Originally posted by Janosik:
Good work of others is point here. As you said and you agree that "others must go with the gospel..." If this does not happen you wouldn't be saved.
This is true.
So good work is OK in your case but it's not OK with baptism? Why double standard? If the gift of salavation was passed to you through good works of others why it's wrong when the same gift of salvation was passed to me through baptism as you call it work of man?
There is no double standard. The gift of salvation was not passed on to me through any one's good works. I heard it and had the choice to reject it or receive it. I received, of my own will, the gospel message. It was God's gift to me.
Quite the contrary with the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church imposed the work of baptism on an infant who had no choice in the matter. He did not have the option of believing or not believing. He could not repent. There was no choice involved.
In the case of a Catholic adult, the recipient of baptism is part of the work of baptism. He willingly partakes in the work of baptism.
The Bible says that it is the gospel that saves, not baptism. It says that you must be born again, not baptized. It says that you must call upon the name of the Lord to be saved, not baptized. It says to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved, not be baptized. Over and over again the Bible teaches to be saved one must believe or have faith, not be baptized.
Your argument is with the Bible, and with God, not with me.
The gift of God is not, and never was, passed through baptism. That is a heretical teaching of the RCC, which is not taught in the Bible.
DHK