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How Important Is it to Obey?
With all the discussions on the PCI view etc etc etc...I was wondering for those that don't believe baptism is an absolute necessity in order to be saved, how important then is obedience?
Can someone be saved and not be baptized? Can someone be saved who refuses the biblical command to be baptized?
For the record, I believe baptism is a necessity, but not an absolute one. By that I mean that in the case of someone that comes to faith in Christ and dies before being baptized...say they began to believe where it was impossible to be baptized and had planned on going to somewhere that it could happen and died before that time...in that case I could not say that person was lost seeing that they were intent on obeying.
I have known orthodox Catholics and even ana-baptists that have the same view. Baptism is an essential but someone with faith can be saved without it..not "can" not "will be". God is truely the author and finisher of our faith and salvation.
However in the case of someone claiming to have faith but then refuses to be baptized as per the command, I would say they never were really saved to begin with.
On that note...obedience is to a command to do something. We are told to obey the gospel and in that context the part that is to be obeyed is the part to DO something...the command is to repent and be baptized. We must obey the gospel. What do you think?
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Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:
- There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
- The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
- Every sinner must repent of their sins.
- That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
- That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
- The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
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