Posted on 02/19/2015 4:20:17 PM PST by RnMomof7
“But, my concern is the usage of epistle verses (written to people who already know how to be born again) to preach salvation, while ignoring the commandments of the Lord for conversion, which are found in his commissions, and in the instructions given in Acts 2:38.”
Acts 11:16 -
“Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.”
Rom 10:10 -
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
**Acts 11:16 -Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.**
True, the Lord baptizes with the Holy Ghost. As His commissions prove, He commanded his disciples to baptize in water, in His name for the remission of sins. Which is why upon immediately seeing the Holy Ghost poured out on the Gentiles, Peter HAD to baptize them. Neither he, nor any one else could withstand the Lord’s ordinance, saying, “can any man forbid water”, and then baptizing them “in the name of the Lord” (Acts 10:48)
**Rom 10:10 -For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.**
That is a condensed statement. Just like John 3:16 is a condensed statement that follows the Lord’s detailed command of rebirth (3:3,5-8), so is Romans 10:10. Because the Roman saints already knew the details of rebirth:
Rms 6:3; Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:.... (Thats certainly not Spirit baptism, because the Spirit is life.) ..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.
5 For if we have been planted together in the LIKENESS of his death, we shall be also in the LIKENESS of his resurrection.
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being THEN made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 6:17,18
How about trying this example to see if your way is thorough: You KNOW that there is a place called Crater Lake. You’ve heard a lot about it, even seen photos. Let me see you get there from NJ, with out ANY directions (verbal, maps, gps or compass), without reading any signs, and only driving at night (yeah, you can use headlights).
Well, that’s what quoting Acts 16:31 and Romans 10:10 is like when not expounding the truth to the lost: sending someone down the road to a destination, but no details on how to get there. That’s what I had for 28 yrs in a Calvinist church.
Acts 2:38 is the road map to rebirth. Is it from heaven, or of men?
“True, the Lord baptizes with the Holy Ghost. As His commissions prove, He commanded his disciples to baptize in water, in His name for the remission of sins. Which is why upon immediately seeing the Holy Ghost poured out on the Gentiles, Peter HAD to baptize them. Neither he, nor any one else could withstand the Lords ordinance, saying, can any man forbid water, and then baptizing them in the name of the Lord (Acts 10:48)”
Peter’s realization of true baptism in Acts 11:16 comes after Acts 10:47-48.
But that IS what you are implying whether you realize it or not. We are saved by grace through faith apart from our works. I can show you dozens of Bible passages that say exactly that. In your illustrations you give, the answer is obvious that faith is demonstrated by what we do/our works. The Israelites, by their actions, exhibited that they had faith in God's promises. That is how a genuine faith behaves. When Abraham willingly put Isaac upon the altar in obedience to God, he did so trusting that God was able to STILL fulfill His promises of making of his seed a great nation. Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead... (Heb. 11:19)
Read Hebrews chapter 11 and you will see ample proof that genuine, soul-saving faith is the kind that brings forth fruit - is demonstrated in action. But, the question to you is, did the works these men and women do contribute to their justification? Or, was it by their faith they were justified? God said it was their faith. And that is what has been repeatedly defended here with good reason because it is what God says. We can claim no glory or boast of our works in the plan of salvation. ALL the glory goes to God, we can claim none of it. We are saved by grace through faith and kept saved by that same grace. Grace is undeserved, unmerited, unearned favor. It is freely given to us through Christ and we receive it by faith. AFTER that, then the Holy Spirit works in us to bring us into conformity with Christ.
**Peters realization of true baptism in Acts 11:16 comes after Acts 10:47-48.**
Whaaat?, you think that when the Holy Ghost fell on Cornelius and his household, Peter didn’t realize that it was from God, UNTIL after he baptized them in the name of the Lord for the remission of sins. He had already seen the Holy Ghost fall on thousands by that point, and you appear to have him in a state of dementia while preaching to Cornelius. That is WHY he commanded them to be baptized; he and the others had just witnessed the Spirit given. He HAD to step in and command their sins be remitted (see John 20:23).
So do you believe that Spirit baptism is “true baptism”, and water baptism in the name of Jesus is man-made? If that’s your interpretation, you’ve just declared Acts 2:38 to not be from heaven, but of men. And you seem to have dismissed these as well:
John 3:5-8; a man must be born of the water and of the Spirit, and how you KNOW when they are.
Matt. 28:19; the Lord commanded that THEY baptize souls.
Mark 16:16; The Lord commanded to his disciples that one must believe and be baptized.
Luke 24:47; The Lord commanded that repentance and remission of sins are to be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
John 20:23; The Lord commanded that whose soever sins YE remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins YE retain, they are retained.
Furthermore, with your interpretation, Peter should have gotten a hold of Philip, and told him to quit performing anymore water baptisms. He failed to stop Paul from baptizing everywhere he went.
Every anti-water baptism teacher scrurries to 1Cor, 1:17, to say Paul didn’t baptize, when he just got done admitting to it. And from that we understand that he wasn’t sent to perform John’s baptism unto repentance. Because Paul DID personally baptize, and even re-baptized 12 in Ephesus, that had only been baptized unto John’s baptism. And one can argue that he had a hand in these as well:
9:18 His own conversion.
16:15 Lydia and her household.
16:33 keeper of the prison and his household.
18:8 Crispus (one of several Paul admitted to baptizing in Corinth. 1Cor 1:14,16)
22:16 His own again.
1Peter 3:20,21 is quite plain,.... 20 ...eight souls were saved by water. 21 The LIKE figure whereunto even BAPTISM doth also now save us (not the butting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God.) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Good conscience?...Yes, by being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Just don’t do it if you don’t believe it.
Surely you won’t tell me that Acts 2:38 is a lie. Pray about this.....it’s very serious.
But why did Naaman go in the water?
excellent
**We are saved by grace through faith apart from our works.**
As long as we are in these physical bodies, one simply can’t simply can’t claim faith without a physical sign. Look, your desire for displayed faith without having faith displayed, is not seen in many of the miracles the Lord.
Lets just look in Matthew for a few examples:
8:5-13 There CAME unto him a centurion, BESEECHING him....you know the rest, where Jesus says. ..I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
9:2 They BROUGHT unto him a man sick of the palsy.....and Jesus SEEING their faith.....
9:21 The woman with the issue of blood: If I may but TOUCH his garment......Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole.
15:21-28 The Canaanite woman: ..CAME she, and WORSHIPPED....., Truth Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters table. Then Jesus answwered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith....
Need I list more?
And when did God first commend Abraham for his faith?...Gen. 15:6...AFTER he had obeyed the call, moving his entire entourage several hundred miles (the hard way), built altars, paid tithes to Mechizedek.
**When Abraham willingly put Isaac upon the altar in obedience to God, he did so trusting that God was able to STILL fulfill His promises of making of his seed a great nation. Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead... (Heb. 11:19)**
That’s right. God expects you to PROVE your faith: “Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for NOW I KNOW that thou fearest God...”. Gen. 22:12
Sure, God KNOWS what someone will do, BUT he expects you to PROVE your faith. He wants YOU to KNOW that without obedience, you are NOT displaying faith to him.
I believe that by being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, per his instructions, HE does indeed remit them. Its the power of his name in baptism. That is why I obeyed Acts 2:38
You've tried that before and it still isn't going to work for you. I'll remind you of the answer by referring you here
>>Those works of obedience are what make a saving faith.<<
Wrong. That's completely backwards. It's a saving faith that produces works.
>>The marching was faith in action for Joshua and the Israelites, just as baptism is faith in action for the believer.<<
Once again see the link above. It seems that Catholic reasoning is always built on a false premise.
And thankfully, both are forgivable. I know of no one who has or practices perfect faith in grace. Each of us must rely on God’s gift to make it through.
**(I Peter 1:3-9)**
Written to people ALREADY born again:
1 Peter 1:2: “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto OBEDIENCE and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ...”.
1Peter 3:20,21 ...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.
Good conscience?...Yes, by being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Just dont do it if you dont believe it.
The funny thing is Catholics miss the type in placing the blood over the doorpost ..
Works produce a saving faith??? In what alternate universe? God instils faith, faith produces works. Any other wording is twisting the words of God.
>>Would the walls of Jericho have fallen without the marching?<<
It is written
Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
Sorry, I forgot to ping the other people you wanted to hear your answer to the question.
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