Is faith a work, like baptism and is baptism faith?
Faith in greek = pistis
Believe in greek = pisteuo
Baptism in greek = baptizo
So the word faith is obviously not related to baptism. It is derived from belief.
see vines for more.
Romans 4 - differentiates between faith and works. Abraham believing wasnt considered a work. But his circumcision was. Same thing should hold for baptism. Baptism hence is a work.
Eph 2:8-10 - Clearly differentiates between faith and works.
James 2 - 'show me your works without faith and i will show you my faith by my works'. Doesnt say my works are my faith. He says i will show you my faith by my works.
What then is faith. See my other posts on 'justification by faith'. And 'can works save us?'
If you still want to maintain that baptism is faith, then a simple question for you. Do you believe that the earth is round? If yes, show me your belief. Can you? No. You can show me many things that may prove your belief system to be true but that isnt your belief, is it?
In the same way one cant see ones faith except through external works such as baptism and other good works.
posted by abraham n konda @ 5:38 PM
10 comments
10 Comments:
[quote]Romans 4 - differentiates between faith and works.[/quote]
Doesn't Romans 4 Differentiate between faith and the works of the law as given to Moses by God? This is not the works that come as a result of faith in the Christ and His gospel.
It has never been an experience for me to hear faith studied/taught/or preached as being a work in the conservative church of Christ. Perhaps you make a mistake of lumping all the so called Christ's churches together in one mold.
There is the church that Christ adds to "the such as should be saved". The true ekklesia.
Then there are the churches of Christ, denominational in the respect that they are of men and apply additions/dogma/doctrine of their own desires, agendas and Christ's church in name only not in identity or recognized by God and His christ as the called out of the world to be made Holy In the Son of God.
Baptism is a work of God. It is God working through baptism all man can do is submit to it.
romans 4 please read it in context. it mentions abraham who was b4 the law. the law mentioned here is the moral law...not just the law of moses...we are saved by grace thru faith just as abraham believed and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
when i say church of Christ i mean the denominations that sprang out of the restoration movement, not the spiritual body of Christians.
i view baptism as an ordinance rather than a sacrament. IMO so does the bible.
I suppose Jesus must have been confused about this question.
John 6:29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." (ESV)
Rom 10:17 helps in understand how faith is itself a work, Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Since faith is a result of hearing, there is work involved in faith (listening to and considering the gospel message, then coming to a conclusion regarding its validity).
Your are correct to say that it is a work, but you are wrong by what you are suggesting. Our beleiving in whom He has sent, is the work of God. But our following through to baptism, is work on our part.
Tit 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.
Unfortunately, in the case of the Church of Christ, what they believe about baptism doesn't much matter. Sadly, they are moving progressively into Contemplative spirituality. This is the mystical religion that combines Buddhism with Christian doctrine. It is expressed as Contemplative prayer/meditation, which means one finds the "god within", by chanting and emptying one's mind, while in a meditative state. Jesus gave us The Lord's Prayer as a model of the way Believers should pray,warning against vain repetitions.
The Church of Christ believes they are "emerging" by following this New Age religion. It is taught at all their colleges, promoted in their publications and blogs.
To learn more, google "Thomas Merton", he is considered the father of contemplative prayer.
As Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the light, no one comes to the Father, except through me" John 4:16. This Buddhist/Christian approach denies the salvation of Jesus Christ. Pray for those deceived.
2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. 3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
Titus 3:2-5
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”(that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:8-10
Came across your blog today - great work. There is another site that I really enjoy www.churchofchristrecovery.com
Keep up the good work.
Be Free
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