Do you understand Baptism is a work?

Question

not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit Titus 3:5

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8,9

Do you see what I am saying my friend? No work can get you in to heaven. God will not get all the glory this way if you earn any part of your salvation. You have to get rid of you pride and humble yourself to God. Repent and believe the gospel. Put your faith in Jesus alone to save you. Jesus is tne only way to heaven. I would not want to be in anyones shoes who told God they deserve to go to heaven because they were baptized!

Sioux
Every man is born of water from the physical birth from their mother. The Spiritual birth is where Jesus Christ Baptizes us with his Holy Spirit.

Eds
Did you not see this verse?
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8,9

Baptism is a command. If we obey a command it is a work. No work can save us.

Answer 1

Baptism does not put away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience toward God.

A sinner can not just go get baptized and come out of the water and say "I am saved". They must first believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, accept him into their hearts and repent of their sins. Then a person needs to be baptized. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved."

I am not calling you a vain man just showing a scripture.

James 2:20
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

What you are stating in Ephesians is an answer to many questions I see many people on here ask.

"Can I just be a good person and get into heaven?"

The answer is NO.
We must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is not of work lest anyone should boast. Can you imagine how a person who is wealthy could boast about how saved they are because they are able to do much great works.
Or someone who volunteers a lot how they may think they are more righteous.

I said in an answer a few days ago that baptism was a work.
FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD

Mark 16:16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

We must have faith. Without faith baptism does not save us.
We must have works with our faith.

1 Peter 3:21
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Remember King Saul because of disobedence he had the kingdom removed from him. We do not want the kingdom of God removed from us.

1 Samuel 15:22 & 23
22And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
23For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

Answer 2

Baptismal regeneration is not a Biblical concept. Baptism does not save from sin, but from a bad conscience. Peter clearly taught that baptism was not a ceremonial act of physical purification, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. Baptism is the symbol of what has already occurred in the heart and life of one who has trusted Christ as Savior (cf. Romans 6:3-5; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12). To make the source of salvation perfectly clear, Peter added, “by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (cf. 1 Peter 1:3). Baptism is an important step of obedience that every Christian should take. Baptism cannot be a requirement for salvation. To make it such is an attack on the sufficiency of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Answer 3

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit


Baptism is not a 'work'. It is obedience to the very words of Jesus Christ.

Answer 4

The plan of salvation is very simple and some try to make it very complicated. When Jesus described salvation as a new birth, He was describing it as a new beginning, only in a different dimension. A person is saved by admitting he or she is a sinner, deserving of Hell because of sin, but trusting the finished work of Christ on the cross as the payment for sin. Salvation is not of works, lest any of us should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-10) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

Answer 5

I would not want to be in anyones shoes who told God they deserve to go to heaven because they were baptized!
- And this was the Jewish position with circumcision, a "justification" that supposedly guaranteed a spot in heaven for them.

Baptism, same thing. It guarantees nothing, and that is how we are to approach it. It doesn't mean that it is totally unnecessary, but neither is it tied so closely to salvation that it can replace repentance and a life lived for Christ.

Answer 6

You are saved by grace because he first love you .
Shown by his works.
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends
Now we are to show him our love by our life living.
John 14:15 If ye love me , keep my commandments
Luke 11:23 He that is not with me is against me
Rev.2:23 I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works

You can get saved for the moment, but you have to
learn to stay saved.
People do backslide.

Answer 7

Yea, if i had to work for my salvation, i wouldn't be going to heaven. I'm so thankful it's a gift that no man can take away. However i do believe baptism AFTER salvation is a symbol that I have excepted Jesus Christ as my savior!!
Good question.

Answer 8

First of all, the Catholic view of salvation is not faith plus works, if by works you mean purely human efforts to win God's favor.

Catholics believe in salvation by grace alone, yet grace must not be resisted, either before justification (by remaining in unbelief) or after (by engaging in serious sin). Read carefully 1 Corinthians 6, Galatians 5, and Ephesians 5.

Second, the Bible nowhere uses the expressions "justification by faith alone" or "salvation by faith alone." The first was directly the invention of Luther; the second his by implication. Luther inserted "alone" into the German translation of Romans 3:23 to give credence to his new doctrine.

But your question deals with John 3:16. Yes, this passage does speak of the saving power of faith, but in no sense does it diminish the role of obedience to Christ in the process of getting to heaven.

In fact, it assumes it. Just as Fundamentalists overlook the rest of the chapter in connection with what being born of water and the Holy Spirit really means--they ignore the water part; it refers to baptism--they also overlook the context when interpreting Christ's words about obtaining eternal life in John 3:16.

In John 3:36 we are told, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him."

This expands on John 3:16. It is another way of saying what Paul says in Romans 6:23: "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Although we cannot earn God's unmerited favor by our good works, we can reject his love by our sins (that is, by our evil works) and thereby lose the eternal life he freely offers us in Christ

Answer 9

If baptism was a 'work' necessary for salvation, then the repentant thief on the cross could never have been promised by Jesus to be in paradise with him! That thief died on his cross a few hours later - he was never baptised in water as a believer in Jesus! Yet he was assured paradise by Jesus himself!

You are right to point out the Bible's language of the Holy Spirit 'washing' us. Water baptism does not save anybody, in and of itself. It is a sacrament, of course - a means of grace - and those who think lightly of it are the worse for that. We are commanded by Jesus to be baptized and to baptize believers, so to disobey that clear command will bring God's displeasure. Yet there are times when it is physically impossible to carry out. Nevertheless, the one putting all their faith (trust) in what Christ did to save them will be saved. Going through a baptismal ceremony is no reason to use that as a criteria for being a Christian, especially as millions have been baptized as babies by parents yet have grown up to live without puting any faith in Jesus Christ.

Answer 10

Thank you for that, I really needed to hear that.

I just told my mother I wanted to help the poor, and she was telling me that It take money to help the poor which it does, and I understand that.

But I strongly believe that GOd will provide, but it seems like her faith isnt as stronge as mine. So now she is telling my that I need to get my 4 year degree first and then help the poor. THen I told her GOd said to put him first.

I didnt know what to do, I felt confused