Whern is the last time you read your Bible on this? Do you even know what the water baptism is all about? Don't feel bad, most denominsations have gone way, way out of the boundaries on this.
My belief is totally and fully Biblical. For a lengthier accurate treatment, go here:
Baptism of Disciples, or Water Baptism"
Refute this if you can. Until then, I think I'm done here.
Yes.
Per the Bible...water baptism, as accompanied by God's Word -- which IS the empowering agent involved (Eph. 5:25) alongside the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5; John 3:5)...
...Establishes you as Christ's disciple -- as you enter the Name of the Trinity (Matthew 28:19)
...are rebirthed from above (John 3:5)
...regenerated by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5)
...justifies us when linked to Name of Christ and enacted by Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:11; Gal. 3:27)
...are saved (1 Peter 3:21; Titus 3:5)
...is the entry way for the Holy Spirit (John 3:5; Acts 2:38, etc)
...you become buried in Christ's death and raised with Him in resurrection (Romans 6:3-4; Col. 2:12)
...are forgiven (Acts 2:38; 22:16) -- certainly an infant's original sin -- there from birth per Ps. 51:5; 58:3 is forgiven...and we ALL know that repentance for ANY of us -- child or adult -- is NOT a one-time thing! It's ongoing in our lifestyle
...clothes us in Christ (Gal. 3:26-27)
Now, tell me:
Does a person's "intellect" accomplish any of these things?
Is baptism primarily something man does -- instead of something that God does (thru man)?
Since the above references supernatural DIVINE power undertakings...no mere man has the capacity to make these realities come into fruition.
IF the emphasis remains that baptism is what WE do...and we have to be "XYZ" developed to accomplish it...I would say NONE of us are able to do these things...such as...
* Rebirth/Regenerate/save/justify ourselves (John specifically says our adoption as sons is NOT of ANY human decision!!! see John 1:12-13)
* Be buried in Christ's death by being baptized into Him
* Forgive ourselves
* Cleanse ourselves (Eph. 5:25-26)
* Sprinkle our hearts clean from an evil conscience (Heb. 10:22)
* Be given a new heart sprinkled upon us (Eze. 36:25-27)
* Initiate spiritual adoption proceedings (Gal. 3:26; John 1:12-13)
These are ALL ONLY things God can accomplish!!!
The MAJOR problem with credobaptism is that it reduces baptism to what men do -- and tends to leave God out of it other than God "decreed" it (the meaning of "ordinance"). It's almost like a version of deism...where, yeah, God created all things...but now just sits back & lets men have it without an active participatory involvement.
Yet...what does the Bible say? Even...
* ...repentance in the book of Acts is described as something ONLY God can grant!
* ...saying Jesus is Lord can ONLY done by the Holy Spirit leading us to say that! (1 Cor. 12:3)
It's PAST time for the churches to de-ritualize credobaptism!
For it makes what is clearly divine power subjugated to the rational & reason of men performing what they deem as mere religious rites.
Too many want to believe water baptism saves us from sin, rather than being immersed in the Holy Spirit by the Baptism of Jesus. “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”
” If water baptism were necessary for salvation, we would expect to find it stressed whenever the gospel is presented in Scripture. That is not the case, however. Peter mentioned baptism in his sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38). However, in his sermon from Solomon’s portico in the Temple (Acts 3:12-26), Peter makes no reference to baptism, but links forgiveness of sin to repentance (3:19). If baptism is necessary for the forgiveness of sin, why didn’t Peter say so in Acts 3?
Paul never made water baptism any part of his gospel presentations. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Paul gives a concise summary of the gospel message he preached. There is no mention of baptism. In 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul states that “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel,” thus clearly differentiating the gospel from baptism.
Those passages are difficult to understand if water baptism is necessary for salvation. If baptism were part of the gospel itself, necessary for salvation, what good would it have done Paul to preach the gospel, but not baptize? No one would have been saved. Paul clearly understood water baptism to be separate from the gospel, and hence in no way efficacious for salvation.”
http://www.gty.org/Resources/Questions/QA79#.TkaZaGNN-l4