of course it makes no sense you want a legalistic view of salvation you have taken Grace and made it no effect .you want the law along with Grace. it will NOT WORK you cherry pick scriptures ,you have watered down the word in fact NO place in the Bible does water ever save
Ephesians 5:26
“That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,” this is the water -------->the word of God not baptism
The Lord’s words contain the element of water, which simply speaking, is spirit and life. The Lord said, “The words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” (John 6:63b). In other words, the Lord’s words have cleansing power. The water here is not for supplying but for cleansing, that is, for the cleansing and washing of the church. What is washed away is not defilements or sins, but spots and wrinkles. Wrinkles are related to oldness. You must let the water in the word, that is, the spirit and the life in the word, do a metabolic work in your organic being by adding new life elements into you to replace the old elements. This is a metabolic process and a discharging. We all know that metabolism takes place within us by which something new is supplied and added to us and something old is discharged and eliminated. This metabolism is the cleansing referred to in Ephesians 5.
Let’s look at 4 parallel passages...
John 3:5
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one
Spirit are we all
baptized into one
body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and
cleanse it with the
washing of water by
the word,
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he
saved us, by the
washing of regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy Ghost;
They all include the same elements.
Jn 3:5. ............Spirit.......Water........................into the kingdom
1 Cor 12:13......Spirit.......baptism.....................into the body
Eph 5:26..........word........washing of water........cleansed
Tit 3:5..............Spirit...... washing....................saved
These are parallel passages all teaching the exact same thing. Salvation, sanctification, cleansing, entrance into the body/kingdom requires 2 elements.
Water/baptism and Spirit/word.
Jesus commanded he that
believes(what? The word given by the Spirit) and is
baptized shall be
saved.
As you correctly pointed out in Jn 6. The words of Christ are Spirit. The sword of the Spirit is the word. How does the Spirit convict? With his sword which is the word. Those on Pentecost were said to be “cut to the heart”. How did that happen? Through the preaching of the Spirit delivered by Peter.
Those on Pentecost were said to be “added to the church/body. When did that happen? After baptism in water.
When are our sins removed? Through baptism in water. Acts 2:38; 22:16 This is the “washing of regeneration” in Titus 3:5. The water of Jn 3:5. It is at this point that Paul states we “rise to walk in newness of life” Rom 6. If that’s not regeneration I don’t know what is.
It is ALL in complete harmony until you get a hold of it.