First of all this is a strawman if you think I believe different from you on this.
You keep arguing as if I was Roman Catholic.
I don't believe water is magically "holy" ... although I recognize that ONE of the meanings of the word "holy" is similar to consecrated -- meaning "set apart" (for a holy purpose).
I am in complete agreement that the Word of God...and the operation of the Holy Spirit is necessary.
The REAL difference is that you don't seem to think that God can, in conjunction with His Spirit and His Word, use...
...water
And yet, have you thrown out the Siloam miracle because of Jesus using mud and water?
Have you railed against Samuel using oil -- and insinuated it was "meaningless" oil -- when he used it to anoint Saul?
Are you consistent?
Do you attack Samuel for having used oil?
Do you go on the attack against the Old Testament conclusion that in, with, and thru this oil (1 Sam. 9:16; 10:1; 15:1) that indeed the Spirit came upon Saul? (1 Sam. 16:13)
And here is even the bigger question?
Why do you assume all these things are the acts of mere men, vs. God?
We are clearly told in Saul's case that Samuel anointed him (1 Sam. 9:16; 10:1; 15:1)...yet what ALSO does Holy Scripture tell us?
The LORD did the anointing!!! (1 Sam. 15:17)
The Lord anointed Saul thru Samuel utilizing oil.
Why is that SUCH a shocker for Evangelicals, who supposedly adhere to God's supernatural power???
Why do you rail against God's power being made operative in anything natural?
What? Did you have problems with God using a natural rib to create Eve?
Are you going to lecture us on how "ribs" are "meaningless" for actual creative purposes?
Perhaps because you keep posting like a Catholic?
>>Why do you rail against God's power being made operative in anything natural?<<
That's not the point. The point is that it's not the water or the oil. We don't focus on the mud and the spittle. We don't focus on the "Holy water". It has no intrinsic value.
“Are you going to lecture us on how “ribs” are “meaningless” for actual creative purposes?”
If someone argued that having a rib removed would automatically save you, then yeah...I’d call them on their statement.
Scripture is clear - without repentance, there is no entering the Kingdom of Heaven. You can imagine otherwise, but you cannot cite a single verse saying you are right.
If infant baptism did anything useful, it would be commanded. it wasn’t. Period.