On that point, I'd certainly agree. Baptism does NOT magically "save" anyone. It erases the stain of original sin and introduces them into a Christian life. What happens next is up to them. Many people who have been baptized have gone on to renounce their faith and committed horrible sins. There are probably quite a few baptized people in hell.
>> You are sealed with the Holy Spirit at the moment of your faith in Christ whether you are baptized or not. <<
By definition, being sealed with the Holy Spirit and initiated into the Christian faith would be a baptism, whether its an official "ceremony" and whether water is used or not. The Catholic Church also recognizes baptism by blood (those killed for refusing to deny Christ) and baptism by desire (like the thief on the cross who told Christ that he accepted him). Those are still "baptisms", just not the far more common version we associate with entry into the Christian faith -- a ceremony where the person is covered in water and baptized in the name of the trinity by another Christian. Again, under Catholic canon law, baptism by desire and baptism by blood would be equally valid as a water baptism.
>> Baptism is an outward expression of an inward conversion. Baptism without faith and repentance just gets you a wet sinner. <<
Repentance is an important part of baptism, including the renouncing of Satan and all his works before a baptism can occur. However, from its inception, it was the norm in Christianity, east and west, that an individual did not need to make an outward statement or profession of faith to be baptized. It was only in the 1600s that Christian denominations sprung up that denied the validity of infant baptism. Today, the vast majority of Christian churches in the world -- Catholic, Orthodox, and protestant alike -- continue to practice infant baptism. Those who deny its validity are a small minority within Christianity.
Catholics sure seem to make up a lot of stuff that is outside the bible.
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Are you saying you don't believe the Bible? Or isn't John in your Bible?
So whatever happened to *one Lord, one faith, ONE BAPTISM*???
Now the Catholic church adds all kinds of baptisms that Scripture never even mentions and adds something make believe as a condition for salvation, something God NEVER required.
What chutzpah.
Fixed it.
It's alright that your religion invented itself...No one cares...But what we do care about is when your religion tells lies about scripture; what God says to his 'real' church...And then watch you guys repeat that junk...Your religion makes the claim that salvation comes by water baptism...
Rom_10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
2Jn_1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
Rom_10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
No confession, no salvation...You anti-christs will get slapped down with scripture every time you pervert the words of Jesus Christ...