The Cross of Christ Alone Can Save

[DAII]

Originally Posted by mfblume

Good points! I would alter my thoughts then to say Spirit baptism delivers us from a state of death. I also believe I can prove filling, pouring out and baptism are all one and the same. But anyway...



Romans 10 must be understood in light of its context. It is citing Deuteronomy 30 that Jews might stand upon in hopes of emphasizing they need not Christ. Paul showed that true fulfillment of the promise in Deut 30 of being regathered to the "land" when obedience to a command is given is faith in Christ and confession of it. The mouth and heart aspects are found in Deut 30:14. And Paul said it is the word of faith Paul preached. So, really, we have to go into all the word of faith Paul preached to get the full picture, because the full picture is not in Deut 30. Paul generalized the issue to have the jews and gentiles in the church realize that Jesus Christ is still the answer even when it comes to the promise of Deut 30!

It is like someone said, it is not systematic theology. It is a reference to Deut 30 in light of Jews and their relationship with God since Christ came. So I would never use Romans 10 as a finalized description of how to be saved as I would Acts 2:38.

The reference in Romans 10:11 -13

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.

12For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

to how we, Jew and Gentile are saved is more directly a reference to God's Word through the prophet Joel in Chapter 2, and his call for His people, saved by His name to repent and return to Him BY CALLING UPON HIM FOR OUR SALVATION

Verse 13

Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

And God's promise to pour out his Spirit, or breathe of life, to all who believe or "call on His name"

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

29And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

30And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

31The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come.

32And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Why 3 stepper OP's refuse to ignore that the Sermon of Pentecost is based on this foundational message of repentance, or turning to God, to be saved is mind boggling as Peter begins his message appealing to Joel 2, in response to the direct question, "What meaneth this?"

16But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

19And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

20The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:

21And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Peter and Paul, apostles, reiterate and echo this promise in Romans 10 and Acts 2.

More importantly, why we do not focus on the prophetic manifestation that Joel writes about .... that His sons and daughters would prophesy .... is now replaced with glossalia, which some separate from the "gift of prophesy" to establish a doctrine of a single, universal sign of Spirit quickening and baptism.

The promise of eternal life coupled with wonders (plural) in which His people would experience is expressed in magnifying or prophesying the wonders of God ... why this has been reduced only to tongues is puzzling.

In Acts 2, we are witnessing the fulfillment of salvation to those who call upon the name of the Lord and a manifestation of prophesying or magnifying the works of the Lord through Christ ... who made a way back to God.

What they saw and heard was a manifestation of the Spirit ... the charismata were given for the purpose of expressing the wonders of God ...

We find those in the house of Cornelius speaking in tongues and magnifying God

We find John's disciples speaking in tongues and PROPHESYING.

The way to God is to return to Him, turning to Him in repentance.

This was the bulk of Christ's message ....

Matthew 4:17

From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

It is what prompted Peter in a subsequent message to say what will wipe away our sins ... in Acts 3:19

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

It is calling on the name of the Lord which Ananias says will wash Paul's sin in Acts 22.

The issue is calling on the name of the Lord ..... Systematic enough?