Daily Devotions
A Faith That Works
Title: A Faith That Works
Reading for January 19: Exodus 11-13
"Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it... And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt."
Exodus 12:7, 13
The argument is made that baptism is not necessary for salvation because it is a work, and we're not saved by works. The scriptures clearly say we are saved by faith and not by works (Eph 2:8-10; Gal 2:16; Rom 4:4-5).
So, if this is true, what are we to do with passages which say that baptism saves us (1 Pet 3:20-21; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16)? Can we not take these passages at face value? Are we missing something? Is the Bible contradicting itself?
I believe the answer is simple. Baptism is not the kind of work under consideration in the passages that contrast faith and works. On the contrary, baptism is considered in scripture to be an act of faith (Gal 3:26-27; Col 2:12; Mk 16:16; Rom 1:5). So, there is no contradiction at all between scriptures that say we are saved by faith, and scriptures that say we are saved through baptism. The inspired writers did not see faith and baptism as mutually exclusive. Baptism is an expression of our faith.
Just like the children of Israel sprinkled the blood of the lamb on their doorposts by faith (Heb 11:28), so we are "buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him THROUGH FAITH IN THE POWERFUL WORKING OF GOD, who raised him from the dead." (Col 2:12)
Father God, help us to trust in you enough that we obey all of your commandments.
