The Cross of Christ Alone Can Save

[mfblume]

Whew, got some catching up to do here! So many posts.

Originally Posted by pelathais

Do we have a special dispensation for the thief? The Law couldn't save him (Hebrews 10:4), and he died (presumably) before Jesus rose from the dead and certainly before Jesus ascended into heaven 40 days after that...

Just how was Jesus able to keep His promise to the repentant thief?

Anything, that occurred before the cross is one bracket of its own, including law, promise and Adam and Eve. And the HEART is the important factor. I already said this, which should cover all issues of this topic, but when God sees the heart that has the kind of faith THAT WORKS, it is the faith that works that saves.

It's the same situation as in the case of the hypothetical picture of someone who repented and is intent on getting baptized in obedience and dies on the way to church. Their heart had faith that works. That heart's faith was going to do something. That one is saved. Same with the thief. Jesus saw the heart of that man that had faith that works. He was saved.

It's so simple, but like Mizpeh said, so many here are missing the obvious issue that faith saves, but it is faith that works that saves, and not any other kind of faith.

Originally Posted by pelathais

So then, you're saying that baptism is NOT essential for salvation

No I am not. Baptism is part of salvation. I made that clear.

because:

"ALL before the cross are saved by the same blood of Christ..." and,

"All had to show a faith that worked by way of a shadow dependent upon the cross..."

They were all saved by faith in the coming Messiah. We today are saved by faith in what that Messiah did approximately 2,000 years ago.

Right?

No, I said that anything required to be DONE before the cross was a shadow of repentance and baptism that is REQUIRED AFTER THE CROSS. And these are not done by way of works without faith, but rather faith that works.