BALLARD/STROM DEBATE ON BAPTISM

 
 
The Scriptures teaches that obedience is from the inside out. We are first changed 
in the inner man via the new birth and then the outward "good fruit" of obedience 
including Baptism results.
 
Thus we are born-again/saved/forgiven at the moment we confess our sins and 
accept Christ as our savior - believing in Him as our Savior is the moment of 
salvation" 

Affirm: Bob Strom 
Deny: Voyd N. Ballard 
 
Strom's FIRST AFFIRMATIVE: 
 
I define my proposition as follows: 
1. Scriptures-the Bible - does not contradict itself. We must take all the 
information on a given doctrine to most accurately understand God's perspective. 
Cut and paste snippet models of Bible study don't work.

2. There is only ONE Gospel - only ONE way of Salvation. It predicts a change 
that is from the inside out - not the outside in. 

3. Water baptism (by immersion) is a public ceremony declaring the choice of the 
disciple - declaring that they have already chosen Christ and also choose to follow 
Christ obediently in all things. (As Christ said - If you LOVE Me - KEEP My 
Commandments). 
 
4. Believing penitent who has heard the gospel, believes in Jesus Christ, and has 
repented of his past sins - is saved at that moment and not put off until some later 
time when by future acts of obedience he can effect a change in the inner man and 
fellowship with God - he is not left on his own to manufacture the obedience of 
Baptism from a hollow unsaved soul.

It is a pleasure to affirm this proposition and I will do my best to set forth my 
affirmative arguments in such a plain and simple manner so as to be easily 
understood. I will number the arguments as follows:

1. The debate is actually over the Gospel itself - and the fact that the Gospel 
change is from the inside out. Inner miracles of "New Birth" leading to outward 
acts of obedience.

Once we understand the true depravity of what it means to be lost and what is 
accomplished for the inner man in the Gospel "New Birth", we better understand 
the individual transforming - private - work of the Holy Spirit - and how he then 
leads and empowers us to obey. 

A. Scripture declares that the lost sinner does NOT accept the spiritual truths of 
God and indeed CAN NOT.
 
1Cor 2:14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for 
they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are 
spiritually appraised.

Rom 8:5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of 
the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 
6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and 
peace, 
7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject 
itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 
8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 
9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God 
dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong 
to Him. 
12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to 
the flesh 
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit 
you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Our total depravity as a lost person is such that God considers to be dead - dead 
and helpless to do anything about it - as He states in the text below.

Eph 2:1-4 
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 
2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according 
to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons 
of disobedience. 
3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the 
desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as 
the rest. 
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved 
us, 
5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with 
Christ ( by grace you have been saved)

Since we are totally incapable of inner change or even outward obedience - God 
must act.

John 12:32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself. 
33 But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die 

John 12:46 I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. 

He does so by supernaturally drawing all men - so that we have at least the 
capacity to RECEIVE him to believe. The ONE act of obedience left to us - in 
this supernatural 

John 6:29 This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

And thus there IS the only "WORK" of God that is available to the lost - that of 
believing. 

Rom 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and BELIEVE in 
your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be SAVED; 
10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the 
mouth he confesses, resulting in SALVATION.

Here we see clearly all that stands between sinner and salvation. Once that person 
CHOOSES to ACCEPT - they are SAVED and this Gospel result includes the 
Gospel change in the INNER man - allowing for GOOD fruit to begin.

2Cor 5 :17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things 
passed away; behold, new things have come. 
18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through 
Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 
19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting 
their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of 
reconciliation. 
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an 
appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might 
become the righteousness of God in Him. 

Taking an even BROADER VIEW - God also shows that obedience is the fruit of 
the changed life ALL through life - ENDURING until the end. For those whose 
life is rich in endurance - walking in the obedience of faith will be saved.

Mark 13:13 You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who 
endures to the end, he will be saved.
 
Matthew 24:13 But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 

Matthew 10:22 You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one 
who has endured to the end who will be saved.

That endurance in obedience is the result of a changed life - from the inside out. 
The New Creation IS the "Good Tree" that bears that good fruit - of obedience. 
The 'good fruit' of obedience RESULTS from the Good Tree and can not be 
expected from the unchanged bad tree. The change is from the INSIDE out - what 
you see on the OUTside is the FRUIT of what is ALREADY on the inside.

A Tree and Its Fruit

Matt 7:15 Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but 
inwardly are ravenous wolves. 
16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes 
nor figs from thistles, are they? 
17 So every GOOD tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 
18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a BAD tree  produce GOOD 
FRUIT. 
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 
20 So then, you will know them by their fruits.