>”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?
“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.”
Yes he did indeed tell me to my face and to my entire body as I was saved he took up residence in my heart and I became a new creature. I’m truly sorry that you haven’t experienced being born again! The Holy word of God also tells me I’m saved for just asking no more no less. Apparently you missed the John the Baptist story! No, water didn’t tell me that I was saved yes the Holy Spirit told me I was saved and am saved. Also noted is that while the name changed from Mikveh or Mikvah to Baptism the process is essentially the same. Something else you might want to check out is that it wasn’t a mere sprinkling as you Catholics do, but immersion. That’s why they went to the river to be baptized, so they could be immersed. If sprinkling was acceptable then they would have filled a vessel with water and did it somewhere else.