**The Mormons use the same verse to defend their being baptized for the dead. Do you even know why and what this refers to? Have you stumbled into ‘judaizing’ the Gospel of God’s Grace in Christ?**
It most certainly refers to what I said: “...which was just Paul explaining that it all is nothing but vanity if Christ isn’t risen from the dead. But, he knew it was not vain, for Christ is risen. That’s the good conscience Peter was referring to. It is not a vain thing, and it is not a bath. It’s burial with HIM.”
What I apparently didn’t make clear, is that the verse is not about being baptized in place of someone deceased, that hadn’t been baptized. It’s saying that being baptized into the body of Christ is vain if Christ, and his since deceased believers are still dead. Why keep baptizing souls into the body if the body of Christ is dead, and rises not?
**You have ‘almost’ lifted baptism to the level of something to be proud of.**
Jesus Christ, in his commissions, is the one that first emphasized water baptism be performed. He’s is found telling his disciples that THEY must baptize. That’s not Holy Ghost baptism, since the disciples were NOT the ones giving the Spirit. Jesus commanded that repentance and remission of sins be preached IN HIS NAME, beginning at Jerusalem. Acts 2:38 is the beginning of fulfilling that command. Is it from heaven, or of men?
I think that you need to read post #81 slowly, and see if I’m ‘lifting baptism’ higher than the scriptures present it.
The true reality of being baptized is the heart of the man. In doing that 'open tot he world' act of submission for baptism, dying with Christ and being raised from the water symbology with Him is to align the heart of the man tot he Truth of the Gospel, That Jesus died for us and God raised Him from the dead to bring us also to resurrection life with God in us, indwelling to raise us up as newborns in the way that we should go. This death and resurrection SYMBOLOGY is meant to align the heart of the man to the Gospel of Grace. AFTER this dead and resurrection symbol of our faithing in Him, it is the institutional church --of just about any denomination, if lead by godly men and women-- that continues the life of God's Spirit guiding the new man.
Paul was very clear what happens to those who do not submit to being raised up int he way that we should go AFTER being raised together with Him to have God in us ... at the Bema Seat the wood, hay, and stubble will be burned away as dross, leaving only what God placed in them at new birth, a new birth being born from above, symbolized, and aligned in heart (spiritual truth is aligning the heart) by submitting for baptism. As Lera stated clearly, it is ONLY The Blood of Jesus which cleanses the soul and spirit of men and women. The water is the way the heart is aligned with the Gospel of Grace, so that no man may boast of whom baptized him (as Paul found some foolish converts boasting over).