Being saved by grace through faith includes being baptized (updated with a re-write)

(One month after I wrote this post, I re-wrote it, briefer, to preach on men's night at my church; which I have included below.)

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
-Ephesians 2:8

Some people look to Ephesians 2:8 to say that Christians can receive salvation apart from being immersed in water.  They might say that salvation is a work of God that is completely free and all we have to do is believe and receive.  They might say that baptism is something else:  A testimony of having been saved or a symbolic ritual that Christians do that is merely symbolic of what Christ has already done for us.

Ephesians 2:9 goes on to say that salvation is "not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."  And the argument is made that baptism is a work and that since Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that we are not saved as the result of any work we do, that baptism is not required for salvation.

But the problem with this argument is that, in the New Testament, salvation is never called, or seen to be, a work we do to get saved.  

Our salvation truly is only through the grace of God.  This includes God sending Jesus to be the redeemer.  This includes Jesus dying on the cross for our sins.  This includes God giving us His written word, the Bible.  This includes Christ appointing His Apostles.  And this also includes God's providence of being in charge of all things.

And we become and stay saved only by faith.  How does faith save us?  Through the word of God, the Bible.  

Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
-John 20:30-31

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
-Romans 10:17

But are we saved by faith only and is that what Ephesians 2:8 teaches?  No.  Notice that the word "only" is not in Ephesians 2:8.  You can believe but not be saved.  For example in John chapter 12 it says:

Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.
-John 12:42-43

One Bible teacher described saving faith in an ABC acronym of "faith is an Action based on a Belief, and sustained by Confidence in God." How then do we exercise saving faith according to the New Testament? By believing, repenting, confessing Christ, being baptized, and then living faithfully.

Believing is the first step to becoming saved.

They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
-Acts 16:31

You may have heard the parabolic story of the man trapped on his roof during a flood who prays for God's help but refuses rescue offers from a rowboat, a motorboat, and a helicopter.  He had faith, he believed God could save him.  But when God tried to save him, the man refused the offers and drowned  in his pride or stubbornness.  To save mankind, God sent His Son, to die on a cross, to shed his blood for the remission of our sins.  And we receive salvation through the agencies of believing, repenting, confessing, and being baptized.

For example, Saul (who became Paul) believed when Jesus encountered him on the road to Damascus.  But he was saved through not only his belief but his repenting, confessing, and being baptized.  A man named Ananias said to Paul:

‘Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’
-Acts 22:16

The grace of God is what God has done and faith is what we do.  Whenever a verse excludes one of the aspects of exercising faith unto salvation, we should not be confused and say that we do not have to do that to be saved.  Many times believing is emphasized, but that is not all we must do to be saved.  

Getting baptized to the exclusion of belief, repentance, and confessing Christ does not save anyone.  Baptism (immersion) is an act of faith coupled with belief, repentance, and confessing Christ that saves us.  Then we stay saved by living faithfully.

The Bible does not teach that faith is just a belief.  I believe that my car will start, but I have to do something by turning the key or pushing the button.  I believe in eating but taking in food is something I have to do.  Faith is taught in the New Testament to be an action, something we act on.  

Jesus gave orders that every person who responds to the gospel message shall be baptized (Acts 1:2, Matt. 28:19, Mark 16:16).  

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
-Ephesians 2:8

Salvation is by God's grace and we become saved acting through faith by believing, repenting, confessing, and being baptized.  When we are baptized, the blood of Jesus is applied (Acts 2:38, and 22:16; Rom. 6:3, Col. 2:11-14, 1 Pet. 3:21, and Rev. 1:5).

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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

-Ephesians 2:8

Some people look to Ephesians 2:8 to say that salvation is a gift of God that is completely free and all we have to do is believe and receive. 

But, I don’t think that is quite right.

How are we to understand Ephesians 2:8?

That’s what I want to share with you.

Our salvation is solely by the grace of God. 

This grace includes God sending Jesus to be the redeemer. 

This grace includes Jesus dying on the cross and shedding his blood for our sins. 

This grace includes God giving us His written word, the Bible. 

This grace includes Christ appointing His Apostles. 

And this grace also includes God's providence of being in charge of all things.

The grace that saves us is what God has done.

And how we become saved is through faith. 

How does faith save us? 

Through faith in Christ and obedience to Christ.

We are saved by grace through faith.

Salvation is the gift of God that we can only receive through faith.

The Bible does not teach that people are saved “by grace 

only” or “through faith only”.  

We are saved by grace, through faith.

Salvation is a gift from God available to everyone.

Just believing or Only Believing is not salvation

But believing is very important.

Everyone needs to first believe, then repent, then confess Christ, and then be baptized.  This is the faith through which we are saved.

And the faith through which we are saved is to believe who Jesus Christ is and believe in what he has done, which means I will obey Him, which means I will repent of my sins and which means I will be baptized for the remission, the forgiveness of my sins, because this is what he commands.

The grace of God is what God has done and faith is what we do. 

Faith is an action.  Hebrews chapter 11 teaches us this.

Faith is always something you do in response to God.

The Bible does not teach that faith is just a belief.  On the day of Pentecost, after hearing the spectacular presentation of the Gospel by Peter, the people were pierced to the heart and cried out  to Peter and the other apostles, saying,  “Brethren what shall we do?”  And did Peter say, “just believe?”  Absolutely not.  The people already believed and they were asking, “what shall we do?”   And we all know what Peter’s answer was: repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Salvation by grace is completely provided by God and we have to, we must take action through faith to become saved.

Jesus gave orders that every person who responds to the gospel message shall be baptized (Acts 1:2, Matt. 28:19, Mark 16:16).  

Salvation is by God's grace and we become saved through the action of our faith.  And the New Testament teaches us that when we are baptized, the blood of Jesus is applied, granting us forgiveness and salvation.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

-Ephesians 2:8