Is it the Act of Baptism, Faith in Jesus alone, or the combo that saves? What cannot be excluded?

Answer 1

The acceptance of Jesus is what cannot be excluded
everything else will fall into line

Answer 2

Saving faith is always united to hope and love and cannot exist,or survive, withoutthem.
We are saved by grace alonebut not by isolated belief with conviction that is not lived
Baptism is regenerative as taught by the NT
John 3:5,22
Titus3:5
Acts22:16
1 Cor6:11

Heb10:22
1 Peter3:21

Answer 3

Catholics understand baptism to be regenerative. It removes the stain of original sin and infuses sanctifying grace into the soul. Eastern Orthodox and many mainline Protestants think likewise, but Fundamentalists and Evangelicals disagree.

They say baptism is merely a sign that one has "accepted Christ as Lord and Savior" and therefore has become a Christian. It is the acceptance that matters. Undergoing baptism indicates to Christians that you are now one of them, but you would be one of them even if you never were baptized. Fundamentalists and Evangelicals call baptism an ordinance, a practice that Christ ordered his Church to perform, even though it does not effect a real change in the recipient.

This understanding leads to scriptural difficulties for those who think baptism does not rise above the symbolic. "He saved us . . . by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit . . . so that we might be justified by his grace" (Titus 3:5–7). This "washing of regeneration" is baptism. It actually does something to us. It regenerates, says Scripture.

The conjunction of water and the Holy Spirit brings us to John 3:5: "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." The Catholic Church understands this combination to represent the water of baptism that brings to us the Holy Spirit, which is to say his grace. "Bible Christians," avoiding the plain sense, say that Christians misunderstood this verse from the earliest years right up to the Reformation. Instead of "water and the Spirit" being read as a unit (baptism), they should be read independently: water (baptism) and the Holy Spirit (accepting Christ as Lord as Savior). Only the second is functional; the former is decorative—commanded by Christ but nevertheless not really doing anything to the recipient.

Turn to Acts 2:38, where Peter says, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Notice the sequence: First comes repentance; then comes baptism—which effects the forgiveness of sins—and then, as a consequence of that forgiveness and therefore of baptism, comes the gift (the grace) of the Holy Spirit. This verse makes sense only if it is understood as saying that baptism is not a mere symbol. If baptism were just an ordinance and not a sacrament, why would Peter bother to include it in his instruction?

The head of the apostles is supported by Paul, who said to the Corinthians that "you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified" (1 Cor. 6:11). By washed he was not referring to the Corinthians’ bathing practices, because sanctification and justification are not dependent on hygienic practices. The verb meant that they had been baptized, and it was their baptism that brought them, for the first time, a state of sanctification and justification. Baptism changed them internally, spiritually, as it changes us.

If we are saved by faith alone, then do we need to love in order to be saved? If so, then we are not saved by faith alone, are we? We are saved by faith and love—which Catholics refer to as faith working through love (cf. Gal. 5:6). If a person says we do not need love in order to be saved, then he is saying we can get to heaven without loving God or our fellow man—a patently ridiculous position to take. Also, if faith alone saves us, faith without love, why does 1 Corinthians 13:13 say that love is greater than faith? After all, if salvation is the greatest thing we can achieve, and it is by faith alone that we achieve salvation, then faith should be greater than love. But the Bible says differently.

If you have faith, but have not works, can your faith save you? If a persons answers yes, then he contradicts Scripture (cf. Jas. 2:14–17). If he agrees with Scripture and answers no, then he agrees that it’s not faith alone that saves us. And remember, if he says that James is talking about a different kind of faith, what do you do? Ask him to show you where in the Bible it says that, and pay careful attention to what he says. It is not going to match up with the Bible.

Christ redeemed all men with his death on the cross. In other words, he paid the price for all men’s sins. Yet not all men are saved. What is the difference between those who are merely redeemed and those who are redeemed and saved? Is it something Jesus did, or is it something each saved individual does? If it’s something Christ did, then why aren’t all men saved? After all, Scripture says he desires that all men be saved (cf. 1 Tim. 2:3–4). But if it’s something the individual believer did, then isn’t that a work? The point here is that the believer has to "do" something in order to be saved. The difference between the believer and the unbeliever is not something Jesus did; it is something the believer did that the unbeliever didn’t do: The former believed, by the grace of God, but he had to cooperate with that grace. He had to do something or else he would not have been "saved."

Answer 4

Baptism is the outward expression of a inward conviction...its completely symbolic, not a sacrament. Salvation is through faith alone.

Answer 5

Faith in Jesus saves.

Answer 6

Faith in Jesus. baptism isn't necessary the Thief on the cross next to Jesus was not baptised but Jesus said today you will be with me in paradise.

Answer 7

Faith in Jesus alone. Your faith cannot be excluded.

Answer 8

Jesus brings salvation

Answer 9

Jesus does this even before the baptism..

Answer 10

Salvation!