born of water

[thephnxman]

Originally Posted by shazeep

well, wadr i wonder if "led" is not the op word there, and this reinforces for me the confusion in our model. I don't mean to say that baptism is not important, but misunderstood. We have new converts--or really prospects, as most have also been confused as to what they are converting to--desiring "re-baptism" i mean please
and you say "unwritten," but it is written, and just unseen. Not connected to baptism (or salvation) because the connection is spiritual. Wadr, i hear satan laughing with delight @ your rebaptisms.

Baptism, as with repentance, is a matter of the heart. I wonder: if we asked everyone why they were baptized, if they
would answer: "Because I was told." I ask myself, "Is that the faith required for salvation? That they were baptized because
they were told, and not for "...remission of sons..."? I'm sorry to say, that the gospel that saves is not
really being preached today.

Would I rebaptize someone, today? I would sit them down, go over the essence of the gospel and ask if that is
what they believe today; then ask if that is what they believed when they were first baptized.

One Lord, one faith, one baptism. It is NOT the number of times the believer is baptized that matters most: it is
what one believes when one is baptized! It is not obedience plus faith; rather, it is faith plus obedience.