Mark 16:16 A short thought on faith.....

Mar 16:15    And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Mar 16:16    He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Mat 28:18    And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Mat 28:19    Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Mat 28:20    Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

I like the way Gill describes the progression of saving faith....to following Jesus' commandments, submitting to baptism (a sign that even a Jesus did not avoid) .....

Mat 3:13    Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

Mat 3:14    But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

Mat 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 him.

And then unto the fruit of righteousness in faith in Christ and unto good works through him planned for us.

Rom 1:16    For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Rom 1:17    For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Rom 1:18    For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Eph 5:9  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

Heb 12:11  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Jas 3:18  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Eph 2:8    For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Eph 2:9    Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Eph 2:10    For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Mark 16:16

He that believeth,.... Not notionally only, or that gives a bare assent to the truth of the Gospel; but spiritually, who sees Christ, his need of him, and the worth and excellency, suitableness and fulness of him; who comes to him as a poor perishing sinner, and ventures on him, and commits himself to him, and lives upon him; believing alone in him, and expecting life and salvation alone by him:

and is baptized; faith must precede baptism, as these words of Christ, and Scripture examples show; and such as have it, ought to make a profession of it, and be baptized; and in which way it is that faith discovers itself, and works by love to Christ; namely, in observing his commands, and this among the rest:

shall be saved, such receive the remission of their sins a justifying righteousness, the privilege of adoption, a right and meetness for heaven now, and shall be saved in Christ, with an everlasting salvation; not that either faith or baptism, are the procuring causes of salvation: not faith, for Christ is the author of salvation; and faith is the grace that looks to him for it, receives the assurance of it now, and that will be the end of it hereafter: faith and eternal life are so connected together, that he that has the one, shall have the other; and it is descriptive of the person that shall enjoy it: and baptism, though it is said to save by the resurrection of Christ, as it is a means of leading faith to Christ's resurrection for justification, yet has no casual influence upon salvation; it is not essential to it; the thief on the cross, went to heaven without it, and Simon Magus to hell with it; but it is the duty of every one that believes, and he that truly believes, ought to be baptized, and prove the truth of his faith, by his obedience to Christ, and such shall be saved:

but he that believeth not shall be damned; such are here chiefly designed, who, are favoured with the Gospel revelation; but either deny it, reject and despise it, or neglect it, and are disobedient to it; whose guilt is the greater, and whose punishment and damnation will be the more intolerable; even more so, than that of Sodom and Gomorrha, Tyre and Sidon, or any of the Gentiles that perish without the law, and the knowledge of the Gospel; and also such are meant, who are finally unbelievers, who live and die in a state of impenitence and unbelief; otherwise, one that believes not today, may believe tomorrow, and be saved.