Scriptural Apologetics 101 by John Scott Roesch - HTML preview

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are not grievous.

89

The Facts About Scriptural Baptism

Works of Righteousness

A newborn baby is many things. It is beautiful, it is dependent, it is hungry, it is sleepy, it is playful, it is dazzling, it is the pride and joy of the parents, and it is expensive.

But it is also unrighteous. It is born with a sin nature, and is already dying even while it is in the mother’s womb.

This child, as he or she grows, is taught many wonderful lessons by their God-fearing parents. A child’s first song should be “Jesus loves me”. From a young age, he or she should learn bedtime prayers because God listens to every prayer, saint or sinner; He just moves as He desires to each prayer.

Starting as a baby, church should become a part of their life from early on, learning love for God, respect for others, the Golden Rule, and obedience. But even when he or she does all this, their works are still unrighteous works because they are still unrighteous.

What makes anything a work of righteousness? It begins with Jesus, the Righteous One, living in your heart, which occurs when you are saved. And then it has to be a 90

The Facts About Scriptural Baptism

good work, something Jesus would do. Telling a lie is never a work of righteousness no matter who tells it.

But something such as scriptural baptism is always a work of righteousness, because the believer is doing something Jesus Himself did.

Matthew 3:15

And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer

it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to

fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered