NOW, When Is Someone Saved?

[sandie]

Originally Posted by Jeffrey

"and he that doesn't believe will be damned." Notice the lack of reiteration of baptism. An exegesis of some of the best has shown how baptism was seen as a simultaneous picture of one coming to faith, not necessarily a secondary item "to be saved."

Then it seems to me that those who have come to that conclusion are mistaken. Why on earth would you then have to say those who don't believe shouldn't be baptized or wouldn't be baptized.

We don't OBEY the Gospel. We respond to the Gospel by believing. To say the Gospel is obeyed, you'd have to see the Gospel as a command. Where do you get that from? The Gospel is good news. It's His amazing story!

It seems those who don't "obey" are in for some trouble:

Romans 10:16
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

2 Thessalonians 1:8
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

1 Peter 4:17
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Regarding John 3:5 - the gravest error of 3-steppers is to proof-text the verse through Acts 2:38, instead of letting the context of John interpret John. Read the full Chapter and then tell me what you get from this "rebirth." I will tell you, when I saw grace for the first time, I could only describe it as being "born again." It fit so perfectly. It was an action of the Spirit in a regenerated heart to see and proclaim the Messiah.

How many more times do I need to read certain chapters of the Bible before I can understand? I've been reading the bible since 1970 and though I'm no bible scholar by any stretch I do have a certain amount of reading comprehension and God given ability to understand.
I saw grace the first day someone told me a Jew could come to Jesus just as I was.

Nothing I've read here or anywhere else can convince me that we don't need to repent, be baptized in His Name FOR the remission of sins and go on to recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost and that it ALL starts and ends with faith.

I've lived it, I live it still thanks be to God my Saviour!
God bless.