[good samaritan]

Romans 3:22-26 NLT
We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

Romans 4:5, 9-11, 22-25 NLT
But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles? Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith. But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised! Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous--even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith. And because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.

Romans 5:1-2 NLT
Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.

One question who is this letter written to the church or the sinner? The church. The people he was talking to already had been baptized in Jesus name and filled with the Holy Ghost. You are using letters to the Church out of context.

3-- Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

The people who Paul spoke already understood the necessity of baptism.

So I'm curious how if a man is justified by faith and at peace with God, how he could still be subject to the damnation of hell?

Faith without works is dead. If a man has faith he is going to have works. I think the definition of faith is the problem. Some think it is easy believe ism, but faith is much deeper than. Faith is is reliance on God and His word. I don't want to get to deep, but I believe faith doesn't come through our conscious knowledge, it is given from God. I don't think anyone realizes the levels of grace that produce salvation. We can't even believe in Him if He doesn't allow it.

And I know you despise when I mention church history, and I sympathize with you. If I started a thread that could only trace my doctrine back to 1908, I'd try to avoid references to church history also.

I don't even think the history of catholics burning people is church history. It may be history, but it wasn't the Church. The Church would never produce such atrocities. If this history makes you feel better about your doctrinal stance that is all I need to know. The problem is we have too many using the word of God without the Spirit of God. Scripture compares the word of God to two edged sword which I would never let my children play with. God's can be taken and used for the wrong, but the Holy Ghost is necessary to lead and guide us in truth.

Also in regards to the book of Acts can you explain why the 3,000 were added to the church in v.41 with no indication that they spoke in tongues, or why Peter didn't mention Jesus name baptism in his Acts 3 sermon, and again why the 5,000 of Acts 4:4 didn't speak in tongues (and apparently weren't immediately baptized, yet were counted amongst the believers? Are these "emotional" questions?

This is conjecture because it doesn't give all the details only summarizes the work that was taking place. If we had a hundred people show up in regular attendance at our church I would acknowledge them as church numbers, but that wouldn't make anyone of them saved. Even though the apostles gave these numbers it doesn't mean that all those people where going to be in heaven. I think each individual had to make his calling and election sure. This is another scripture that doesn't take away from Spirit and water baptism.

Can you answer why water baptism and speaking in tongues are not included amongst the various tests of genuine saving faith listed all throughout the book of 1 John?

It had already been established. Does baptism have to be seen in every verse and every instance to be proven? I think that faith is the core, but it will lead people to have doctrinal truth. Faith is emphasized because it is center of it all, but you must get the right concept of faith.