Tamil Bible Help: Study6-p23

SALVATION IS A GIFT and therefore it cannot be earned by our works, however good they may be. In reality our good works are often only done to be noticed by others. They fall far short of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves! Though we should put no trust in good works, they are the best indication of Saving Faith. We are saved by faith alone, said one, but the faith that saves is not alone, it is attended by works that are pleasing to God!

Jesus tells us to be baptised, and if we love Him, we shall not hesitate to obey Him! There is nothing magical about being baptised, but there is always a blessing to be had by obeying Christ. It is a public owning of Christ before men. It shows the world that we are unashamed of Him, just as He was unashamed of us before Pontius Pilate and the crowds who watched His humiliating crucifixion.

The believer does not become a Christian when he is baptised. He is baptised because he already is a Christian and has been washed in Christ’s blood!

SUMMARY: Saving Faith will reveal itself in the type of lives we lead. Faith without works is not faith at all; it is dead. Salvation comes through faith in Christ’s saving work. It is not due to our good works. Yet true faith will result in all sorts of kind deeds and works. This is how we can test whether our faith is real or not.

Jesus gave a further instruction to His disciples before He returned to Heaven. He told them to baptise believers in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But unlike repentance and faith in Christ, this was NOT a condition for salvation.

Baptism is first of all a test of obedience. It is also a symbol to show that a believer’s sin and guilt has been washed away by Christ’s blood. The believer is cleansed when he believes on Christ as His Saviour. Baptism cannot take away sin.