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Pilgrim said:
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speratus tries to obviate the subject by asking:
If we are justified by Christ alone through faith alone, tell me, how is it possible that someone who despises Baptism in Christ could have received faith in Christ?
The "despising" of baptism isn't relevant to the subject at hand which is the "efficacy" and "necessity" of baptism for justification/salvation. The WFC, Section V states very clearly that, "yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably annexed unto it, as that no person can be regenerated, or saved, without it;". I heartily concur. Again, making baptism "essential to salvation" annexes the sacrament to faith and thus contradicts "Sola Fide".

To the contrary, to deny that baptism is "essential to salvation" is to deny sola fide. The children of God by faith are baptized into Christ. Gal. 3:26, 27. Those who have not the baptism of Christ are not part of the body of Christ. 1 Cor. 12:13.

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Pilgrim said:
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speratus blurts out another gross contradiction, saying:
<span style="background-color:yellow">Faith is the only means</span> whereby the sinner apprehends the righteousness of Christ. <span style="background-color:yellow">But,</span> God does not grant that faith apart from the work of the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments instituted by Christ. Thus, God protects the sinner from imagining that faith comes through his own works, prayers, and secret strivings.
[Linked Image] So, now we are to deny the Scriptural teaching as to the origin of faith, i.e., regeneration of the Holy Spirit which comes through the Gospel found in the written Word (Rom 1:16; 10:14-17) and add to it that faith must come through not only the Word but baptism too? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/nope.gif" alt="" /> Sir, an adult comes to baptism having already believed. Adults who deny Christ are not qualified nor allowed to partake of baptism. Faith is a prerequisite for baptism. Thus, it is illogical to posit that one gains faith through baptism. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/igiveup.gif" alt="" />

If the origin of faith is regeneration (i.e., inner character change) rather than the work of Holy Spirit then we are made righteous before God not declared righteous. But, according to scripture, we have no righteousness of our own. The righteousness of Christ is imputed through faith not regeneration.

It is also illogical that a dead man gains faith through the written Word. Admit it. You reject regeneration being connected to any means of grace.

Tell me how the minister is able to see faith and unbelief so that he may infallibly baptize only believers? Could not one slip through and first believe through the Word of Baptism?