You folks probably hold Romans 10:9 and 13 as pillars in your message of salvation, along with Acts 16:31 and John 3:16.
Romans, like the other epistles, was written to believers, ‘those called to be saints’. They already knew about being ‘born of the water and the Spirit’, and that ‘he that believeth (no comma in the KJV) and is baptized shall be saved. And a clear confirming of those folks faith was addressed in Rom. 6 by Paul, who alluded to their being “buried with him in baptism into death” (that’s not Holy Ghost baptism, for the Spirit is not death but life). A few verses later Paul joyfully says to these church members:
“But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being THEN made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness.” vrss 17,18.
Right after Acts 16:31, the keeper of the prison, and his household, was taught the word of the Lord and was baptized straightway. (doesn’t say ‘water’, but doesn’t say Spirit baptism either. It may have been both. But, per scriptures, Paul baptized folks in Corinth and Ephesus.
John 3:16 is a concluding statement of what the Lord spoke of in the previous words to Nicodemas.
To believe on Jesus, you have to believe on him ‘as the scripture hath said’, which includes his words.
But, you choose for baptism to mean water baptism when it is unavoidablely so (as the eunuch was plainly baptized in water), and not to be water baptism (as your interpretation of John 3:5) when convenient for your theology.
The eunuch is actually a perfect example of the Lord’s “believeth and is baptized” command.
Nicodemas, upon wondering how to be born of flesh again (”enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”), was corrected by the Lord, who made it clear that the second birth is not natural (”that which is flesh is flesh”) but a spiritual birth; “born of the water (no comma) and of the Spirit”.
He goes on to explain the supernatural phenomenom of hearing one receive the Spirit in vs 8. He says it is that way for EVERY ONE that is BORN of the Spirit.
The Lord’s commissions (all of them are great commissions, by the way) all point to Acts 2:38,39, and his prophecies pointed there as well (i.e. John 3:8; 7:38,39).
You all say I am imposing works, when I am saying I’m following his and his apostles words (remember his prayer that people would believe on him according to THEIR words).
By Faith:
-Able offered unto God..
-Enoch...pleased God..
-Noah....moved with fear, prepared an ark
-Abraham, when he was called to GO....WENT..
-Sara received strength to conceive seed. (She probably was eating right, no doubt.)
-Isaac blessed Jacob..
-Jacob ..blessed both his sons..
-Joseph made commandment concerning his bones (Faithful in the promise of God taking his people out of Egpyt in the future)
-Moses was hid by his parents..
-Moses ...kept the passover..
they (the children of Israel) passed through the Red sea.. (they were baptised unto Moses in the cloud [no comma] and in the sea. excellent type and shadow of Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38,39)
-the walls of Jericho fell down...compassed
-Rahab...received the spies
The OT heroes of faith offered animal sacrifices, as well as many works of faith, as the above list points out. We have been given the opportunity to experience, by His blood, this ‘new and living way’ We live in physical bodies, and faith in God’s ordinaces require physical effort. That’s God’s will.
Yes, Matt. 28:19, Mark 16:16, and Luke 24:47 all harmonize with Acts 2:38.
**You’re adding to the proper understanding of God’s word.**
Your opinion. You say that water baptism in the NAME (that’s key) of Jesus is not for the remission of sins. Then my opinion is that you folks are deleteing from the proper understanding of God’s word.
I’ll be glad to keep the discussion going as time permits.
Lord bless.
And, BTW, I DO hold to Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans 10:13 isn't too bad either, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Acts 16:31 is Scripture, too "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Certainly the words of the Lord Jesus Christ in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." My particular favorite is John 10:27-30, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one."
You can go on believing it was your water baptism that was the moment you were saved and your sins were remitted, that your faith alone is not sufficient to save you - regardless what Scripture says. You can certainly go on holding that your obedience to all God's commandments keep you saved but just remember this, we are saved through God's grace BY faith and grace means unmerited and undeserved so if anything else must be added onto faith, it can no longer be through grace that we are saved.
Do you also believe that you can lose your salvation if you fail to keep all God's commandments or if you do not confess all your sins before you die? Is eternal life still a gift then if you have to earn it? Go back and read Hebrews chapter 11 again, I think you may have missed the point. Have a good night.