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Baptism, A Rebuttal and my Reply (Part
1) Recently I received a rebuttal to last week’s
article on baptism and its role in salvation. The person made what I consider to
be typical arguments negating the role of baptism in our salvation. I wrote a
response to their rebuttal in hopes they would rethink their position and see
that baptism does not deny the grace of God but is God’s requirement of man.
It is my desire that this will help others that have discussions with their
friends on this subject. To make reading this article easier my response is in
italics and bold type. Due to space limitations I simply give their scriptural
references. – Dennis Tucker I read it all with an open mind and I really appreciate
you sending the info to me. I appreciate your concern for my soul, as I do for
yours because this is a heaven or hell issue. To me, you are adding works to
salvation which cancels out the grace. Right you are about
this being a heaven or hell issue. Actually according to the doctrine of grace
only and many Calvinist this is not a matter of heaven or hell. Since we are
saved by grace only or have been predestined to heaven or hell before birth; our
discussion will not matter. I am not charging you with being a Calvinist but if
you are then it does not really matter does it? You say that adding works to
salvation cancels out grace. Was Jesus canceling out grace in John 6.28-29,
“Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of
God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you
believe in Him whom He sent?” According to your logic Jesus should have told
them to not believe because believing is a work. In Mark 16.16 believing is a
condition of salvation is it not? Yet, faith is a work of man. In 1 Thess. 1.3
we read of their “work of faith” therefore faith is a work. This also
creates a problem with a number of other verses. Jesus said “unless you repent
you shall likewise perish” Luke 13.3. Does this mean that no repentance is
necessary to be save? If so, then Paul was wrong in Acts 17.30 when he said,
“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men
everywhere to repent.” Now correct me if I am wrong but so far we have faith
and repentance being conditions of our salvation and both are works that we are
to do yet you said that works negate the grace of God. Was Jesus or Paul
negating the grace of God? James 2.17 speaks of a faith that is dead. This is a
faith that is void of works. I submit to you that every passage where you talk
about believing and faith listed in your paper is talking about an alive and
active faith, a working faith, an obedient faith, and not faith only. How do I
know this? Because James 2.19-26 teaches that even the demons believe and
tremble. Are you going to argue with
me that the demons are saved by faith only? If you say yes, you are at least
being consistent because that is what faith only means. However, you are also
wrong, because the devil and his angels (demons) will be cast into outer
darkness, Matthew 25.41. (The Conclusion Next Week) — Dennis Tucker |