Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Believe+Obey = True Faith
Cant have one without the other. No faith worthless obedience, no obedience worthless faith.
Rom 2:7 to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life:
Rom 2:8 but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation,
Rom 2:9 tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek;
1Pe 1:21 who through him are believers in God, that raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God.
1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently:
Again: Faith+obedience= True faith. What if they had no obedience to the truth?
Are you not repeating the same incomplete quote which I finished for you above? Are you ignoring the end of the passage, or do I confuse you with someone else? The text goes on to say,Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries.
Heb 10:28 A man that hath set at nought Moses law dieth without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses:
Heb 10:29 of how much sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be judged worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
From the OT, describing the condition of Israel. Paul makes this point that none were righteous, so the Gentiles were not better than the Jews, even though the Jews killed the Messiah, is the point of Romans.
So anyone can see the logical conclusion, if it is through righteousness one obtains grace then we MUST obtain righteousness THROUGH and BY Christ. How?
Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of
obedience unto righteousness?
Get that? Grace through righteousness, righteousness UNTO eternal life
So here is the plan for us - Grace = Teaches us = Obedience, and Obedience is UNTO righteousness and righteousness is Unto Eternal life
Our righteousness comes through living by His example and following his commands to the best of our ability.
Does not matter what we believe, if we do not obey, we have not came to righteous through Christ, and cannot have eternal life because grace does NOT reign through unrighteousness.
So again "by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. " The only way to become righteous through Christ is by obedience.Feedm:
Thanks for posting some really good verses.
The verse doesn't say that. John 3:36 contrasts
1) believing and thus having eternal life (not just a shot at it)
vs.
2) not obeying the Son; thus to the Lake of Fire.
Sin leads to the Lake of Fire.
But belief in the Lord Jesus is the escape.
The only obedience which saves is believing, for it is an imperative to trust the Lord Jesus as Savior. Obedience to commandments in general is no way to salvation. When the commandment comes, sin revives even in the life of a Christian (Rom 7).
What is amazing is that anyone thinks he can be saved by obeying God's rules, since the Word says, "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Thus it would appear that this obedience/works POV is based on the pride of thinking you can do this.
Faith is the only route to pleasing the Lord even in the Christian life after you are saved.
Gal 2:
For I through the law died unto the law, that I might live unto God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. I do not make void the grace of God: for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nought."
But good works are the proof of faith and must follow geniune faith in the Lord Jesus, though in many ways we all stumble, and we shall find ourselves confessing our sins frequently, unless we are self-righteous fools.
Heb 5:9 and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey = him the author of eternal salvation;
There is a hypothetical, but only a hypothetical justification by works -- if you can be perfect you will get eternal life. But no one can fulfill the perfection standard nor even get close. For "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." You have to go on and quote the context wherein prophet Paul is bring all under condemnation.
CONTEXT
Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest dost practise the same things. … Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, [e.g, those who deny eternal security] not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his works: to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life [it never happens before one trusts Christ as Savior, and even the saved sin plenty]: but to them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation, 9 tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek; [that's all of us] but glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek : for there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without the law: and as many as have sinned under the law shall be judged by the law; for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified: …
What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we before laid to the charge both of Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin;
as it is written,
There is none righteous, no, not one;
[so what good does 2:7-9 do you?]
There is none that understandeth,
There is none that seeketh after God;
1They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable;
There is none that doeth good, no, not so much as one: . . .
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it speaketh to them that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God: because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin.
But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; 24 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus"
There is no summation of Faith & obedience in these verses. They are not connected here. Being a believer in God is essential to salvation. He who comes to God must believe that He is. But 1:22 does not speak of salvation.
Salvation is what the disobedient need. He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to a change of mind.
Are you not repeating the same incomplete quote which I finished for you above? Are you ignoring the end of the passage, or do I confuse you with someone else? The text goes on to say,
Heb 10:38-39:
Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
Those who draw back are mere professors, like those who deny salvation and pretend to be Christians. Them who believe to the saving of the soul are a different group from those who draw back.
