith. This latter is what he calls the righteousness of God which is revealed in the gospel.
To see that this is the meaning, it is needful only to look at the connexion; and at the usual meaning of the words. The word to justify—\~dikaiow\~—means, properly, to be just, to be innocent, to be righteous. It then means to declare or treat as righteous; as when a man is charged with an offence, and is acquitted. If the crime alleged is not proved against him, he is declared by the law to be innocent. It then means to treat as if innocent, to regard as innocent, that is, to pardon, to forgive, and consequently to treat as if the offence had not occurred. It does not mean that the man did not commit the offence; or that the law might not have held him answerable for it; but that the offence is forgiven; and it is consistent to receive the offender into favour, and treat him as if he had not committed it. In what way this may be done rests with him who has the pardoning power. And in regard to the salvation of man, it rests solely with God, and must be done in that way only which he appoints and approves. The design of Paul in this epistle is to show how this is done, or to show that it is done by faith. It may be remarked here, that the expression before us does not imply any particular manner in which it is done; it does not touch the question whether it is by imputed righteousness or not; it does not say that it is on legal principles; it simply affirms that the gospel contains God’s plan of justifying men by faith.
The primary meaning of the word is, therefore, to be innocent, pure, etc.; and hence the name means righteousness in general. For this use of the word, see Matthew 3:5; 5:6,10,20; 21:32; Luke 1:75; Acts 10:35; Acts 13:10; Romans 2:26; 8:4, etc.
In the sense of pardoning sin, or of treating men as if they were innocent, on the condition of faith, it is used often, and especially in this epistle. See Romans 3:24,26,28,30; 4:5; 5:1; 8:30; Galatians 2:16; 3:8,24; Romans 3:21,22,25; 4:3,6,13; 9:30, etc.
It is called God’s righteousness, because it is God’s plan, in distinction from all the plans set up by men. It was originated by him; it differs from all others; and it claims him as its Author, and tends to his glory. It is called his righteousness, as it is the way by which he receives and treats men as righteous. This same plan was foretold in various places, where the word righteousness is nearly synonymous with salvation. Isaiah 51:5, “My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth.” 6, “My salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.” Isaiah 56:1, “My salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.” Daniel 9:24, “To make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness.”
In regard to this plan, it may be observed,
(1.) that it is not to declare that men are innocent and pure. That would not be true. The truth is just the reverse; and God does not esteem men to be different from what they are.
(2.) It is not to take part with the sinner, and to mitigate his offences. It admits them to their full extent; and makes him feel them also.
(3.) It is not that we become partakers of the essential righteousness of God. That is impossible.
(4.) It is not that his righteousness becomes ours. This is not true; and there is no intelligible sense in which that can be understood. But it is God’s plan for pardoning sin, and for treating us as if we had not committed it; that is, adopting us as his children, and admitting us to heaven on the ground of what the Lord Jesus has done in our stead. This is God’s plan. Men seek to save themselves by their own works. God’s plan is to save them by the merits of Jesus Christ.”
http://www.studylight.org/com/bnn/view.cgi?book=ro&chapter=1#Ro1_17
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’”
John 3
Now, why would Jesus be speaking simply of washing feet?
As one who believes that every single thing recorded in Scripture has a message or a lesson for us, I am always wondering, why?
Why did Jesus do that?
Why did Jesus say that?
Obviously, I do not believe that baptism is merely a symbolic gesture, it is always tied to remission of sin.
Baptism and reception of the Holy Spirit start us on the road, and by the grace of both we in fact stay on that road, that narrow path to heaven.
What you presented is Scripture that seems to support a Sole Fide and Once saved always saved doctrine.
I could easily cut and paste or link to Catholic sites that use Scripture to support a different doctrine.
Without Jesus, crucified, died and risen, man has no hope of eternal life. I agree completely that it is only by Jesus that one can be saved.
We learn that in the Gospels.
But, the rest of the NT is how one is to live in Christ and what happens when one doesn’t.
Why is all this written, if one need only hear the Word and believe it?
We are called to be doers of the word, and we know that sin creates a chasm between us and God, so it must also create a chasm between us and His Word.
Repentance, confession and forgiveness are gifts from God, for our benefit. He is not an accountant ready with his list of assets and liabilities, but we are certainly going to stand in judgement for our lives, whether for evil or for good.
God never turns His face away from us, but we can, by our actions turn our hearts away from Him. Confession reminds US of our sinfulness, reminds US that we are to be constantly on guard against Satan, lest he lead us astray and reminds US that we have been bought at a great price, one that we can never repay, but one that we can certainly reject.
We are constantly told to hold fast, endure, repent, believe, in what is a ongoing lifetime process. Jesus’ sacrifice is indeed a once for all thing because Jesus as God is not bound in time as are we.
IOW, Jesus’ sacrifice was needed only once, but our reception of it is ongoing.
Jesus is perfect, we are not and will not be perfect until we rest in Him.
The fact that we are having this conversation illustrates exactly what is stated in this thread. Why Sola Scriptura does not work in the real world. That we all depend on someone else for our understanding of the Bible. So the question is, who do we believe?
Jesus? Of course, but as we see here, between you and I, on one small subject there is no agreement on what Scripture teaches and what are our obligations as Christians.