Robycop3,
Please consider the following points/questions.
The question was asked, "If I had died before I was baptized, would I have not been saved/gone to hell" In Mt 10:30 and Lu 12:7, Christ points out that "the very hairs of your head are numbered." Could not the Father that numbered those hairs not preserve the member that he had drawn to the Son until that person had been baptized? Could the Father that ordained the ordinance (Eph 2:10) not accomplish that which He has commanded?
Grace by faith is taught by my Baptist brethren as if there were no intended purpose but that is contradicted by Eph 2:10 and 2 Tim 1:9 which says "Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own PURPOSE and grace, which was given us in Christ before the world began. The Purpose includes I Cor 12:18 which I have already pointed out says, but now hath God set the members EVERYONE of them IN THE BODY, as it has pleased him. The body is plainly THE CHURCH. The members are added to the body by the ORDINANCE of BAPTISM. Why? That the members might keep covenant (NEW covenant/marriage covenant) with their husband/head Christ and edify one another as a body of Christ. Christ says in Mt 16:18, "...upon this rock I will build my church..." How were the members added/church built? Through the ordinance of baptism given to it by its husband. No one has ever been added to the body where I am a member without baptism, or letter from another body stating the person had been baptized. EVERYONE of them The ordinance is given to THE CHURCH and is commanded by her husband CHRIST to administer it.
You say that the thief on the cross was not saved or ignorant of the work/intent of Christ until he asked Christ to save him. How do we reconcile that Jn 3:3 says,"...except a man be born again (from above), he cannot SEE the kingdom of God" How did the thief see/ speak specifically concerning that KINGDOM except he had been born again/saved? His eyes were opened before he asked.
I will continue my post but I am having trouble with the page leaving out what I am posting,