So close is the connection between the spiritual response (repentance and faith) and the outward confession of it in baptism that ‘to be baptized becomes virtually the same as ‘to repent and believe. (Ibid)

Being baptized is not virtually the same as having saving faith; it is the same. Those who came to Christ were not called believers until after they were baptized (Acts 16:30-34). The saved believer is the baptized believer.

The author adds:

Baptism is used as a metaphor to describe the spiritual process of union with Christ by faith and therefore to stand for the fruits of that union - justification, adoption and regeneration. (Ibid)

Baptism is necessary in order to have union with Christ. (Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:26-27) Thus, baptism is essential to justification (Romans 5:9-10; 6:3-4), adoption (Galatians 3:26-27) and regeneration. (John 3:5; Titus 3:5)

Mr. Lane attempts to place baptism on a lofty plane by declaring, "It is exalted in the mind of Christ and his apostles to such a high position that it is almost made to represent the whole saving process." (Ibid) But this only makes baptism a sacrament, a symbol of the salvation which has already taken place, an idea unknown to Scripture. Baptism represents the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord. (Romans 6:3-4) It is essential to salvation. (Mark 16:16)

He concludes, "Nor is it ever spoken of theologically apart from the teaching of the doctrine of salvation." (Ibid) True, but it is spoken of as before and in order to salvation. (Mark 16:16)

Mr. Lane teaches, "It is only disciples of Christ who have a right to be baptised." (108) Of course, this means people are disciples before and without baptism. If people are disciples before baptism, they are disciples before they are saved (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21), born again (John 3:5), have their sins remitted (Acts 2:38), have their sins washed away (Acts 22:16), are in Christ (Romans 6:3-4), are free from sin (Romans 6:17-18), are in the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13), become children of God (Galatians 3:26-27), are sanctified and cleansed (Ephesians 5:26), have the body of sins put off (Colossians 2:11-12), or have their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. (Hebrews 10:22) Baptism is the act by which penitent believers become disciples. (Matthew 28:19)

Mr. Lane goes to the heart of his error on baptism, and his misunderstanding of the entire plan of salvation, when he observes:

Now it is usually said that the basic error of Roman Catholicism is not denial of parts of the word of God, (that is the heresy of Liberalism or Modernism) but adding to it - requiring not only faith but works also. It is the Galatian heresy - that while faith in the gospel is necessary for salvation, so also is circumcision. (109)

Has Mr. Lane never read James 2:24? "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and warned them, "for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17) But Satan deceived Eve with the lie, "You will not surely die." (Genesis 3:4) The change of one word turned the truth of life into the lie of death. The inspired writer declares that justification is "not by faith only." Protestants teach that justification "is by faith only." The change of one word turns the truth of life into the lie of death.

To understand justification, we must realize the different kinds of works mentioned in the New Testament: good and evil (Titus 2:14; 2 Timothy 4:18), of God and of darkness (John 6:28-29; Romans 13:12), of Christ and of iniquity (Philippians 2:30; Matthew 7:23), of the Lord and of the flesh (1 Corinthians 15:58; Galatians 5:19), befitting repentance and wicked (Acts 26:20; Colossians 1:21), righteous and hypocritical (Acts 10:35; Matthew 23:3,5), perfect and dead (James 1:4; Hebrews 9:14), of faith and of the law (also called boastful and of righteousness, i.e., earned righteousness; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:9; Titus 3:5). Some of these works will cause us to be lost (Galatians 5:19-21), some will not save (Galatians 2:16), but some are essential to salvation (John 6:28-29; Philippians 2:12; Galatians 5:6; James 2:14-26). Judgment will be on the basis of our works (Romans 2:5-10). How can this be if works have nothing to do with our salvation?

Mr. Lane summarizes concerning who should be baptized thus:

It is not over-simplifying the situation to say that the question ‘Who may and should be baptised?’ is exactly the same as the question ‘Who and what is a Christian?’ If baptism is only for Christians, and for all Christians, then its requirements are precisely the same as those for becoming a Christian, or, to put it another way, for salvation itself. (109-10)

Of course, this means one is saved and a Christian before he is baptized. But the Lord put baptism before salvation. "He who believes and is baptized will be saved." (Mark 16:16) "Christian" is the proper name for a disciple of Christ. (Acts 11:26) Remember, baptism is the act by which penitent believers become disciples.