2Pe 2:20 also speaks of the possibility learning about Jesus escaping pollutions as by following Christian morality, but it does not describe such as saved -- the words saved or eternal life are not in your quote.
And what will you do about yourself when you realize that you have had knowledge of the Lord Jesus and known the way of righteousness, but turned away from it? The way of righteousness is trusting the Lord Jesus as Savior. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. But if you despise this and seek to establish your own righteousness, you turn back to your filthy rags of pretended self-righteousness.
This is addressed to an entire City Church of Ephesus, and has nothing to do with how you should be saved. Indeed, the City Church of Ephesus is gone now (I believe).
This is a blanket statement about all men, whether Jews of Gentiles. If you ever are righteous, according to Rom 5 you are made righteous by a free gift when you trust Christ as Savior. Your righteousness indeed comes by OBEDIENCE. But not YOUR obedience; it is Christ's obedience which as a free gift (of grace) confers righteousness on the believer in Him.
But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. ; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) …
by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life. … by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. … even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Yet, through Jesus Christ we can be righteous, as the Bible tells it is the Righteous that will be saved. We should not go around calling ourselves the righteousness in some prideful sense, but this is what scripture teaches.
The righteousness obtained is through Christ's obedience. If you get it, you get it as a gift of grace.
You confuse the doctrine of salvation unto a status of righteous with God and eternal life with the doctrine of how a saved person (whose Old Man was co-crucified with Christ) is to live after He is saved, how practical righteousness is achieved in the Christian life. Rom 6:16 never says "eternal life." The passage goes on to say:
" Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."
You are making things up. Your equation is bogus. "unto eternal life" is your addition.
Feedm:
Thanks for posting some really good verses.
The verse doesn't say that. John 3:36 contrasts
1) believing and thus having eternal life (not just a shot at it)
vs.
2) not obeying the Son; thus to the Lake of Fire.
Thank you for your response.
My point about Jn 3:36 is belief and obedience are used interchangeable. You cant find somone who obeys God but does not believe. But there are those who can believe and not obey him.
In this passage, there is no distinction from an unbeliever and disobedent because they are the same in that condition. Which is why the wicked servant of Matt 24 was cast with the hypocrites. Luke's account says he was cast with the unbelievers. He knew he had a Lord, he knew he was returning, yet he lived in sin, so his belief did not save him. His actions cuased pushisment, please read the account and tell me what you think.
Sin leads to the Lake of Fire.
But belief in the Lord Jesus is the escape.
NO beleif is not the escape, again it must have obedience.
Now im confused, so you are saying that belief MUST have obedience? What do you mean "obedience which saves is believing" and "obedience to commandments in general is no way to salvation"?The only obedience which saves is believing, for it is an imperative to trust the Lord Jesus as Savior. Obedience to commandments in general is no way to salvation. When the commandment comes, sin revives even in the life of a Christian (Rom 7).
He gave general commands. We are to obey them. Please clarify this statement.
Only a prideful person would think his obedience is earning or deserving, that may be something you wrestle with and why you will not understand that God will not save us if we do not obey Him.What is amazing is that anyone thinks he can be saved by obeying God's rules, since the Word says, "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Thus it would appear that this obedience/works POV is based on the pride of thinking you can do this.
Please do not take offense at that, I am saying, if you feel that it's prideful, maybe you need to find the humility that the scripture teaches us to have as we obey.
Again - Luke 17:10 removes any pride one may feel if the heart is humble enough to execute the command given in this passage.
For I through the law died unto the law, that I might live unto God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. I do not make void the grace of God: for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nought."
Look, these passages are about "the law" of Moses. I keep saying, context. Yet these are being ripped out so far. These passages in no way are saying we are to be dead to NT law.
Please before we go any further about the passages, I need to know, do you beleive we are under any law at all under the NT. Because the only way I can see someone even trying to use these withtou being able to show the context, if is that person beleives we are free from all law, and there is no law in the NT. Otherwise you're saying we shoudl be dead to the law of the NT.
But good works are the proof of faith and must follow geniune faith in the Lord Jesus, though in many ways we all stumble, and we shall find ourselves confessing our sins frequently, unless we are self-righteous fools.
