Our Baptism Mode!!

[Felicity]

A person can be born again and end up lost. So regeneration and salvation are two different things.

People get them confused sometimes.

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by Sarah

Felicity, I don't believe we're regenerated until we've obeyed the gospel.....which is the death, (repentance), baptism, (burial) and ressurection of Jesus Christ (receiving the Holy ghost). We can believe, and even feel the presence of God, until the cows come home. But until we've acted...as in the book of Acts.....we're not saved.

God did his part on the cross. Why do some of us balk and want to stay at the 'cross'?

That was NEVER God's plan........

Dear Sarah .....

I agree that we can believe and feel the presence of God and not be saved. And it's not about just 'staying at the cross'.

The fact is you can't dismiss radical transformation -- SPIRITUAL transformation -- that takes place in people's lives at the point they become believers and repent.

I know what happened to me. I was radically and gloriously transformed at the age of 6. I didn't get baptized until I was 10 and didn't receive the baptism of the Spirit/speaking in tongues until I was 15.

But during the nine years from 6 to 15 I was a child of God. My heart, my mind and my soul belonged to Jesus Christ and there was ongoing relationship with Him. There was spiritual LIFE inside of me.

You can't dismiss the truth of spiritual transformation in people's lives that brings about total change where their lives change, they quit sinful behavior and have no desire to be part of a sinful lifestyle anymore. Their desire is for GOD -- not for sin. And this kind of change and transformation that can only happen through the work of the Holy Spirit usually precedes both baptism and the Holy Ghost experience as we think of it in regard to tongues.

[rgcraig]

While we are on the subject, one more question.

Once baptized, always baptized?

I know there was discussion last week about re-baptism and there was no scriptural backing for or against it.

If baptism is seen as washing away sin, then what if someone is baptized, received the Holy Ghost, then falls into sin. Just asking God to forgive them is enough once you've been baptized the first time?

[SDG]

Originally Posted by Felicity

I agree that we can believe and feel the presence of God and not be saved.

But you can't dismiss radical transformation -- SPIRITUAL transformation -- that takes place in people's lives at the point they become believers and repent.

I know what happened to me. I was radically and gloriously transformed at the age of 6. I didn't get baptized until I was 10 and didn't receive the baptism of the Spirit/speaking in tongues until I was 15.

But during the nine years from 6 to 15 I was a child of God. My heart, my mind and my soul belonged to Jesus Christ and there was ongoing relationship with Him. There was spiritual LIFE inside of me.

You can't dismiss the truth of spiritual transformation in people's lives that brings about total change where their lives change, they quit sinful behavior and have no desire to be part of a sinful lifestyle anymore. Their desire is for GOD -- not for sin. And this kind of change and transformation that can only happen through the work of the Holy Spirit usually precedes both baptism and the Holy Ghost experience as we think of it in regard to tongues.

Definitely not the desired pattern, Felicity ... what you were you thinking taking such a big risk w/ your soul????

[SDG]

Originally Posted by rgcraig

While we are on the subject, one more question.

Once baptized, always baptized?

I know there was discussion last week about re-baptism and there was no scriptural backing for or against it.

If baptism is seen as washing away sin, then what if someone is baptized, received the Holy Ghost, then falls into sin. Just asking God to forgive them is enough once you've been baptized the first time?

OBAB ... that's classic!!!!

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by Daniel Alicea

Definitely not the desired pattern, Felicity ... what you were you thinking taking such a big risk w/ your soul????

My parents thought it best that I wait until I was "old enough to understand what I was doing" before being baptized. I could have understood at that younger age I'm sure because the change that took place in me made me so aware and cognizant of spiritual things.

I sought for the Holy Ghost through the years before I finally received. I sought long and hard I can tell you. I wanted that SO bad.

It was finally while on my knees in a youth service with just a few people left in the building ... praying by myself ... that I took a step of faith ......... and the gifts that accompany the anointing and power of the Holy Ghost became mine. The initial gift and evidence being speaking in tongues.

My spiritual life took off on a whole new level after that!

[Light]

Originally Posted by Sherri

I believe every believer should be baptized out of obedience to the Word. But I do not believe that it saves them. A person is saved when they leave the kingdom of darkness and enter into the Kingdom of God, at repentance. That's what Eddie has taught for almost 30 years, in and out of UPC.

Haven't read all the thread but just had to ask the question. Why bother with baptism if one is saved at repentance?

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Daniel Alicea

We agree for the most part ... it is the turning around ... that allows God's free gift of salvation to work in us ... but once again ... some would like to make the New Birth hoops we must jump through .... to be justified before God.

Yes, the turning around.

Thank you for being patient while I am with you.




DANIEL!!!!!

How can you call it hoops when the WORD says they did these things because they believed? They did them because they believed. You can't call that hoops!

[SDG]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

Yes, the turning around.

Thank you for being patient while I am with you.




DANIEL!!!!!

How can you call it hoops when the WORD says they did these things because they believed? They did them because they believed. You can't call that hoops!

I don't believe they are hoops ... some preach it as such ....

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by rgcraig

While we are on the subject, one more question.

Once baptized, always baptized?

I know there was discussion last week about re-baptism and there was no scriptural backing for or against it.

If baptism is seen as washing away sin, then what if someone is baptized, received the Holy Ghost, then falls into sin. Just asking God to forgive them is enough once you've been baptized the first time?

I see this as being one of the probs with the "sins not washed away until baptism" thinking.

The blood of Jesus Christ has been made available to us for continual cleansing. We don't have to be rebaptized every time we have to repent and ask forgiveness for wrongdoing and sinful behavior.

There's no record of rebaptism except in the case of John's disciples after the day of Pentecost. Once they were baptized in Jesus name once that seemed to be enough. There's no scripture anywhere that says we have to be rebaptized after backsliding or going back to a life of sin. I think if it was necessary there would have been teaching on it.

I believe that baptism only has to happen the one time although we have rebaptized some people over the years .... for good reason.