Posted on 02/19/2012 4:28:52 PM PST by pastorbillrandles
Amen, RetiredArmy. AMEN
The four gospels are to Jews. Not to Gentiles. Grace is through God’s free gift. That is through the Cross and ONLY through the Cross. 1 Cor 15: 1-4 is the Gospel. Paul makes that plain. I won’t argue the point with you. You have your belief and I have mine. Mine are in the Cross. The Death, Burial and RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ and His free gift of salvation and grace. I put my faith in that. Not in doing a public profession of faith by being dunked in the water, which I was by the way, but that was only AFTER I accepted the Gift, Believed in HIM and the Cross of Salvation.
Who ever said that being dunked in a lake would save you? Obviously the cross of Jesus is the only grounds for salvation. I doubt you read the article.
I love the Old Testament. There are incredible amounts of great insights and comfort to be gained from it.
But it is for our learning, not for our law. We are under the New Covenant today.
Not taking scissors to the Bible also means not ignoring Scripture that says that the Old Covenant has been abolished (Ephesians 2:15; Hebrews 10:9), cancelled (Colossians 2:14), and is obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away (Hebrews 8:13).
Are you one of those who do not believe the gospels apply directly to you?
I’ve read it all pastorbillrandles. I have read it for over 55 years. I study it every night. I spend a minimum of three hours daily in the Book and His Word. You are judging what you do not know anything about. I put my faith in Jesus Christ and the Cross. My argument is that water baptism does not save anyone. Only faith in Jesus Christ and His work on the Cross. You can go argue you beliefs elsewhere. You are not going to change my mind about my beliefs. They are in Christ. His cross. His death, burial and resurrection. Good day to you.
Which gospel?
the four gospels, Matthew,Mark,Luke and John- did you not say the gospels are for Jews only? perhaps I misread you.
nor did I judge you sir, I asked if you read my article, not if yu read the Bible. We could have a better conversation if we would not be so defensive.
The four gospels are to Jews. Not to Gentiles.
Actually...
Matthew wrote to the Jews.
Mark was targeted toward the Romans.
Luke seems to have targeted the Greeks.
John wrote to a gentile, universal, Christian audience.
Hey sorry it was retiredarmy that said that not you- forgive me
Yet you would disregard as irrelevant one of the powerful examples of God’s love, mercy and grace, given to one who did not deserve it. An act so important, that God who inspired the word, made sure that as one of Jesus’ last acts on this earth was recorded for all believers to see.
Baptism (by water) is simply an outward act of an already inward transformation.
This is the gospel that saves. It is found in 1 Corinthians. Not in Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.
As far as the four gospels of Matt. Mark, Luke and John, they are a record of Christ's earthly ministry. "But he answered her and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." And, Jesus commanded the twelve to "go NOT into the way of the Gentiles" Matt. 10:5. Now He said these things for a reason. How do you answer this?
“Only faith in Jesus Christ and His work on the Cross.”
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Is that all that is necessary for salvation? I understand you reject the commands and examples to be baptized. Do you also reject the commands and examples to believe? How about the commands and examples to confess with thy mouth? How about repentance? How about hearing the word in the first place.
You seem to cut out a lot of fundamentals.
Irrelevant? Not at all. But its relevance does not include using it as an example that baptism is not for the remission of sins today.
God told Noah to build an ark of gopher wood. That has relevance. But its relevance doesn’t mean that we should build one as well. There were various sacrificies offered under the Old Covenant. These are relevant today, but their relevance does include our following that example. We are under the New Covenant.
NavyCanDo wrote:
“I am in my 50’s and a Christian, but have never been baptized by water. But I have complete confidence that if I passed away tonight, Jesus would welcome me home. His dying on the cross for me is sufficient. When he said “It is Finished” that is what he meant.”
I’m sorry, but I am truly having trouble understanding your thinking. Whereas I too have complete confidence in John 19:30, “It is finished,” I also have complete confidence in Matthew 28:18ff., wherein Christ tells me that disciples are made through baptism and being taught to observe all that He commanded. Do you simply dismiss Matthew 28:18ff? Did not the same One, who alone is Lord and Savior, say both things?
That is the Baptism John The Baptist spoke of. It is the blood Baptism of Jesus Christ the Baptism that comes the second of salvation by surrendering your soul too Christ. That alone is the Baptism that removes sin and saves. One may sense it or may not but it happens.
It took me a year maybe longer before I was Baptized. Big church and lots of people and I was about 12 or 13. My dad accepted Christ at about age 16 and didn't get baptized till in his 20's sometime. He accepted Christ walking on one of his favorite hunting spots. He sat down with a pocket NT and signed the profession of faith in the back of it and left it where he sat. GOD works in each person different as too where he leads them and in the time frames of steps they take.
Too anyone who feels they should be Baptized yes they should do so as it is The Holy Spirit likely leading the way. The same as going before the church in public profession. If the spirit says do it then Obey. These calls do not necessarily happen within minutes, days, weeks, or sometimes years of each other. For man to push someone into it when the Spirit has not lead them there is wrong. It accomplishes nothing.
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