is water baptism a "work" ?

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In a message dated 12/6/1999 9:51:34 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
schmuel@bigfoot.com writes:

<< Has anyone got a nice write-up in response to the
 "water baptism=work" concept... >>
     I apologize for taking so long to finish my reply to this subject.  It 
is the end of the semester and I have quite a bit of work to do.  I would 
appreciate it of you would bow your head and pray for me right now.  I have 
much work to do for the Lord on the campus which I am going to.  And it is 
all contingent upon my success in the upcoming week.  
     Now to what you asked for.  I am in the process of writing a book,  and 
one of the issues that I will be dealing with extensively is the issue of 
"Belief & Grace" versus "Water & Spirit."  I must say that most of what I 
have to say has already been mentioned by others.  I will just take a few 
short clips from my writing.  
     "Can having your sins washed away at water baptism really be considered 
work on the baptizee's behalf?  Can receiving freely the gift of the Holy 
Ghost,  really be considered a work on the receivers behalf?  The answer is 
NO.  Having your sins washed away and receiving God's keeping power cannot be 
considered as works,  anymore than believing on the Lord and confessing 
Christ with our mouth can be considered as works.  If baptism is a work,  
then so is verbal confession,  for they both require some activity,  however 
mild,  on a candidates behalf.
     It is almost like getting a haircut.  We go to the barber and make 
ourselves available,  but it is the barber that actually does the work of 
cutting our hair.  In salvation,  it is God that does the work.  He is the 
One that remits the sin when we are baptized.  And He is the One that fills 
us with His Spirit.  The only thing that we do is make our self available for 
Him to do the work on us."
     "Belief and faith are from the same Greek term "pisits."  Belief alone,  
is not salvation.  For if a man says,  I have belief,  can that save him 
(James)?  Belief without works is dead.  As a work,  God simply requires our 
submission to His word.   For example,  in order to have our sins remitted,  
we are baptized.  Now,  it is not our *act* of being baptized in Jesus Name 
that saves us.  But in order to have our sins remitted,  Christ requires our 
obedience and faith in the process.  Yet,  He alone,  actually remits the sin 
in this process.  So while our work did not earn our salvation,  in a sense,  
our obedience and faith,  freed Christ to perform the *real* work of 
salvation."
     :"True faith and belief are inevitably consummated by actions.  Not by 
performing actions devised by man,  but rather by performing those deeds 
which Christ requires through His word.  If one does not follow through on 
the actions that Christ requires, according to the Word of God,  then their 
faith and belief is proven to be false or dead (James 2:14)"
     Look to hear from you soon,  
Your brother in Christ,
Marlon S Boyd

Web Master for Dunamis Designs
Dunemus@aol.com
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