Quote:
Originally Posted by Aquila
I believe that full New Testament salvation contains repentance, water baptism, and Holy Ghost infilling. But I've always had this question.... I was filled with the Holy Ghost immediately after repentance. I spoke in tongues and wept for nearly 40 or more minutes. If my sins weren't remitted until water baptism (which happened later) .... how did God fill me with the Holy Ghost seeing that I was still, according to some, covered in sin? ...
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Just accept the fact that baptism does not "really" cleanse from sin. It's only a symbolic cleansing. Cornelius and his friends received the Holy Ghost Baptism before they were baptized in water. Peter had preached that "whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins" (
Acts 10:43). Evidently those Gentiles believed and received remission/forgiveness of sins, and while they rejoiced in their new experience of salvation, they received the Holy Ghost Baptism and began to speak with tongues. All of this happened while Peter was preaching. Peter later commanded them to be baptized "in the name of the Lord" (
Acts 10:48). When Peter later described what happened at the house of Cornelius, he said that God had granted the Gentiles "repentance unto life" (
Acts 10:18). Then about 11 years later at the Jerusalem Council, Peter said that God had purified "their hearts by faith" (
Acts 15:9). In other words, as those Gentiles heard the Word, they believed, were saved/born again and cleansed from sin and then received the Holy Ghost Baptism --all of this before water baptism.
Thousands of people have received the Holy Ghost Baptism before being baptized in water and some have never been baptized in water. It sounds to me that God is not as concerned about "proper" water baptism as we are.