This is trying to have your cake and eat it too. "good works MUST follow geniune faith.."
Based opon this statement, the "good works" are what quilifeis faith as "geniune" or "dead faith" - Correct?
If so, then we know we cannot go to heaven with dead faith - then you're saying NOT doing "good works" will stop us from having "geniune faith" and not going to heaven.
SO how can something that does not have anything to do with salvation keep us from having salvation?
It's the same as me saying, "good works do NOT save you, but if you dont do them you're not saved". That is the outcome of saying Good works MUST follow faith in order for it to be true "genuine faith" or you beelive we do not have to have "genuine faith" in order to go to heaven?
Heb 5:9 and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey = him the author of eternal salvation;
There is a hypothetical, but only a hypothetical justification by works -- if you can be perfect you will get eternal life. But no one can fulfill the perfection standard nor even get close. For "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." You have to go on and quote the context wherein prophet Paul is bring all under condemnation.
Sorry man, that is nowhere near what this passage is saying, there is NOTHING in the passage to suggest a hypothetical, your reading into the scripture. Even with what follows, ill get into below, nothing like what your saying.
There is nothing about YOU becoming perfect, it said speaking of Christ "and being made perfect HE became (not will become, or may become in hypothetical sense) the author of eternal salvation unto ALL THEM THAT OBEY.
Nothing here is hypothectical. The voice, mood, tense, all just a statement of truth. Your going a little far on that one.
CONTEXT
I am going to leave your highlights and never leave the "context" of what you're sighting, bcause in what you cited, the context shows who and what is being said. NOTHING to do with NT law and no need for obeying it. My hightlgts will be in purple.
Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest dost practise the same things. … Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, [e.g, those who deny eternal security] not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his works: to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life [it never happens before one trusts Christ as Savior, and even the saved sin plenty]: but to them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation, 9 tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek; [that's all of us] but glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek : for there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without the law: and as many as have sinned under the law shall be judged by the law; for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified: …
What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we before laid to the charge both of Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin;
as it is written,
Now those that sinned without the law(Gentiles) and those who sinned under the law (Jews). This is about the same thing, Paul telling the Romans, they are NOT better than the fallen Jews, for ALL have sinned.
Where does this give the idea that we 1. have no law or 2. we do not have to obey NT law or 3. This is even speaking of NT law
There is none righteous, no, not one;
[so what good does 2:7-9 do you?]
There is none that understandeth,
There is none that seeketh after God;
1They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable;
There is none that doeth good, no, not so much as one: . . .
These passages show the condition of Isreal BEFORE Christ, but by one man's obedience many will be made righteous, even by works that are filthy rags yet through the blood of Christ become "obedience unto righteousness".
Are you not repeating the same incomplete quote which I finished for you above? Are you ignoring the end of the passage, or do I confuse you with someone else? The text goes on to say,
Heb 10:38-39:
NO actually I addressed this and asked you some questions based on what you cited, and never got anwer back.
Anyways, Im off for the night, ill get the rest later. Again thanks for the response, I know it's alot to respond to, appreciate you being patient.
I will cover the rest in the morning, i wont ignore the points you have made.
Take care and good night
My point about Jn 3:36 is belief and obedience are used interchangeable. You cant find somone who obeys God but does not believe. But there are those who can believe and not obey him.
You have no proof that belief & obey are interchangeable in Jn 3:36. The terms belief and obey have different meanings.
"He who believes on the Son has eternal life;" the 2nd part of the verse does not and cannot negate the first part. He who believes on the Son has [present tense] eternal life, not a shot at it. There is nothing that negates the eternal security of the believer in Christ in any part of this verse. Since it is imperative to believe if you want eternal life, you call it a command to obey: thou shalt believe, trust in Him.
So what hinders you from obeying and believing?
In this passage, there is no distinction from an unbeliever and disobedent because they are the same in that condition.
In this passage there is no distinction between men wearing long hair and women wearing long hair. I suggest we focus on what there is in the passage instead of the multitude of things not in the passage.
Which is why the wicked servant of Matt 24 was cast with the hypocrites. Luke's account says he was cast with the unbelievers. He knew he had a Lord, he knew he was returning, yet he lived in sin, so his belief did not save him. His actions cuased pushisment, please read the account and tell me what you think.
