Jesus has finished all that was required to redeem our souls. We can add nothing to what Jesus has done on our behalf. All we can do is lay aside self and receive the gift of eternal life Christ alone offers.
It's not belief alone it's grace alone. You frustrate grace when you endeavor to add to grace your works that are a filthy rags. That which is unclean cannot produce anything acceptable to God.
Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 ¶ And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
For the cause of Christ
Roger
First point.
Grace is Jesus Christ. If your using grace to mean something else other than Jesus Christ you are misinterpreting scripture.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)
full of grace and truth.
Luke 2:40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and
the grace of God was upon him.
John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses,
but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Acts 15:11 But we believe that through
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
You are using grace to mean a gift. When in fact Grace does not mean a gift, grace is Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace (JESUS CHRIST) are ye saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Read closely, through faith.. Faith in what? Grace? No. Through faith in Jesus Christ.
Translation: For by Jesus Christ are ye saved through faith. It is the gift of God. (Salvation is the gift of God)
Second point.
Baptizm is not man made. It was given by God. Jesus was not baptized to please men, He did the Fathers will. He shut the pharisees down by revealing to them that they refused to see baptizm was from God.
Mark 11:27 And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the
chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,
28 And say unto him,
By what authority doest thou these things? and
who gave thee this authority to do these things?
29 And
Jesus answered and said unto them,
30
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.
31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying,
If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
32
But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people:
for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.
33 And they answered and said unto Jesus,
We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them,
Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.
Now we all know by what authority Jesus acted upon. The pharisees did not want to answer because they couldn't answer truthfully. The pharasees are children of the devil. But in this encounter we can see water baptizm comes from heaven. And if you deny this then you are in error.
Third point.
We baptize in the name of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus said to baptize in the name (singular) of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the name of the Father. Jesus inherited His name from His Father. It was given to Him. He revealed to us the name of the Father.
John 5:43
I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not:
if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
Hebrews 1:4 Being made so much better than the angels,
as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again,
I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
6 And again,
when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
Matthew 21:9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David:
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying,
Who is this?
11 And the multitude said,
This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and
his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Matthew 28:18 And
Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: