Posted on 02/19/2012 4:28:52 PM PST by pastorbillrandles
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.(Mark 16:16)
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 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:(I Peter 3:20-21)
Today in our local church, we celebrate the hopeful end of a long draught… the first baptism in more than a year and a half. True, our two baptisms amount to a “cloud the size of a man’s hand” but we humbly rejoice! As it is written,”despise not the day of small beginnings”.
In contemplating baptism, I have been meditating on the scriptures above. In what sense could it be said that “baptism now saves us”? I know that it is faith in Jesus’ blood that has procured the pardon and status of righteousness that I needed in order to “flee the wrath” of a righteous and holy God!
The Christian author Watchman Nee, an early but profound influence on my discipleship is helpful here. In the book “Love Not The World” , Nee points out that the word “salvation” is used not in a general but in a specific sense.
Nee points out that every detail of our sinful and God estranged existence has been answered to by the work of God in Christ. For example, because of our spiritual death, God gives eternal life. Sin has ruined the old creation, but God makes a new creation. Since man is under a just but severe condemnation, through Jesus, God offers man justification by faith. Redemption is multi-faceted.
Another facet of man’s ruin is the fact that he has been born and raised, in this world. The term “the world” , in the new testament usually refers to God estranged humanity as it has organized itself, independently of and to the exclusion of the only true God. It is the greek word “Cosmos”, meaning ‘the order” or “adornment”.
Thus salvation is not so much a personal question of sins forgiven or of hell avoided. It is to be seen rather in terms of a system from which we come out. When I am saved, I make my exodus out of one whole world and my entry into another. I am saved now out of that whole organized realm which Satan has constructed in defiance of the purpose of God.(Watchman Nee,”Love Not The World”,Christian Literature Crusade)
The Word of God says of the World;
* It is already under a judgment- Jesus said, Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.(John 12:31) The sentence has already been passed, the world is already judged by God , the Lord is uncompromising in his resolution. As in the days of Noah, the execution of the sentence hangs over the world like a cloud, the day of Divine vengeance draws near!
The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright(Psalm 11:5-7)
* The real ruler of the world is Satan- In the scripture above, Jesus referred to ‘the prince of this world’, who would be cast down, at the judgment of this world. Jesus would later proclaim that in the coming of Judas ,’the prince of this world comes….’. Who was he referring to? Satan, the real ‘god’ of this age, and the mind behind the ‘world system’.John, the Lord’s apostle warned us that “the whole world lies in the wicked one’s power”.
We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. (I John 5:19 NASB)
* The world hates Christ- If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you ( John 15: 17-18)
Don’t let the world deceive you with it’s platitudes about Jesus as a ‘good man’ or a philosopher, the world hates the real Jesus of the Bible. He offends them because he tells them that they aren’t right, and that they need to be saved, and worse yet, that they can’t even save themselves!
The world has crafted another christianity that is more to their liking, but it is anti-christ.They hate the real Christ and would crucify him again if given a chance.That is why the world has always persecuted christians wherever possible.
* The love of the world and the love of the Father are mutually exclusive - John reveals this truth to us, in this admonition of his epistle;
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (I John 2:15)
Therefore we are “saved” out of this world! In this sense do Peter and Mark proclaim that “baptism saves”, or that “he that believes and is baptized will be saved”. In baptism, we are stepping over the line of demarcation, exiting the doomed world, even as Noah did , through the water.
Remember that Israel never really left Egypt until she crossed the Red Sea. Egypt went in with her, but never came out the other side as she did. There is no real leaving of the ties of this world, without a valid new testament baptism whenever possible.
Two brothers, left the World today, calling upon Jesus! They went from one Kingdom to another, they crossed the Red Sea! They passed through the flood of Judgment into the Kingdom of Light! They justified God! Hallelujah!!
Amen, RetiredArmy. AMEN
The four gospels are to Jews. Not to Gentiles. Grace is through God’s free gift. That is through the Cross and ONLY through the Cross. 1 Cor 15: 1-4 is the Gospel. Paul makes that plain. I won’t argue the point with you. You have your belief and I have mine. Mine are in the Cross. The Death, Burial and RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ and His free gift of salvation and grace. I put my faith in that. Not in doing a public profession of faith by being dunked in the water, which I was by the way, but that was only AFTER I accepted the Gift, Believed in HIM and the Cross of Salvation.
Who ever said that being dunked in a lake would save you? Obviously the cross of Jesus is the only grounds for salvation. I doubt you read the article.
I love the Old Testament. There are incredible amounts of great insights and comfort to be gained from it.
But it is for our learning, not for our law. We are under the New Covenant today.
Not taking scissors to the Bible also means not ignoring Scripture that says that the Old Covenant has been abolished (Ephesians 2:15; Hebrews 10:9), cancelled (Colossians 2:14), and is obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away (Hebrews 8:13).
Are you one of those who do not believe the gospels apply directly to you?
I’ve read it all pastorbillrandles. I have read it for over 55 years. I study it every night. I spend a minimum of three hours daily in the Book and His Word. You are judging what you do not know anything about. I put my faith in Jesus Christ and the Cross. My argument is that water baptism does not save anyone. Only faith in Jesus Christ and His work on the Cross. You can go argue you beliefs elsewhere. You are not going to change my mind about my beliefs. They are in Christ. His cross. His death, burial and resurrection. Good day to you.
Which gospel?
the four gospels, Matthew,Mark,Luke and John- did you not say the gospels are for Jews only? perhaps I misread you.
nor did I judge you sir, I asked if you read my article, not if yu read the Bible. We could have a better conversation if we would not be so defensive.
The four gospels are to Jews. Not to Gentiles.
Actually...
Matthew wrote to the Jews.
Mark was targeted toward the Romans.
Luke seems to have targeted the Greeks.
John wrote to a gentile, universal, Christian audience.
Hey sorry it was retiredarmy that said that not you- forgive me
Yet you would disregard as irrelevant one of the powerful examples of God’s love, mercy and grace, given to one who did not deserve it. An act so important, that God who inspired the word, made sure that as one of Jesus’ last acts on this earth was recorded for all believers to see.
Baptism (by water) is simply an outward act of an already inward transformation.
This is the gospel that saves. It is found in 1 Corinthians. Not in Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.
As far as the four gospels of Matt. Mark, Luke and John, they are a record of Christ's earthly ministry. "But he answered her and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." And, Jesus commanded the twelve to "go NOT into the way of the Gentiles" Matt. 10:5. Now He said these things for a reason. How do you answer this?
“Only faith in Jesus Christ and His work on the Cross.”
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Is that all that is necessary for salvation? I understand you reject the commands and examples to be baptized. Do you also reject the commands and examples to believe? How about the commands and examples to confess with thy mouth? How about repentance? How about hearing the word in the first place.
You seem to cut out a lot of fundamentals.
Irrelevant? Not at all. But its relevance does not include using it as an example that baptism is not for the remission of sins today.
God told Noah to build an ark of gopher wood. That has relevance. But its relevance doesn’t mean that we should build one as well. There were various sacrificies offered under the Old Covenant. These are relevant today, but their relevance does include our following that example. We are under the New Covenant.
NavyCanDo wrote:
“I am in my 50’s and a Christian, but have never been baptized by water. But I have complete confidence that if I passed away tonight, Jesus would welcome me home. His dying on the cross for me is sufficient. When he said “It is Finished” that is what he meant.”
I’m sorry, but I am truly having trouble understanding your thinking. Whereas I too have complete confidence in John 19:30, “It is finished,” I also have complete confidence in Matthew 28:18ff., wherein Christ tells me that disciples are made through baptism and being taught to observe all that He commanded. Do you simply dismiss Matthew 28:18ff? Did not the same One, who alone is Lord and Savior, say both things?
That is the Baptism John The Baptist spoke of. It is the blood Baptism of Jesus Christ the Baptism that comes the second of salvation by surrendering your soul too Christ. That alone is the Baptism that removes sin and saves. One may sense it or may not but it happens.
It took me a year maybe longer before I was Baptized. Big church and lots of people and I was about 12 or 13. My dad accepted Christ at about age 16 and didn't get baptized till in his 20's sometime. He accepted Christ walking on one of his favorite hunting spots. He sat down with a pocket NT and signed the profession of faith in the back of it and left it where he sat. GOD works in each person different as too where he leads them and in the time frames of steps they take.
Too anyone who feels they should be Baptized yes they should do so as it is The Holy Spirit likely leading the way. The same as going before the church in public profession. If the spirit says do it then Obey. These calls do not necessarily happen within minutes, days, weeks, or sometimes years of each other. For man to push someone into it when the Spirit has not lead them there is wrong. It accomplishes nothing.
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