LOGIC vs PRACTICE

Consider the passage, Mark 16:16 ~ "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

Many people are taught that their sins are forgiven by a prayer...then to perform a non-essential act to show that, in that prayer, the sins were washed away...and some state that baptism is NOT necessary; only belief.......

Is belief an act of merit, or an act of obedience?

Is baptism an act of merit, or an act of obedience?

Is belief commanded, or not?

Is baptism commanded, or not?

Is belief necessary to salvation?

Is baptism necessary to salvation?

Why is belief is accepted, while baptism is rejected?

I wonder how this logic would "pan" out if 'baptism' was replaced by another act of obedience?

Consider:

He that believeth and REPENTS shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Is repentance a command? Is it an act of obedience or of merit? IS IT NECESSARY?

He that believeth and CONFESSES shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Is confession a command? Is it an act of obedience or of merit? IS IT NECESSARY?

For that matter..........

If hearing was placed before belief, and the same logic applied to belief as is applied to baptism, what would it look like?

"He that heareth and BELIEVETH shall be saved; but he that heareth not shall be damned."

Would belief be considered a command? Would belief be deemed an act of obedience, or an act of merit? Would belief be necessary to salvation?

IF NOT; WHY NOT?

If the logic will suffice on BAPTISM, it should suffice on REPENTANCE, CONFESSION, BELIEF..... and, for that matter, even on PRAYER!

Notice:

He that believeth and PRAYS shall be saved; but he that BELIEVETH not shall be damned.

Is prayer a command? Is it an act of obedience, or an act of merit? Is it necessary to salvation?

Consider also this parallel LOGIC?

"He that believeth and SHOWS it, shall be saved; but he that BELIEVETH not, shall be damned."

Is "showing" an act of obedience, or an act of merit?

IS "SHOWING" IT, NECESSARY TO SALVATION?

Again, the Lord said these words, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." - Mark 16:16

Perhaps another question is in order:

If baptism isn't necessary....WHY THEN, DID YOU BOTHER DOING IT?

Does your "practice" support/justify your "logic"?

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