OBJECTION #7: “BAPTISM IS A
MERITORIOUS WORK, WHEREAS WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE, NOT WORKS.”
“Works” or “steps” of
salvation do not imply that one “merits” his salvation upon obedient compliance
with those actions. Rather, “steps” or “a process” signifies the biblical
concept of preconditions, stipulations of faith, or acts of obedience—what James
called “works” (James 2:17). James was not saying that one can earn his
justification (James 2:24). Rather, he was describing the active nature of
faith, showing that saving faith, faith that is alive—as opposed to dead and
therefore utterly useless (James 2:20)—is the only kind that is acceptable to God, a
faith that obeys whatever actions God has indicated must be done. The obedience
of both Abraham and Rahab is set forth as illustrative of the kind of faith
James says is acceptable. They manifested their trust by actively doing what
God wanted done. Such obedient or active trust is the only kind that avails
anything. Thus, an obedient response is essential.
The actions themselves are
manifestations of this trust that justifies, not the trust itself. But notice
that according to James, you cannot have one without the other. Trust, or
faith, is dead, until it leads one to obey the specifications God assigned.
Here is the essence of salvation that separates those who adhere to biblical
teaching from those who have been adversely influenced by the Protestant
reformers. The reformers reacted to the unbiblical concept of stacking bad
deeds against good deeds in an effort to offset the former by the latter. Unfortunately, the reactionary reformers went to the equally
unacceptable, opposite extreme by asserting that man need “only believe”
(Luther) or man can do nothing at all (Calvin). The truth is between these two
unbiblical extremes.
From Genesis to Revelation,
faith is the trusting, obedient reaction that humans manifest in response to
what God offers. This is the kind of “justification by faith” that Paul
expounded in Romans. Like red flags at the very beginning (Romans 1:5) and at the end
(Romans 16:26) of his divinely inspired treatise, he defined what he meant by “faith”
with the words “obedient faith” (hupakoeinpisteos), i.e., faith that obeys,
obedience which springs from faith. This fact is precisely why God declared His
willingness to fulfill the promises He made to Abraham: “because Abraham obeyed
My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws”
(Genesis 26:5). Hence, in Romans Paul could speak of the necessity of walking
“in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had” (Romans 4:12). Until
faith obeys, it is useless and cannot justify.
The Hebrews writer made the
same point in Hebrews 11. The faith we see in Old Testament “men of faith”
availed only after they obeyed God-given stipulations. God rewards those who
“diligently seek Him” in faith (vs. 6). Noah “became heir of the righteousness
which is by faith” when he “prepared an ark.” If he had not complied with
divine instructions, he would have been branded as “unfaithful.” The thing that
made the difference, that constituted the line of demarcation between faith and
lack of faith, was obedient action—what James called “works,” and Paul called
“faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6). In this sense, even faith is a
“work” (John 6:29). Hebrews 11 repeatedly reinforces this eternal principle:
(1) God offers grace (which may at any point in history consist of physical
blessings, e.g., healing, salvation from enemies, land or property, etc., or
spiritual blessings, e.g., justification, forgiveness, salvation from sin,
being made righteous, etc.); (2) man responds in obedient trust (i.e., “faith”)
by complying with the stipulated terms; and (3) God bestows the blessing.
It would be wrong to think
that man’s obedient response earns or merits the subsequent blessing. Such
simply does not logically follow. All blessings God bestows on man are
undeserved (Luke 17:10). His rich mercy and loving grace is freely offered and
made available—though man never deserves such kindness (Titus 2:11). Still, a
non-meritorious response is absolutely necessary if unworthy man is to receive
certain blessings.
"And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Acts 22:16
