"Mike Bugal" <mbugal@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:4804f1a6$0$30188$4c368faf@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> "Ron Burdette" <ronaldburdette@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> news:d811dd0e-ab5d-4724-89be-2e7cce38e38e@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> On Apr 10, 6:37 am, "Mike Bugal" <mbu...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> "Carl" <sai...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
>>
>> news:ftk414$45u$2@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>
>> > The following sermon from John Piper delves into the Biblical
>> > definition
>> > of baptism and also answers the question "does water baptism save?"
>>
>> So, we are supposed to take the word of Piper, MacArthur etc. over the
>> Word
>> of God?
>>
>> Not me!
>
> Do YOU know what the ONLY prerequiste required for anyone to be Saved
> is?
> HINT: It isn't man made religions or water baptism!
>
>><>...Ron
>
> I'm no more willing to accept your opinion versus the Word of God than
> that of the teachers that Carl spams the newsgroups with. The Word says:
> "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in
> the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive
> the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38)
>
> You and Carl say Peter either didn't mean what he said or that the many
> translation committees that have produce every translation we have
didn't
> know what they were doing and should have agreed with the "better
wording"
> of "because of the remission of sins" favored by MacArthur and others.
> The reality is that many of the newer translations lean even more
strongly
> to the "for" meaning "with an eye toward" or "to accomplish".
>
> Truth is Truth, no matter how few believe it! A lie is still a lie no
> matter how many believe it! I'll stand for that Truth no matter if a 100
> or a 1000 Ron Burdettes or Carl McCaskys revile and bear false witness
> against me.
Perhaps a study of some of the Scriptures appertaining
to baptism would be appropriate here, for such are the commands of Jesus
and
Peter, that baptism by immersion is
deemed by them to be a command, not a choice.
Remember Christ himself seriously warned Nicodemus, a man "Must be born
of
Water" to enter the Kingdom of God. " But Jesus answered, "I tell you
the
truth, unless one is--- BORN FROM WATER ---and the Spirit, he cannot enter
God's kingdom." John 3:5 (NCV)
Answers to Questions asked regarding *BAPTISM IN WATER.*
Question. What is the next step after believing the Gospel?
Answer. To be baptized in water. Mark 16:15, 16. Matthew 3:15-17
"And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it
becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus,
when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the WATER: and, lo, the
heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like
a
dove, and lighting upon him:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is
my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matt 3:15-17 (KJV)
Question. But was I not baptized in water when I was sprinkled as a child?
Answer. No, that cannot be, as true Baptism is by Immersion. The Greek
word
for "Baptize" means "to dip, plunge, immerse, submerge." Sprinkling does
not
fulfil any of these things.
Question. Is it therefore necessary for me to be baptized again?
Answer. Seeing that sprinkling is not a scriptural baptism, you have never
been baptized. Even if you had been immersed as a baby, or as an unsaved
adult, that would not suffice, as "repentance" and "believing" must
precede
the "baptizing." Mark 16 :16 ; Acts 2 : 38; 8 : 36, 37.
Question.Were babies never baptized in the New Testament?
Answer. There is not a single Scripture to say they were. Only believers
were baptized. Matt. 28 : 19 (R.V.) Acts 8:12, 37.
Question. What other Scriptures prove that Baptism is by Immersion?
Answer.In order to baptize the Eunuch, Philip led him "into the Water" and
he came up "out of the Water" (Acts 8:38), which would only be necessary
where immersion was practised.
Also, John the Baptist baptized in a part of the River where there was
"MUCH
WATER" (John 3 : 23). "Much water" is not required to sprinkle people!
Baptism is, moreover, likened to "burial." (Rom. 6 4). Such a figure can
only bear one interpretation, viz.' that of immersion. (See also
"planting"
in Rom. 6 : 5).
Question. But surely Baptism is quite an optional matter?
Answer. The commands of Christ can never be regarded as optional. They are
obligatory upon His children. And baptism is a COMMAND OF CHRIST. Matt.
28:19, 20. It is vain to say we love Christ if we are unwilling to keep
His
commandments, for obedience is a proof of our love. (See John 14 :15, 21,
23).
Moreover, Christ Himself set us an example in this matter (Matt. 3 :
13-15),
Indeed, "To fulfill all righteousness" or "all that is right" and we are
to
"follow His steps." (1 Peter 2 : 21).
Question. Did the Apostles enforce Baptism upon new converts?
Answer. Yes, we read that Peter "Commanded" converts to be baptized. Acts
10: 48; 2 : 38.
Question. What is the purpose of Baptism?
Answer. It is an open confession of one's faith in Christ-and "'The answer
of a good conscience toward God." 1 Pet. 3:21.
It is the symbolical wa****ng away of sins (Acts 22:16), although without
true faith it can be a vain ceremony (as in the case of Simon-Acts 8:13,
21-23), seeing it is the blood of Christ which really washes away sins,
Rev.
