ONLY Believers are to be baptized
Baptism is only an outward confession
Act 8:36-37 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
The thief on the cross was he baptized?
Baptism is also a PICTURE of the death of our FLESH and the BIRTH of our spirit
We are BAPTIZED into Christ, a person does not ENTER IN TO BAPTISM by Faith; He enters in to Christ by Faith!
Rom 6:3-7 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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. For if we have been planted together in the LIKENESS of his death, we shall be also in the LIKENESS of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Were you literally crucified with him? We are to identify ourselves with Christ through the outward sign, PICTURE-LIKENESS-FIGURE of Baptism
The anti-figure is the PICTURE of death-burial-ressurection!
This is an operation made without hands God does not need our help only our obedience. We have no part in this operation, only the agreement that it is needed and the faith to believe.
The sins of the FLESH are put off by the circumcission of Christ.
Buried & risen with him, not to "be with him" but in oneness with him!
Col 2:10-14 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
And a note of personal testimony:
I was saved on December 12 1972 Something powerful happened to me the MOMENT I Believed, not the moment I got baptized.
I knew I was a sinner, no question there. But I also knew that I knew, something happened inside of me, I felt the burden of my sins lifted away, the MOMENT I believed! I felt as clean as a new born baby. By faith in what Christ had already DONE for me. A few weeks later I was baptized. my SOUL WAS SIGNED SEALED & DELIVERED Dec 12 1972 I was baptized because I was a Christian.
I do believe that our WORKS show our faith. In other words if I am a christian I will behave like one. But I do not behave like one to become one. I behave like one because it is now my nature, I am one! I have NO PROBLEM with Expressing my faith through baptism, but that is exactly what it is an _expression_ of the FAITH I already have!
When i bel;ieved I EXERCISED FAITH towards God. When I was Baptised I SHOWED my Faith before men.
Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
We have 2 groups here SAVED versus LOST
Question: According to this verse, who shall be damned?
David Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Kevin wrote:
> I would like to add to what Terry said here.
> 1Pe 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism
> doth also now save us (not the putting away of the
> filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience
> toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
>
> This verse says Baptism is a "FIGURE" a representation
> (it is FIGURATIVE!) of the Gospel which is Jesus dying
> for our sins, the Death, Burial & Resurection. This is
> one reason why baptists practice immersion, to better
> show the picture of the death, burial & resurection in
> the act.
I don't have a problem with you speaking about ways in which the
physical aspects of water baptism is figurative of the death, burial,
and resurrection of our Lord. HOWEVER, this is NOT what the text in
Peter is talking about.
The Greek word used here is "antitupon" which is like saying,
"anti-figure" or "opposite figure." He is speaking about the opposite
side of a mold or press, such as when a ring is impressed into wax, you
have the figure and the anti-figure, the imprint and the mold. Water
baptism is a copy if you will of Noah's salvation by water. Of course,
he is not trying to make baptism out to be like some magical ritual that
has power in itself, but rather is showing how that something powerful
happens inside a person when that person enters into baptism by faith.
Kevin wrote:
> "not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but
> the answer of a good conscience toward God" Not your
> flesh, Jesus took care of your Filthy flesh, you just
> need to answer or respond to what He has already done.
> Once you partake acording to Colossians you are complete
> in Him.
Yes, and we partake of him through water baptism. Our initial
_expression_ of faith, according to Scripture, ought to be through water
baptism. Many today do not first enter into Christ this way, but this
is the Biblical way to do it.
Kevin wrote:
> We are not saved by baptism, But by the sacrifice
> & resurection of Jesus
The sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus saves us, but we do not
experience this salvation until we apply faith in Jesus Christ. When we
express faith in Christ through water baptism, we experience this grace
in reality. This is why the Bible teaches that baptism saves us. To
say, "we are not saved by baptism" is to deny the very direct and clear
language of Peter in 1 Peter 3:21, "... baptism doth also now save us."
Now we certainly should make it clear that the physical aspects of water
baptism does not save us. The water itself does not save us by washing
away dirt off of our bodies. Rather, it is what happens inside us when
we believe in Jesus Christ and call upon Him, washing away our sins in
the waters of baptism.
Peace be with you.
David Miller, Beverly Hills, Florida.
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"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
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