Question 9
The Correct Answer Is: FALSE
Colossians 2:11-14: "11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."
Many people do not want to submit to baptism because they claim it is a work that man does in order to try and earn his salvation. What people who make this argument fail to realize is: faith is described as a work too in John 6:28-29. If baptism is a work that merits salvation, then so is faith. In truth, neither is a work that merits salvation. Both are required to obey God, yes, but neither of them earn salvation because we're simply doing what God commanded. We haven't earned anything. In fact, Colossians 2 shows us that in submitting to baptism, man is not the one working: God is working. God is cutting away sin from the spirit. God is the one forgiving sins. Man is simply submitting to God's surgical removal of sin in faith. When we go to the doctor for open heart surgery, we're putting our faith in the doctor that he or she is able to fix us. When we lie down on the surgical table, that's all we do: the doctor does the rest. So too with baptism. When we go down into the waters of baptism, we are placing our faith in God that he is able to accomplish what He said He would do. That's all we do: God does the rest. He remits our sins by His grace. When our sins are remitted by the blood of Christ, then we become children of God: we become Christians.