1: 5.
Question. Does Baptism take the place of The New Birth?
Answer. No outward ceremony can supersede the New Birth.- See Gal. 6, 15.
The New Birth does not even synchronize with the act of Immersion, it must
always precede it. The "water" in John 3 : 5 is symbolical of the "Word."
Eph. 5: 25, 26. We are born again of the Word of God. l Pet.1:23; Jam.1:18
;
l Cor. 4:15.
Question. What Teaching is connected with Baptism?
Answer. In the first place, Baptism is a figure of death. Rom.6: 3, 5, 6,
8.
Now Christ, as our Representative, endured the actual baptism of death for
us. Luke 12: 50.
We acknowledge in Baptism that we deserve to die, being sinners; thus we
die
with Christ symbolically. Rom. 6: 3.
Having died, we are "Buried with Christ in baptism". indicating that the
old life which was put to death with Christ is never to be seen again.
Question. Does Baptism teach anything else?
Answer. Yes, having been identified with Christ in His death, we are also
identified with Him in His resurrection. Rom.6:4,5,8. CoI.2:12.
Therefore, we are .raised out of death into a new life with Christ. Gal. 2
:
20.
Being new creatures we are to live Christ-like lives. Gal. 3: 27.
Henceforth we are to walk in "newness of life." Rom. 6: 4.
Question. But what if I do not feel all this after being baptized?
Answer. We are to live by faith, not by feelings. Faith reckons it is so.
See Rom. 6 :11.
Being "risen with Christ" (Col. 3 1), we are to "seek those things which
are
above." We are to "set our affection on things above, not on things on the
earth."
Question. Ought I to be baptized in the name of some particular Church?
Answer, We are not baptized into the name of any Church, or any great
Preacher. Baptism is "into the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit." Matt. 28:19. R.V. We are not to be disciples of men, however
great
they may be, but followers of Christ.
Question. Who should baptize a believer?
Answer. According to the New Testament, baptism was performed by any
minister of the Church/Ecclesia (Matt. 28:19; 1 Cor. 1: 14-17; Acts 8 :
12,
36), or by any fellow-believer. (Acts 9 :17, 18).
And one final question, After having been baptized, what should follow
next?
Answer. A life totally dedicated to Jesus, striving to obey all of his
commandments, including all Apostolic doctrines and teachings either till
you die or He
comes again.
Then a Catholic, Methodist, Moravian, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran,
Reformed
Church, Church of England, United Church of Canada, Presbyterian, could
certainly call themselves a Christian....But
any refusing to be properly baptised by being immersed in water, then
such
are still in an Unwashed state and still in their sins....Christ sadly
being of no value to you.
Take a good look at another Bible reference to baptism by immersion:
Acts 22:16, "Arise and be baptized, and WASH AWAY thy sins..." Here is
evidence baptism washes away sins (God cleanses at the act of baptism).
Acts 10:48, "And he commanded them to be baptized..."
A command is something where the choice is not yours (except to disobey
the
command). Here is a clear case showing baptism is absolutely essential to
salvation.
Acts 2:38, "repent and be baptized...for the remission of sins..."
Consider this. Peter had just preached a sermon about Jesus to Jews who
had
days before rejected him and consented to his death. Upon hearing Peter's
sermon they now believed he was the Son of God. At this point of their
belief they asked Peter and the other apostles, "what shall we do?"
Now they were obviously believers at the point immediately before they
asked
the question. If they were not then believers, they would not have even
asked the question.
But after they believed, they asked what else to do. Peter gave them TWO
MORE THINGS to DO. Repent and be baptized. Why?
"For the remission of sins." Can one be saved without remission of sins?
NO! We get remission of sins after we believe and upon repentance and
baptism (immersion in water).
The great commission? Read John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he
gave his onlybegotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish
but have everlasting life."
This is commonly used by the "faith only" people to
prove faith is all one needs. Look, however at verse 5 in the same
chapter.
Just before Jesus spoke of belief, he also said, "except a man be born of
WATER and of the Spirit he can not enter into the kingdom of God."
See comment earlier.
Now here is something Jesus said was required before one can enter the
kingdom of God.
What? Being born of water and of the Spirit. Jesus obviously was referring
to water baptism, and he obviously had not forgotten this when he spoke as
in
3:16. The faith in the Great Commission is an ACTIVE and OBEDIENT faith in
which one will obey the form of doctrine Christ gave us including baptism.
Read Romans 6:17-18. Christians here had obeyed from the heart the "form
of
doctrine" which was delivered. Just prior to that (verses 3-4) Paul
referred to being buried with Christ in baptism. A few moments later he
referred to
this as a "form of doctrine" to be obeyed.
Yes, baptism is just as much a part of our salvation as is belief,
repentance, confession, grace, obedience.
It is so vital to look at ALL the scriptures having to do with our
salvation.
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