There are more than two hundred places in the New Testament where the condition for salvation is spelled out, and in all these, cases faith or belief is given as the one and only condition.
1. Not one of those verses say faith is the only condition do they? You are "inferring" that since "those" verses only list faith, that faith is the only factor, aren't you? It's an "inferred" belief. The Bible NEVER says faith is the only factor on our part in getting saved, it's an "inferred" belief.
2. The ratio argument, the one that says faith is mentioned more than baptism, so baptism must not be involved, doesn't hold up. The Bible only has to say it once explicitly for something to be true, but it needs to say it explicitly at least once for it to be true. Jesus said each of these once
Matthew 12:8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
Mark 13:2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
and they're every bit as true as something He said a dozen times.
Frequency is not standard of truth. Something stated explicitly at least once in the Bible is a standard of truth. Both faith and baptism are each stated explicitly at least once as getting saved. The notion that faith being the ONLY factor on man's part to get saved is not stated explicitly EVER, so it's not true. It's only an inference based on preference, nothing more.
One must believe that Jesus has accomplished the salvation work on one's behalf. To be saved, one must believe not just that He died, but that He died for one's own sins. If one believes that Yeshua the Messiah died for his sins, that presupposes that one has confessed that he is a sinner. If Yeshua died for one's sins, obviously it means that he is a sinner. So one must believe that Yeshua died for his sins as his substitute, was buried and rose again, and therefore has provided salvation.
All true. In fact one should not only be cognizant that he/she is a sinner, but they should also reflect on the sins they personally committed that put Jesus on the cross, like Paul did.
Thus, one trusts Yeshua for his salvation.
Here's where word play comes in. I see trusting in Jesus/Yeshua as believing in who he is and whatever he teaches, even when it goes against our grain. You "seem" to define trusting in Jesus/Yeshua (correct me if I'm wrong) as acknowledging that God sent Him to die on the cross for our salvation and by believing that God did this, it is the exclusive method (our part) in getting saved. All that is encompassed in the phrase "trusting Jesus/Yeshua." The phrase
trusting in Jesus's for one's salvation is often used with your definition, and assumes it's an established definition that everyone should already be on board with. That phrase does not exist in the Bible, it's just modern word play.
This is the condition of salvation: faith must be placed in the Messiah as one's substitute for and as one's Savior from the penalty of sin.
This is "A" condition for salvation, but ad nauseum, there's nothing in the Bible itself making this exclusive. It's only commentators of the Bible who call this exclusive. You're not giving me Biblical support for your position, you're giving me church culture.
First the word “faith” is used as “conviction that something is true.” Secondly, faith is used as “trust.” Thirdly, faith is used as “persuaded,” and it is stronger than mere opinion, though it is weaker than foreknowledge. Fourthly, faith is used as “belief based upon the facts of knowledge” (Rom. 10:14). And fifth, faith must have an object. The object of faith is God, while the content of faith is the death of the Messiah for one's sins, His burial and Resurrection.
Good.
If we are saved because of our faith then we aren't saved by what our faith is in.
Agreed. Ultimately, God/Jesus saves, not our faith in God/Jesus.
We are saved thru believing in the finished work not because we believe the finished work.
Not only. The faith that involves salvation is believing in Jesus himself, who He is, who sent him, what he taught, etc. - John 3:16, not ONLY in his finished work.
The work of God saves and we receive the benefit of that work by trusting that that work alone is sufficient payment in the eyes of God our Father to satisfy His requirement for our sins, that payment is the blood of the only begotten Son of God.
That God's work alone is sufficient payment is not questioned. That's not the issue. The issue is about accessing that payment. No one in the Bible ever said "trust in... ALONE" (mental assertion)... is all that's involved in getting saved. That's just word play. Why didn't anybody in the Bible ever say this explicitly, and have to rely on outsiders to say it for them? That's because it's only the outsiders' idea. They come up with all sorts of convoluted roundabout explanations that distracts from the fact the Bible
just doesn't say faith is the only response involved in getting saved; That it is an inferred belief.
Indeed my brothers and sisters the blood of Messiah is of infinite value.
Agreed.
