The key word is not "demonstrated". The key word is "alive". If there is no action, then the "faith" is not alive. If the "faith" is not alive, then there is no action. You cannot separate action from living faith. You show me that you have a living faith without works (you can't do it), and I will show you that I have a living faith by my works.
That is your opinion, not what Scripture says. Scripture says nothing about the mode of operation, but it does give several examples of how the works that people did were the life of their faith. Even beyond that, God through the Scriptures says that man is not justified by faith alone (a dead faith), but by faith and works. A dead, inactive "faith" is not faith at all, for that kind of faith cannot save us.
They fall short of obeying Him. Obedience is REQUIRED to receive salvation, and the demons and "intellectual believers" fall short because they do not obey Him.
And the difference between the genuine and the nominal is found in their obedience.
That is all well and good, but that verse is not more important than Acts 2:38 or 1 Pet 3:21. While it is good to understand that we must believe in who Jesus is and what He did for us, it is also important for us to understand that we MUST obey Him to be in Him (Heb 5:9, James 2:24, Luke 6:46-49).
No, Scripture does.
Repentance from disbelief precedes believing, but repentance from sin follows belief.
Yes, they are chronologically together; get over it. They both must happen BEFORE salvation is received. (gasp) What? A physical action that precedes reception of salvation? Yes, a physical action that results in receiving salvation.
I do not leave out verse 8. Verse 8 is beautiful, but it does not change the fact of verse 10. Confession of Jesus as Lord WITH THE MOUTH (a physical action) results in (therefore must precede) salvation.
Water baptism is the point at which salvation is received (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Rom 6:1-7, Col 2:11-14, 1 Pet 3:21).
There is no dilemma. The confession is made at the time that baptism is done. The mute speak through their hands, their hands are their "mouth", their method of communication. All of the passages of Scripture that speak about what is required to receive salvation must be true at the same time.
All of the passages of Scripture that speak about what is required to receive salvation must be true at the same time (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Rom 6:1-7, Col 2:11-14, 1 Pet 3:21, and many others).
Baptism is part of the faith that brings salvation to us. All of the passages of Scripture that speak about what is required to receive salvation must be true at the same time (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Rom 6:1-7, Col 2:11-14, 1 Pet 3:21, and many others).
Again, all of the passages of Scripture that speak about what is required to receive salvation must be true at the same time. 1 Pet 3:21 says that the baptism that saves us is baptism in water. Matt 28:19 and Mark 16:16 say that the baptism that saves us is a baptism done by the teacher of the Gospel. Acts 2:38 says that the student who believes must be baptized in order to receive forgiveness of sin. Acts 8:36-39 demonstrates that the teachers of the first century taught water baptism (not spirit baptism) from the very beginning. Acts 22:16 is talking about water baptism, because if it was spirit baptism Saul would not have had to move from his seat. There is no mess except in your refusal to accept the Word of God as your authority.
I have already answered that in post 177 above. No, I am not sinless 24/7. No, repent of sins does not mean to stop sinning 24/7. It means to turn back to God away from the sinful lifestyle we had before we heard the Gospel. And then to continually turn back to Him when we stumble back into sin after we are saved.
This is true, but it does not mean that there are no actions required to receive salvation. It simply means that those actions that are required do not "earn" or "deserve" salvation. Turning from sin is not worth anyone's life, let alone the Son of God. Being pushed beneath the surface of some water is not worth anyone's life, let alone the Son of God. But those actions are required of us before we receive the blessing of forgiveness.
They were indeed speaking in tongues, but that is not a gift only for those in the Church; that is not what 1 Cor 12 indicates. The Gentiles in Acts 10 were not saved until they were baptized in water after the Holy Spirit fell on them in miraculous power.
I would be willing to accept that if it fit with Rom 6:1-7, Col 2:11-14, John 3:5, Acts 2:38, Gal 3:26-27, and other passages.
