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A. That is a reference to Spirit baptism not water baptism.
You might want to read Ephesians 4:5.
Second, baptism always happens after adoption
The Bible never states that.
not as a means of being adopted. If it wasn't means, then salvation would be by works, not grace.
So, according to your argument, God is rendered impotent if any means or effort is involved... God CANNOT give faith/life unless there is NOTHING and NO ONE and NO EFFORT involved. Thus, your worship services are closed to non-believers (since God can't give them anything if people and effort and means are involved), you send no missionaries, you have no evangelism, your church forbids any to give out bibles..... Amazing how great the limits you put on God, my friend..... Why, you must be so angry at Billy Graham - who prepares sermons (work) and quotes Scripture (uses means) invites people to listen (work on his part and on the receivers)... All aimed especially at unbelievers!!!! According to you, all that makes salvation by works.
See my signature (the words below the bottom line in each of my posts)..... Yes, Baptism involves a tiny bit of action by the minister - but that's not what saves anymore than preaching the Gospel involves a dab of work by your minister but that's not what saves. The Bible says that Scripture does not return to Him void but accomplishes all for which He sent it - BUT, my friend, it's not the WORK of reading or preaching it that saves, it's God USING that to perform HIS work. "Means of grace" this is called in orthodox theology, a "tool in the hands of the Carpenter." I reject your premise that if any human effort is involved, ergo the justification is a result of the human effort and not God's. And I reject your idea that God is impotent to use means but is so limited that He can ONLY give faith in a complete vacuum - if you render God impotent by quoting John 3:16, then that person is doomed to hell because you just rendered God impotent to do His will because now there's work involved (you saying that verse) and you thus rendered God impotent.
Back to the issue of this thread.....
- Josiah
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