"The lord of that slave shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
It is an illustration of the need to be watchful in the tribulation for the Lord's return. If you wanted unnecessarily to push an allegory, you could make the slave a member of the nation of Israel. I hope this helps you, which I think I have said before:
So far as I know in the Bible, judgment is always by works. On the other hand, salvation is always by grace through faith, apart from works. Salvation is not something which waits to be awarded after some judgment. Salvation begins with a transformation in this life and continues with eternal life. Mat 24 doesn't mention salvation, losing salvation (oxymoron) nor gaining eternal life. And it deals with slaves, not sons of God.
Beware of basing doctrine on parables. Doctrine is based on propositional teaching and the parables are then interpreted to conform with that. Not all details of a parable have allegorical significance.
Only a prideful person would think his obedience is earning or deserving, that may be something you wrestle with and why you will not understand that God will not save us if we do not obey Him.
I wrestle not on salvation, I trust the Lord Jesus to do as He has promised. Salvation is never conditioned upon obeying commandments, works, except to the extent that obeying the gospel means trusting the Lord Jesus as Savior. What is outrageous pride is that a sinful man thinks he gets saved by works, when his works are sinful, filthy rags. Humility means giving up thinking you are good enough to save yourself with your obedience, when you are depraved.
In OT times, the Lord gave Israel laws. But he gave the Church letters. We show our love for the Lord by obeying His commandments, but this does not save us.
If you want to know how to be saved, believe God's word; over and over it is reiterated: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. You can go on and on all day, playing with words, seeing if you can't find some way to make your eternal life depend upon your good works, but God's Word remains true.
And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness. Even as David also pronounceth blessing upon the man, unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works, saying,
Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin.
These passages show the condition of Isreal BEFORE Christ, but by one man's obedience many will be made righteous, even by works that are filthy rags yet through the blood of Christ become "obedience unto righteousness".
The obedience which makes a man righteous (man is the object, not the subject here), is the obedience of Christ, whose great obedient work was dying on the cross to pay for our sins. That work is no filthy rag.
The concept of having one's works validated and getting eternal life awarded for them is hypothetical because there is none who does good, no not one.
Take God at His word.
For by grace you have been saved [if indeed you are saved] through faith, and that not of yourselves, not of works lest anyone should boast.
For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
A call of faith saves.
Will these arguments ever end?
Even if one side wins, it doesn't even make them correct. It just means they won the debate.
The Bible says not to argue for a reason. In my honest opinion, it is useless.
So please, enough. Just agree to disagree.
No, Dear Atwood!!!
It is practical. When Lord spoke about His flesh and His body, which disciples must eat for having eternal life (John 6:54) He directly told to His disciples about His DNA-code in the Holy Oblation.
Yes it is a free gift. Paul often say's that those who endure to the end. Reckon why he would make such a statement? There were some that worked with Paul and he said I gave them over to Satan as they were caught up in the cares of this world. Paul even mentions backsliders whoa wait a minute, what is a backslider?
Enduring to the end is not about what you face but how you face it. We must keep our faith exclusively in the work of the cross.James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.(not if you do but be doers)They overcame by the word of their testimony and by the blood of the Lamb.
My testimony is that Christ and Him crucified saved me and changed me. Then I began to produce fruit or works as the Holy Spirit works in me and through me. Nothing can I claim of my own. Paul the Apostle said if I boast in anything I boast in the cross.
The cross is my and your righteousness, it is a free gift purchased by His blood. Nothing you do can atone, in fact if you do a good work it is a result or fruit of your faith in Christ and Him Crucified and nothing else.
No, again the context is speaking of works under the law of Moses.
The jailer was commanded to "believe" not commanded to "believe only". Night and day difference.Myself, I would stop well short of calling Paul a liar. You seem to be doing just that. You may want to rethink what you said.