That is at least a good step in the right direction, but not far enough. What is the purpose of baptism in Acts 2:38? It is not just a throw-in. It is linked with repentance and both are done in order to receive forgiveness of sin. What happens during baptism in Rom 6:1-7? We die to sin and are resurrected with Jesus to new life. What happens during baptism in Col 2:11-14? The Holy Spirit cuts our sin from us and unites us to Jesus' resurrection. What was Saul told to do and why in Acts 22:16? Get up (why did he have to move if this were spirit baptism), and be baptized and wash away his sins while calling on the name of the Lord.
There is no "merry go round of sin". The blood of Jesus continually cleanses us (those who are already in Christ) from all sin as long as we are walking in the Light. We all stumble and fall into sin, even after we are saved, but if we are continually repenting and turning back to God after we sin, His blood continually cleanses us from that sin. It is when we turn into sin with an unrepentant heart that we cease to walk in the Light, and His blood ceases to continually cleanse us.
They are not saved when they "believe" but before they repent, confess, and are baptized.
So you were saved on Sunday morning when you confessed Jesus before the people gathered and were baptized.
I accept what the words say, and don't interpret them based on a preconceived notion. And that is wrongly interpreting them?
You reword them, twist their meaning, or ignore them so that they will fit with your preconception. And that is rightly interpreting them?
Does confession result in (and therefore precede) salvation, according to Rom 10:10? Simple question. Yes or no.
No, it was not. Because he was hanging next to Jesus. And Jesus, before He died, gave the man a promise that he would be in paradise. But when Jesus died, His last will and testament was sealed. It cannot be changed. And it says that the way we receive salvation today is through baptism.
John 3:5 says that we cannot be enter the Kingdom of God (which is made up of only the saved) except by being reborn of water and the Spirit (both). Rom 6:1-7 says that we die to sin in baptism, and from baptism arise to new life having been resurrected by the Holy Spirit like Jesus. Col 2:11-14 says that the Holy Spirit cuts our sin from us in baptism, and in so doing unites us with Jesus' death and resurrection. No, we don't see the words "born again in baptism" in that order or said in that way. But we do see the statements above that show us that truth.
Not true in the least. As you said, baptism has no meaning except through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. And He said that it is through baptism that we receive His forgiveness and salvation. Who am I to dispute Him?
I placed my faith, and it is still there, solely in Jesus Christ's life, death, burial, and resurrection. And because my faith is in Him, and what He did, I trust in what He said. And He said that only those who repent and are baptized will receive forgiveness of sin (Acts 2:38), that only those born of water and the Spirit will enter His Kingdom (John 3:5), that you must repent to receive forgiveness (Acts 3:19), that anyone who confesses Him publicly He will confess publicly in Heaven, but anyone who does not confess Him publicly He will deny publicly in Heaven (Matt 10:32-33), and whoever is believes in Him and is baptized will be saved (Mark 16:16). So, since I trust in what He says, and believe He is a God that keeps His word, I accept that I must do what He has said will result in the gifts He has promised. If I didn't trust Him, then I wouldn't do what He says.
Yes, those verses are true. But they do not give the whole picture. Consider the plaque on the cross that told of the charge against Jesus. Mark says that it said, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” (John 15:26). Is that verse wrong? No. But it is not the complete story, because John tells us that the plaque said, "JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” 20 ... and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and in Greek." So if we just read Mark, we get an incomplete picture of what happened. It is the same with the passages you list that only speak of "believe", but don't tell us what it takes to "believe".
The second and third soils received the Word and it grew in them.
"Listen then to the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one sown with seed beside the road. 20 The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much." Matt 13:18-22
The seed in rocky places is received with joy, but has not grown firm roots. To be temporary, it had to exist for a time. And so when persecution comes it falls away, rather than stand firm to the end.
The seed in the thorns grows some, but is choked out and produces no fruit.
Both of these demonstrated faith leading to salvation, but only the soil that is good produces the fruit of the Spirit.
You seem to spend a lot of time in eisegesis yourself. As I have demonstrated to you, all of the passages of Scripture that talk about Salvation must be considered together, and all must agree with the conclusion at which we arrive. There are too many passages (one is enough) that say baptism in water is the point at which we are saved to even consider that salvation occurs simply with an intellectual assent belief.
