Quote:
Originally Posted by Socialite
Believing/Repenting is almost inseparable. It's a heart turn toward God/Jesus.
Unless you turn to God, you will perish. Of course!!! We repent by believing in the work He did on the Cross, give up this quest at trying to save ourselves, live for ourselves, and rest solely in His promises.
I find it amazing that out of the entire New Testament, Apos find Acts 2:38 as their preeminent proof text. A narrative describing how the Church began, grew and flourished... and this is their proof text. A situation where people responded to a heavy indictment that they were responsible for the Messiah being rejected and put to death. They were commended to turn to God, to be baptized as disciples of Jesus and told them about the promised Holy Spirit. None of that is a formula to "get to God" -- even as you said, it's a response to what God has already done. This amazing God did all this, believe Him, and be baptized....
It takes MUCH theologizing to pull this out of the Bible against the backdrop of Romans, Galatians, Ephesians and many other Pauline writings. It takes much to do that even in the context of the Gospels. |
Wha??? Do you not read
Romans 6 (baptism is defined by how it affects us) or
Romans 8(the Spirit's work in our life?)
Do you not read
Galatians 3 where we put on Christ in baptism or Ephesians regarding the Holy SPirit being the earnest of our inheritance? No it doesn't take much at all. All it takes is a sincere person looking at what the early church did in regards to salvation. Historical or not, thats what they practiced and they believe one literally died with Christ in baptism or was quickened by the Spirit. The Bible backs up
Acts 2:38 in its fullness. It just doesn't answer the questions of those who in between obeying it or obeying it in the way they were taught, etc.
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