A person Becomes a Christian at the Point of Baptism and not before

INTRODUCTION My name is Nick and I will be Con for this debate. I will be arguing that baptism is not a requirement for salvation. I will be pointing out what the Bible says in numerous places on the topics of salvation, actions, and baptism, and demonstrate that baptism as a requirement to be saved is a false conclusion derived from a few misunderstood passages of Scripture and a legalistic attitude. WHAT BAPTISM IS FOR I affirm that baptism is a very special event and certainly has its place in a Christian life. I myself have been baptized and I hope that every adult Christian will make the commitment to be baptized at some point in their lives. Baptism is a significant expression of faith but NOT a requirement to receive salvation. My opponent has yet to address point #2 of his stated obligations, that "the actions that saves a person from their sins must involve baptism." For now, consider the following: In 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, Paul clearly says that we are saved by believing the Gospel. However, baptism is not part of this saving Gospel, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:17, "For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel." Clearly the two are mutually exclusive and baptism is NOT a requirement for salvation. But what then is it for? Baptism is a way of identifying with Christ. It symbolizes the washing away of the old, sinful nature and being alive in Christ. It is an outward expression of an inward change. Mark 16:16 is commonly misunderstood as claiming that those who are not baptized are condemned to Hell, so let's look at it: "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." By not directly commenting on the state of those who believe but are not baptized, this verse is stressing the fact that those who truly do believe should make the commitment to be baptized because they will understand the significance of it (being identified with Christ). But this does not mean that those who believe but die before being baptized are condemned to Hell (see example of the criminal on the cross below). The focus of this verse is on BELIEF, not baptism. To make it clear that this verse does not claim that all who are not baptized are condemned, consider the following example from http://creation.com... : "Whatever has feathers and flies is a bird, but whatever does not have feathers is not a bird." Flying is not the test for being a bird; having feathers is the test. Flightless birds truly are birds. Similarly, Scripture does not make the claim that baptism is the test of being saved; belief is the test of being saved. Un-baptized believers truly are saved. HOW TO BE SAVED The Bible makes it clear that nothing can be done on our own to in any way earn our way to Heaven, as it is a free gift that must simply be accepted on faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, NOT OF WORKS, lest anyone should boast." No verse in all of Scripture more clearly refutes my opponent's claims than this. Actions of any kind, whether charity work or tithing or being baptized, can never merit salvation. My opponent completely denies that belief (faith) alone is what saves, but that one must go through with the action of being baptized. I have two examples that I hope my opponent would consider, one hypothetical and one actual. First, what if a mature adult is convinced of his need for Christ and professes faith in Christ. After maturing as a Christian and understanding the significance of baptism, this person arranges to be baptized. On the way to church next Sunday morning for his baptism, the person is killed by a drunk driver. Would such a person go to Hell because someone took his life before he lived long enough to go through with the action of being baptized? How about if this person had instead died of a heart attack while walking to the baptism pool? Still going to Hell? Second, what about the criminal on the cross next to Jesus (Luke 23:40-43)? This criminal admitted that he was being punished for his wrongdoings (verse 41), recognized that Jesus was innocent (verse 41), and believed that Jesus was who He claimed to be (verse 42). Jesus then assured this dying criminal that he would join Him in Heaven that very day (verse 43). Without being baptized, Jesus promised this dying sinner that he was saved. THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTIONS One of the biggest misconceptions is the importance of actions as it relates to whether or not you are saved. Obviously, no one likes a hypocrite. Those "do as I say, not as I do" Christians find it next to impossible to convince anyone of their need for Christ and thus find soul-winning a very difficult task (if they are even trying to witness in the first place). In short, your actions will either build up or tear down your testimony for Christ. A Christian should desire to show God to the world through what they do, but nowhere in the Bible is it taught that the actions themselves are what results in salvation. Rather, IT IS SALVATION THAT RESULTS IN THE ACTIONS, because it is only after being saved that you will desire to show God to the world. Commonly misunderstood and seen as in contradiction with Ephesians 2:8-9 is James 2:14,17 – "What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?...Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." This can be cleared up by a discussion of James 2:19 – "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe – and tremble!" James stresses here that a correct belief should be evident in your life by what you do. James tells us that Satan believes in God, but he sure isn't acting like God is who He says He is! Satan believed that he was equal to God. Satan believed that he could ruin God's plan by tempting Adam and Eve into sin. Satan believed that he could again ruin God's plan by causing Judas to betray Jesus and have Him crucified. And Satan believes that he will lead a victorious rebellion against God at Armageddon. Satan believes that God is real, yet none of his beliefs will save him. Why? Because the content of his belief is false. Statements on the faith/works issue like James' are a very necessary clarification to passages like Ephesians 2:8-9. What Ephesians 2 stresses about the relationship between faith and works is that the road to Heaven is a one way street; absolutely nothing you can do will earn your way there, you must simply accept the gift by faith. What James adds is a clarification to an incorrect line of reasoning that could result from reading only passages like Ephesians 2. One might be tempted to say, "If all I have to do is believe, then alright, I believe! Especially because it doesn't matter what I do! I can sin all I want free of consequences!" Such people would only be CLAIMING to believe in God, and their belief would be just as empty as Satan's. This is why James rhetorically asks, "Can that faith save him?" Again, actions do not save, but salvation results in proper actions. Living an unchanged life because you are not convinced of your need to turn from your sin is not the proper actions, which is evidence of a heart that does not truly believe in the first place. CONCLUSION My opponent is correct in that believers should be "doers of the Word, and not hearers only" (James 1:22). However, my opponent incorrectly concludes that it is certain actions of the believer that merits salvation while ignoring the plain teachings of Scripture that we are saved by faith because of the actions that have already been done on our behalf, Christ dying on the cross.