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Obeying commands that deal directly with salvation can't be ignored unless done out of ignorance or arrogance.
Mark 16:16 - He who believes and is baptized will be saved (general cases without making a qualification for the unusual case of someone who believes but is not baptized) but he who does not believe will be condemned. The omission of baptized with "does not believe" shows that Jesus does not make baptism absolutely necessary for salvation. Condemnation rests on unbelief, not on a lack of baptism. So salvation rests on belief. *NOWHERE does the Bible say "baptized or condemned."
If you don't believe, that's it. What more needs to be said? It's illogical go say and is not baptized if you don't believe. It's a moot point. Makes zero sense.
There have been numerous people over the years (who attend various false religions and cults and themselves as Christian) that have been water baptized and may even believe “mental assent” in the existence and in historical facts about Christ, yet they don’t believe unto salvation, so it's not a moot point.
You can't believe unto salvation. Belief is the 1st step. Read the account of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. He believed, he confessed his belief, and was baptized.
Go back and read the bible and put all the pieces together so you get the complete picture instead of cherry picking scriptures in a feeble attempt to justify an incorrect belief. Goodbye.
We certainly can and do believe unto salvation. In John 3:15,16,18; 5:24; 6:29,40,47; 11:25,26 What is the ONE requirement that Jesus mentions in each of these passages of scripture? BELIEVES "apart from additions or modifications." In Acts 10:43, we read that whoever BELIEVES in Him "apart from additions or modification" shall receive remission of sins. In Acts 13:39 we read that all who BELIEVE "apart from additions or modifications" are justified from all things.. In Acts 16:30-31, in response to the question, "what must I do to be saved?" The answer is BELIEVE on/in the Lord Jesus Christ "apart from additions or modifications" and you will be saved. Romans 1:16 we read that the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that BELIEVES.. "apart from additions or modifications." So belief is not merely the 1st step.
You are somehow missing the point. Belief alone is not enough. If you believe, then you'll do something about it and then be obedient, but your belief is vain if you don't follow through with it by being obedient. You can cherrypick scriptures all you want in an attempt to justify your erroneous belief, but that won't make the other scriptures go away.
It's actually you who misses the point because you apparently believe that salvation is by faith AND works (with a heavy emphasis on water baptism). If we believe in Christ for/unto salvation, then we are trusting in Him alone to save us and not in works. (Romans 4:5-6) Now of course, this belief results in actions/works of obedience appropriate to the belief (to one degree or the other/all genuine believers are fruitful, yet not all are equally fruitful - Matthew 13:23) but the actions are NOT INHERENT in the belief. Faith is faith and works are works and we are saved by grace through faith and not by works. (Ephesians 2:8,9)
And faith without works is dead (James 2:20,26).
Goodbye, you don't know what you're talking about and obviously can't read or willfully choose to ignor the scriptures.
In James 2:20, "faith without works is dead" does not mean that faith is dead until it produces works and then it becomes a living faith or that works are the source of life in faith or that we are saved by works. That would be like saying that a tree is dead until it produces fruit and then it becomes a living tree and the fruit is the source of life in the tree. James is simply saying faith that is not accompanied by evidential works demonstrates that it's dead. If someone merely says-claims that they have faith, but lack resulting evidential works, then they demonstrate that they have an empty profession of faith/dead faith and not authentic faith. (James 2:14)
Romans 5:19 - For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. We show our faith by our works. (James 2:18)
In regards to Hebrews 5:9, who obeys Him? The saved or the lost? I often hear works-salvationists use Hebrews 5:9 to try and support salvation by works, in contradiction to (Romans 4:5-6; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9 etc..). Only believers have obeyed Him by choosing to believe the gospel (Romans 1:16) in order to become saved, and only believers obey Him after they have been saved through faith by practicing righteousness and not sin. (1 John 3:9,10) In either sense, only believers obey Him.
Straw man argument. Romans 3:23 - All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 6:23 - The wages of sin is death, (we ALL deserve death) but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Never said they were.
1 John 3:9 - No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
John clearly draws the line between children of God and children of the devil in 1 John 3:9-10, yet that still does not change the fact that we are saved by faith and not by works.
It's you who doesn't know what you're talking about and you obviously choose to willfully ignore John 3:15,16,18; 5:24; 6:29,40,47; 11:25,26; Acts 10:43-47; 13:39; 16:30-31; Romans 1:16; 3:24-28; 4:5-6; Ephesians 2:8,9 for the sake of your false gospel of works salvation. It's no surprise you say goodbye. You are satisfied with what you already believe and don't want to be confused with the facts.