Yes, you said it, that is truth. That is not finalizing the cross, that by Christ we are forgiven, made whole, and until one accepts this fact and stops asking for more forgiveness when they sin, and sees what Christ did, gets to possibly see the new life in Spirit and truth, and walk in it, depending on one's motive to know this truth,
God thus has Mercy on whom God will, and we get confirmed by God:
Romans 8:16
Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)
[SUP]16 [/SUP]The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Hebrews 6:9 explains the section. Those described are professing Christians, not necessarily true believers, born again.
Saved / salvation is in 3 tenses in the Bible.
Past, present, and future.
When we trusted Christ we were saved.
As we trust Him now, He saves us.
We are guaranteed a final wonderful outcome of bliss, when we shall be saved, perfected and glorified.
Do I need to quote the scripture?
Or do you have a concordance, Bible study program with which to search. I think Biblos.com may have this for you.
SeaBass, instead of arguing, why don't you first search the scriptures? Mark all the passages on the subject. Let the Word and the Spirit convict you of the truth. Be a Noble Berean.
Many, may times the Word teaches salvation on one condition (by man alone) ,as in John 3:16. Since believe / faith is used so many, many times, with no other condition for man, the rare passages must be interpreted in harmony with that fact.
Repent = metanoeō (metanoia) = change mind (not "be sorry," not "turn over a new leaf"). Judas had a different kind of repentance (metamelomai) which is sorrow, regret for sin -- he had it and hanged himself; it does not save.
The only change of mind which saves is change from not trusting to trusting the Lord Jesus as Savior.
Baptize occurs in context of salvation a rare couple of times. (In Mat 16 the converse is not used for the damned, as lacking baptism; but if you believe not, you are in peril.) But Spirit Baptism is slavific in that it puts the Christian in union with Christ on His cross (co-crucifixion) by putting the believer into the Body of Christ. Thus the believer's Old Man is co-crucified with Christ -- Rom 6. Yet water baptism is never said to save.
In any case, baptism is not an action that a man takes. It is something done to him. Many things were done by God (not us) to get us saved. We were cleansed by the blood of Jesus and forgiven -- but the one thing a man must do is believe in the Son of God, trust Him.
Now to him who works, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt.
But to him who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness. Even as David also pronounceth blessing upon the man, unto whom God reckons righteousness apart from works, saying,
Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered.
His grace has planned it all,
'tis mine but to believe;
and Recognize his work of love
and Christ receive.
We have but one thing to do, trust the crucified risen Savior to save us -- be content to let Him do His job; get out of His way with our pride. It is not of works, lest anyone should boast.
2 Tim 1:8-9
… God; who 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 Jesus before times eternal,
But to Him who works not, but believes
Don't stop at Heb 6:6; 6:9 clearly tells us such apostate were professors, not possessors; never saved. Look at the verse:
[/FONT][/COLOR] For the land which hath drunk the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receiveth blessing from God: but if it beareth thorns and thistles, it is rejected and nigh unto a curse; whose end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak:
------------------------
John denies both that they were in the past and that they are in the present of us (Christians).
they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us."
Thus they were never of us, no time in the past, no time in the present.
As to Simon Magus, I take the "believe" of his to refer to belief in facts, not trust in Christ, the kind of belief that demons have, believing true facts about God, not depending on Him for salvation of course.
Rm 6:23b
the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 thes 2:16-17 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
Great observation on Ephesus, SeaBass.
Paul prayed for them that they would know the love of Christ that passes knowledge in Eph 3, yet say some 40 years later the Church has left its first love. So when the Lord through prophet Paul tells the Ephesian believers that they were sealed, that did not guarantee that they could not leave their first love (while being zealous for doctrinal purity). Our love for our Lord can vary from day to day. And if the city church was characterized by loving Christ, that guarantees nothing for the future. But sealed refers to their security in salvation, not to the temperature of their love; neither does the sealing that occurred when they first believed guarantee the spiritual temperature of the next generation.
1 Cor 12:13 has no water in it, but the Spirit of God.
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Spirit baptism is contrasted to water baptism:
I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire:
John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but there cometh he that is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire:
Why don't you join us in the Body of Christ. If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as only & sufficient Savior, you will be saved. And then you will become one of the all who are in one Spirit baptized into the Body of Christ, the holy catholic church.