To put it in perspective, you can place all forms of Christianity groups into three groups. The far left, far right and centralist concerning the primary teaching of salvation, concerning baptism, particularly the subject of works.

Working of God

John 6:28-59 28 They said therefore unto him, What must we do, that we may work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.



Colossians 2:12 having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith (persuasion) in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Ephesians 2 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus ....

  Baptism is God’s work in man, called grace (unmerited provision) to unite a man in Christ death, his body, and especiallly unite men in his crucifixion (shedding of blood), burial with Christ, and resurrection, when God now sees you coming up out of the water, in Christ body, in his spirit (mental disposition, frame of mind, particular thinking) forgiven of sins, saved, is justified from sin. The bible shows there is another form of works that are not our own, but God’s works working in man.
   On the opposite side, the far right are the Catholics, I perceive as also has a spirit (mental deposition, particular thinking) of stupor, who see baptism forgives, saves, but have conjured up, their own form of baptism, sprinkling, and done to infants which can’t have faith in Christ, repent and confess his name as Lord. Which then is a conjured up work of man, tradition making void the word of God. Catholics ran out of the boundaries (authorized by Christ and his Apostles) of the race, in sprinkling infants, claiming falsely it’s baptism, they have created many more conjured up works, traditions making void the word of God.


    Then there are the centralist (once refered to as independents and baptist, being part of the heritage in the United States of America from the 1700's to the establishing a nation having freedom of religion, then taking the name of disciples of Christ, churches of Christ, christian churches, attributed in the early 1800's a major role in the spiritual growth of our young nation), concerning baptism and it’s particular scriptural purpose. Among the centralist are the churches of Christ with congregations in every state, particularly in Tennessee, Texas, the many southern states, 13,000 congregations and the independent Christian churches in the heart of the country, the mid west and simply independents, who share a common doctrine, perceive baptism, as a work of God. God working in man to forgive sins, save, justify man, the grace (unmeritorious provision) of God. Following the pattern, the spirit (mental disposition, particular thinking, frame of mind) surrounding baptism in the new testament, particularly after Jesus death and resurrection when the church, kingdom of heaven was establish on Pentecost. Reading in the book of Acts, and other letters of the Apostles, contain the eye witness accounts of instituting baptism (water immersion) in Christ, to forgive sins, saves, is justified from sin. In other articles, the right column of this web site, explains further the topic of baptism, how and why baptism forgives sins, saves, is justified from sin. Especially explaining baptism is the grace (unmeritorious provision), a work of God  in man, not man’s own work or his own righteousness. So no man may boast, but perceives his salvation as the mercy, grace (unmeritorious provision) of God working in him, not due to his running or will, but election according to God’s good pleasure, will. So everyone who is truly saved, may reach out to others, knowing they were also unsaved, in darkness, needing the light, grace, mercy in the word of God. (There is some differences of agreement, among the centralist, concerning free will, predestination as written and defined in the new testament, not affected so much fellowship, more as one’s understanding, perception )