By Grace Through Faith
This morning one of my volunteers stopped me in the hall and asked me this very pointed question: "Jim, do you believe that someone must be baptized in order to be saved?" Of course, this has been a classic question asked about and debated in and out of our brotherhood for decades.
After studying this subject and wrestling with it for years in pastoral contexts, I have come to be a strong believer in God's grace, justification by faith and the importance of expressing our faith in Christ in water baptism. I tell folks that my conviction from reading God's word is that baptism is not an addition to faith but an expression of faith.
After visiting a few minutes with my volunteer friend, I took him to my office and handed him two documents from my file:
1. A Purpose Statement on baptism from the Oak Hills church (I'm sure that it's available online). To me, this is a very balanced view on this rite.
2. An excerpt from the statement of faith concerning baptism -- published on the website of the Manhattan Church of Christ. It reads as follows:
We believe that we are saved by God's grace as a free gift from God. This grace is received by faith, that is, by trusting in what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. We believe that this grace and faith are life transforming in power. They are manifested through repentance (a change of mind and life toward God's values), by confession (publicly affirming one's faith, even in the face of opposition), and by baptism. We believe that Jesus has given baptism to believers as a special sign to express the meaning of what grace and faith do in our lives. This sign - a plunging in water - is a public, physical expression of faith that marks our identification with Jesus' death and resurrection, the forgiveness of our sins, and a new birth by the Spirit of God.
I'm not saying that "I am of Max" or "I am of Manhattan." It's just that they both articulate so well what I've come to believe.
So, that's where I stand. What would you say to my friend if posed that same question?
Jim
posted by Jim Clark @ 3:49 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Again, God gives us what an old song says, "You can't have one without the other."
Water means absolutely nothing without faith in and acceptance of Jesus as LORD and Savior.
Faith means absolutely nothing without acceptance of Jesus as LORD and Savior and our obedience to God demonstrated through a public announcement of that faith through baptism.
Like a cork floating on water, no pressure from either one. The cork, our faith in Jesus, floating on the water of our obedience in baptism.
Like Jesus, through obedience we find perfection before God.
Hebrews 5:7-9
7During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him
You write so well, Kathy. That cork imagery is so interesting.
umm..I would probably say to go talk to Jim Clark..haha
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