God provided His Son for our salvation; thus determining the one parameter necessary for saving His elect and man is commanded to repent and believe ( Mark 1:15); as well as verbally confess AND believe in their heart ( Romans 10:9 with emphasis on the second issue the heart). Finally baptism I would argue is necessitated as part of this public confession being demonstrated by our association and experiential death; burial and resurrection with Christ (see Romans 6:4 and subsequent scriptures on the subject).
I am not here to argue on whether someone is saved if they die between that verbal confession and heart change and the time set for Baptism; I will say that one should expedite it ASAP in obedience; as good fruit in general needs to be a hallmark of faith.
More broadly; of course we all need to test ourselves to see if we are in the faith; so that actions such as Baptism or confession may not truly have been the result of saving faith. ( 2 Cor. 13:5). Good fruit as seen by the Parable of the sower and the seed is crucial and necessary as God Himself has prepared these good works for us from before our creation ( Eph. 2:10).
This is a key concept; that what we do should be empowered by the Spirit of God and not self righteousness. Outer actions therefore are important but the state of the inner man determines spiritual rewards. Therefore our works don't save us but are needed to bare witness to a new nature motivating and guiding us to a lost and dying world.
God's covenant through the church ensures every true believer is truly saved but there are varying degrees of rewards based on obedience and these result in "crowns" for those in leadership for obedience; martyrs; those patiently waiting for His return; etc.
As Revelation 3:11 shows the Philadelphia faithful church rewards can be taken by another. Some things are a good thing to covet but no one gains the prize by character assassination of another.
God provided His Son for our salvation; thus determining the one parameter necessary for saving His elect and man is commanded to repent and believe ( Mark 1:15); as well as verbally confess AND believe in their heart ( Romans 10:9 with emphasis on the second issue the heart). Finally baptism I would argue is necessitated as part of this public confession being demonstrated by our association and experiential death; burial and resurrection with Christ (see Romans 6:4 and subsequent scriptures on the subject).
I am not here to argue on whether someone is saved if they die between that verbal confession and heart change and the time set for Baptism; I will say that one should expedite it ASAP in obedience; as good fruit in general needs to be a hallmark of faith.
More broadly; of course we all need to test ourselves to see if we are in the faith; so that actions such as Baptism or confession may not truly have been the result of saving faith. ( 2 Cor. 13:5). Good fruit as seen by the Parable of the sower and the seed is crucial and necessary as God Himself has prepared these good works for us from before our creation ( Eph. 2:10).
This is a key concept; that what we do should be empowered by the Spirit of God and not self righteousness. Outer actions therefore are important but the state of the inner man determines spiritual rewards. Therefore our works don't save us but are needed to bare witness to a new nature motivating and guiding us to a lost and dying world.
God's covenant through the church ensures every true believer is truly saved but there are varying degrees of rewards based on obedience and these result in "crowns" for those in leadership for obedience; martyrs; those patiently waiting for His return; etc.
As Revelation 3:11 shows the Philadelphia faithful church rewards can be taken by another. Some things are a good thing to covet but no one gains the prize by character assassination of another.
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