Some possible counterpoints should be addressed before getting too excited. There are verses in the Bible which imply that it is not, in fact, by faith that one enters the New Life but by baptism:
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life (Romans 6:4 NIV, see also 1 Cor. 12:13 and Gal. 3:27-29)
It would seem from this and the verses below cited that the New Life in Christ was entered into via physical baptism. This threatens, to a noticeable degree, the conclusion to which we have already come – that the New Life is entered via faith in Christ, not to mention even suggesting contradiction within the Bible. Luckily, however, this contradiction is softened in light of the consideration that baptism is usually done because of one’s faith in Jesus Christ. Indeed, it can be further argued not simply that baptism is done out of faith in Christ, but that you cannot be baptized in a spiritually significant way unless you have faith in Christ. We know that rituals commanded by Christ are not safe from misuse:
Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself (1 Cor. 11:27-29 NIV)
This above example is of Communion (or Eucharist if you prefer), and its ability to be used unworthily. From this, we have reason to suspect that baptism, too, can be done unworthily. If this is indeed so, what would differentiate between worthy and unworthy baptism? Again, Acts is particularly helpful:
And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may [be baptized].” And [the Ethiopian] replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (Acts 8:37 HCSB)
This goes to show that faith in Jesus Christ is an integral part to baptism in His name. Indeed, practice affirms the conclusion that baptism is done out of faith in Jesus Christ. I have yet to meet someone who was baptized into the name of someone they thought merely to be a great moral teacher or a lunatic. This should give us the sense that baptism is made efficacious by one’s faith; it is how one is baptized into Christ’s rather than another’s name (see Acts 19:1-7). It is also notable that this does not work the other way around. The Bible does not indicate that one’s faith is useless until he gets baptized, but it does give us cause to doubt faithless baptism. The contradiction between John’s and Paul’s words is therefore liquefied in light of the fact that baptism and faith are inextricably linked. If you get baptized (the right way), it is out of faith in and obedience to Jesus Christ anyway.
This, by the way, brings us full circle back to the conclusion which is here being defended – the idea that good deeds proceed from faith. Baptism is easily classified as a good deed; Jesus said that “it is proper for us [to be baptized] to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15 NIV). And if indeed baptism is done out of faith, then this further hardens our conclusion that good deeds proceed from faith. Baptism may not activate faith, but it can be said to proceed from it. It is the perfect expression of faith and the New Life which it created in the faithful; our first example of faith’s ability to generate good deeds. Baptism is the “first fruit” of faith.
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