Jesus said false prophets will arise and lead many astray.
If someone rejects baptismal regeneration as the Bible teaches, they are a false prophet.
In the case of baptismal regeneration, it was 16 centuries before these false prophets arose to reject this doctrine.
sadly, some today still follow this 16th century tradition of men, rather than the Apostolic Faith.
sadder still, they think it is the Holy Spirit leading them.
The work of God the Holy Spirit is very real. It isn’t imaginary. When He works in us, it might not always be identified, because we might not be thinking of focusing on Him, but in our focus on glorifying Christ, His work is demonstrative.
It isn’t academic, but is is a very real spiritual life.
What was Pauls gospel? Do you know?
Let’s make sure we are speaking the same vocabulary.
God the Holy Spirit is the person who regenerates the human spirit in the new believer. Immediately upon faith alone in Christ alone, it is God the Holy Spirit who regenerates the human spirit, not to be confused with either the human body or the human soul.
If somebody rejects the doctrine of regeneration, they simply haven’t matured in that facet of their walk with Christ. As soon as they accept Christ, by what God has provided, He is the one who regenerates, not the believer and not any man sprinkling or even immersing the believer underwater.
Immersion is a fabulous simile in that it also touches upon some perceptions similar to those of the spirit, but it isn’t the physical dunking that saves. It’s all the work of God, by His grace, that saves.
BTW, the title of Prophet is associated with one who speaks for God, while the term, Priest, is one who represents man to God. A false prophet is one who claims to represent God to other men but isn’t truthfully representing God.
Rejecting a particular doctrine or faith is not synonymous with false prophecy, but might be indicative of somebody who simply fails to accept what God provides.
It is still possible to be led by the Holy Spirit in any myriad of doctrines while not having yet been sanctified in another area of doctrine.
BTW, this actually was the root for the meaning of separation of Church and State. Believers in the 15th century recognized many different believers might be good men attempting to grow in obedience to both the laws of the Church and of the State, but some might not had been in His Plan at the same place, time, and stage of sanctification to be identical to their fellow believer. The separation of Church and State was to allow all believers to live in obedience to both the laws of God and of Men, the Church and the State, and continue to be sanctified by His Plan.
Unfortunately, we have had several generations of agnostics and antichristian thinkers who have misinterpreted the freedom of religion clause to mean liberty to worship God by any mechanism other than by that which God has provided. Their perversion of the doctrine is breeding an unholy fruit which will bear testimony for future generations that living independently from His Plan, is no life at all, but leads to grief and death.
We agree, one if not our most fabulous gift from Him is the regeneration of the human spirit by God Himself.