What is Baptism? Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?

[@kennedytakhellambam6315]

Praise Jesus 😊...i was Baptised when i was a child and thats just because my Mom is a Christian, A week ago I was Baptised again but this time I have accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour.Please pray for me and my families..God bless you Brother🙏🕊🕊

[@brennankgangmei]

God bless you, brother!

[@mahirsantal2867]

Where does it say that by faith "alone" a man is saved (without his cooperation with God)?

[@brennankgangmei]

@@mahirsantal2867 Ephesians 2:8-10: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” I’m not sure what you mean by “cooperation with God”; if by cooperation you mean that one needs to exercise the faith that has been given as a gift to the person by God, then, yes, the person has to exercise that God-given faith by trusting/believing in the work of Christ for salvation. But if by cooperation with God you mean that we need to rely on our works (and not just on faith alone in Jesus) for our salvation, then salvation would no longer be by faith alone, and the point of Ephesians 2:8-9 (and many other passages) would be undermined. Our works are important in the sense that they are a reflection of the fact that we have truly been saved by faith alone in Jesus. Our works don’t save us; but we are saved by faith alone in Jesus so that we can do good works for his glory. Also, notice in Ephesians 2:8-10 (cited above) that we cannot be saved by our works, but we are saved by faith (which is a gift from God). The text doesn’t say that we have been saved by grace through faith and good works; it only mentions faith, and that’s why I said “by faith alone.” And after we have been saved, we start living for Jesus in which we do good works.

[@mahirsantal2867]

What is your understanding of James 2:22?

[@brennankgangmei]

@@mahirsantal2867 Good question! James is not disagreeing with the apostle Paul (Romans 3:28). James is using “completed” (which means “bring to maturity” in Greek) to drive home the point that a mature, genuine faith is demonstrated by the good works it brings forth. Also, when James 2:21 says that Abraham was justified by works, James’s usage of the word “justify” differs from Paul’s usage of the word “justify.” Regarding verse 21, the ESV Study Bible writes: “On the surface James may seem to contradict Paul. I.e., Paul denies that Abraham was “justified by works” (Rom. 4:2), arguing from Gen. 15:6 that Abraham’s faith “was counted to him as righteousness” (Rom. 4:3). However, James’s assertion in this verse (that “Abraham [was] … justified by works”) is based not on Gen. 15:6 but on Gen. 22:9-10, where (many years later) Abraham began to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Thus James apparently has a different sense of the word “justify” in view here, as evidenced by the different Scripture passages, and the different events in Abraham’s life, to which James and Paul refer. The primary way in which Paul uses the word “justify” (Gk. dikaioō) emphasizes the sense of being declared righteous by God through faith, on the basis of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice (Rom. 3:24-26), whereas the primary way that James uses the word “justify” (Gk. dikaioō) here in James 2:21 seems to emphasize the way in which works demonstrate that someone has been justified, as evidenced by the good works that the person does (cf. Matt.12:33-37). Some others hold a similar view, which understands “justify” (Gk. dikaioō) here to mean to declare someone to be righteous because, at the final judgment, the person’s works give evidence of true saving faith.”

[@mahirsantal2867]

In James2:26, James very clearly states that faith and works are like the body and the spirit. As a body without the spirit is dead, so also is faith without works. A body without the spirit is not a fake body, it is a real body, and in principle, it can be animated by the spirit. So also, faith without works is faith but it doesn't save. The solution is not to replace that faith with a real faith, but to complete that faith with works of love. Such a "faith alone" is not sufficient for justification. Faith working through love saves.

[@brennankgangmei]

@@mahirsantal2867 I’m not sure if you have read closely what I posted above. I explained the different senses of the word “justify” used by Paul and James (and how both the apostles are using different texts to base their arguments on). With regard to faith, real faith manifests in works of love. But if you keep insisting on the point that faith alone is not sufficient for justification (by the way, justification has a very specific meaning in Christian theology; I’m not sure if you are aware of that), please refer to the previous post where I explain the different senses of the word “justify” as used by Paul and James. Let me ask you this: When someone first comes to Jesus for salvation, is that person justified (declared righteous or made right before God by the perfect work and record of Christ) and saved before God by his/her faith and works [what work does that person have that he/she can offer at the moment of coming to faith in Jesus that can contribute towards his justification (being declared righteous before God) and salvation?]