I'm a sinner with questions..
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There's nothing more beautiful than a 'new name' being written in the Lamb's 'Book of Life!'.... I rejoice FOR & WITH you Instigator!
This is a great discussion. A lot of good points have been brought up. Salvation is very simple, and I will try to fit it all in a nutshell for you.
Specific sins that you've committed will not send you to Hell. We all sin, so we'd all be going there. We deserve to go there because we are human and have a sin nature and are separated from God spiritually. (ROM 3:23)
Going to church does not get you into Heaven. Neither does giving money, doing good deeds, performing rituals, etc. There is nothing YOU can do to make yourself worthy of Heaven. (EPH 9:29)
God does not condemn people to Hell. He loves us and He doesn't want anyone to go there. So He gave us a "get out of jail free" card. (JON 3:16)
Obviously God wants you with Him in Heaven. He put in you the urge to seek Him and ask your question here. (need citation)
So, this is what you need to do. Pray to God. Believe it in your heart and say it with your mouth. You can use your own words, just hit all the points.
Heavenly Father, I know that I have sinned against you and that my sins separate me from you. I am truly sorry. I now want to turn away from my sinful past and turn to you for forgiveness. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died for my sins, that He was raised from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become my Savior and the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You and to convict me when I sin. I pledge to grow in grace and knowledge of you. My greatest purpose in life is to follow your example and do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen
As soon as you say this, Jesus will come and live in you. The Holy Spirit will always be with you to help and comfort you. You are God's son, and brother to all Christians. You have a mansion in Heaven waiting for you. You'll still sin, but you have been forgiven of all sins past and future. You will notice that you don't want to sin as often. When you do sin, say "I'm sorry God,and thank you for forgiving me."
That is all there is to it.
For more detailed explanations, please read "Mere Christianity" or listen to it here Apologetics 315: Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis MP3
Love and hugs to my new brother, Instigator!!!
~A
Specific sins that you've committed will not send you to Hell. We all sin, so we'd all be going there. We deserve to go there because we are human and have a sin nature and are separated from God spiritually. (ROM 3:23)
Going to church does not get you into Heaven. Neither does giving money, doing good deeds, performing rituals, etc. There is nothing YOU can do to make yourself worthy of Heaven. (EPH 9:29)
God does not condemn people to Hell. He loves us and He doesn't want anyone to go there. So He gave us a "get out of jail free" card. (JON 3:16)
Obviously God wants you with Him in Heaven. He put in you the urge to seek Him and ask your question here. (need citation)
So, this is what you need to do. Pray to God. Believe it in your heart and say it with your mouth. You can use your own words, just hit all the points.
Heavenly Father, I know that I have sinned against you and that my sins separate me from you. I am truly sorry. I now want to turn away from my sinful past and turn to you for forgiveness. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died for my sins, that He was raised from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become my Savior and the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You and to convict me when I sin. I pledge to grow in grace and knowledge of you. My greatest purpose in life is to follow your example and do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen
As soon as you say this, Jesus will come and live in you. The Holy Spirit will always be with you to help and comfort you. You are God's son, and brother to all Christians. You have a mansion in Heaven waiting for you. You'll still sin, but you have been forgiven of all sins past and future. You will notice that you don't want to sin as often. When you do sin, say "I'm sorry God,and thank you for forgiving me."
That is all there is to it.
For more detailed explanations, please read "Mere Christianity" or listen to it here Apologetics 315: Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis MP3
Love and hugs to my new brother, Instigator!!!
~A
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With all due respect could you show how anyone in the NT was saved through this manner?
Acts 2:38
Mark 16:15-16
Acts 22:16
I Peter 3:20-21
Acts 10:48
John 3:5
Luke 7:30
Romans 6:3-5
Acts 8:36-38
Mark 1:9-10
John 3:23
Gonna have to throw one in here... Baptism is not necessary for salvation. It is an expression and identification with Christ, the first commandment to those saved.
I will look up all those passages later this evening. As a quick answer to your question, I give you this example. The words may not be the same, the situation was a bit different. Jesus was right there next to him.
39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." LUK 23:39-43 NIV
40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." LUK 23:39-43 NIV
He acknowledged God, and that Jesus was without sin. He admitted that he, himself, had sinned and deserved punishment. He acknowledged that Jesus is ruler when he said "Your Kingdom" and asked Jesus to "remember him."
Jesus didn't tell him he needed to go to church, or get baptized, show that he can stop sinning,or do anything else. The words he spoke from his heart were enough. Jesus accepted it and told the thief he would be in paradise that day.
Does this answer your question? If not, please be more specific, so that I can understand and give you a more appropriate answer.
~A
We are saved by Faith. Thus the theif on the Cross. Romans 10:13 "for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved"
Salvation is not based upon anything we "do".
This is a good article that discusses it.
Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation? | Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry
and another which also has links to responses to those who assert that baptism is necessary:
Is baptism necessary for salvation? What is baptismal regeneration?
Salvation is not based upon anything we "do".
This is a good article that discusses it.
Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation? | Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry
and another which also has links to responses to those who assert that baptism is necessary:
Is baptism necessary for salvation? What is baptismal regeneration?
The thief on the cross died under the old law. The directive for NT Christianity had yet to be given. It would be 50 days before such an event.
In Matt. 16:19 upon Peter's confession of faith, Jesus told Peter that he would be given the key to the kingdom of heaven. He also told Peter that whatever he made "binding" on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever he "loosed" on earth would be loosed in heaven.
Now the question as to what Peter bound.
We find Peter 50 days later at Pentecost, full of the Holy Spirit and he was giving his 1st gospel sermon. We also read that the people who heard this sermon were overcome with guilt and grief. So overcome in fact that they stopped his sermon.
Acts 2:37ff
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him. And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation. They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls.
What did Peter bind? Baptism. Now if Peter has the keys does anyone have the authority to un-bind? Not according to scripture. What does Peter say baptism is for? For the remission of sin. Why? So God will no longer remember or see those sins.
You can not be saved without the remission of your sins. What does Peter say to do for the remission of sin? Baptism. There is no Bible authority given anywhere to remove such a command. To believe or have faith is not enough. Satan believes, Satan had faith that Jesus could accomplish what He set out do. If Satan had not faith, he would not have tried to use Herod as a tool of murder when Jesus was a child. No one on this earth has the authority or power to change the authority given to Peter by Christ Himself. To ignore the Biblical doctrine of baptism or to change the authority for baptism is perilous.
Thank you Jason, and Southern Gent for the quotes. I will study the passages that relate to the subject of Baptism. I will ask God for wisdom, and ask my husband and my pastor for clarification.
I am assured of my salvation by the highest authority. But I want to make sure I have all the details straight when I am called to witness to others.
As a rebuttal (with all respect intended) to your post, Southern Gent, I must assert that we are Christ-ians, not Peter-ians. Salvation is a personal matter between God and each individual person. As Jesus gave Himself over to death, He said "It is finished." Anything that any of the saints said or did after that is incidental. What Jesus alone did was enough to save our souls. By making the act of a man (clergy who baptize) essential to our salvation, we not only set up the clergy, and that ritual, to a level that is idolatrous, we belittle Christ's sacrifice by saying that it was not good enough to do the job.
Be well,
~A
I am assured of my salvation by the highest authority. But I want to make sure I have all the details straight when I am called to witness to others.
As a rebuttal (with all respect intended) to your post, Southern Gent, I must assert that we are Christ-ians, not Peter-ians. Salvation is a personal matter between God and each individual person. As Jesus gave Himself over to death, He said "It is finished." Anything that any of the saints said or did after that is incidental. What Jesus alone did was enough to save our souls. By making the act of a man (clergy who baptize) essential to our salvation, we not only set up the clergy, and that ritual, to a level that is idolatrous, we belittle Christ's sacrifice by saying that it was not good enough to do the job.
Be well,
~A
I'm sorry Gent, but I'm going to have to disagree with you. Both of the articles I posted dealt with this. Here's a specific link about the verse in acts:
Does Acts 2:38 teach that baptism is necessary for salvation?
Christs BLOOD was shed for the remission of sins. We are "washed" in his blood. Not by water. This is why in Acts 2:21 it says
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Did Peter act under the authority of Christ? If the apostles were not acting/commanding under the authority of Christ then we have no basis for Christianity. There is insurmountable evidence through scripture that can not be denied. Remember it is not me who said this...it is written in God's word. Nowhere does it say that one must be baptized by clergy. Peter was not clergy..he was a Christian. According to the Bible we are all clergy...a royal priesthood as Peter said.
Articles? We would choose articles over the word of God? How do you come in contact with the blood of Christ? Study that and see what the Bible says about coming in contact with the blood of Christ.
Have you read the articles? They're about the word of God, and reference all their points. I posted them because there is no reason for me to re-write what they already have.
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We were always taught that baptism alone could not save you, which is true. Without the repenting of sins, there is no salvation. My pastor always said that baptism was the 1st act of obedience after the repenting, which it is. Jesus said to do it and that settles it. But, it has to go in order. At our church, it was usually set up for the next service. It was pretty quick. He would always say something to the effect of death to the old life and life to the new as he put us under the water......which could fall under Acts 22:16. 
Jason, I went through and read all of the Scriptures that SG posted. Inquiring minds want to know. What I received from them, and I discounted 4, that after repentence, get baptized. The repentence begats the salvation, and the baptism begats the washing away of the old sins.
As one who got saved and didn't realize it until 6 months later, and I can only speak for myself, the Lord and I communicated a great deal before the baptism.....a great deal. I was taught like you. You must be Southern Baptist. Like I posted, after salvation, you were baptized the next service.
You can go back to John 3:16 - The greatest and most powerful witnessing verse in the Bible, but it says nothing of getting baptized, and Jesus was speaking!
As one who got saved and didn't realize it until 6 months later, and I can only speak for myself, the Lord and I communicated a great deal before the baptism.....a great deal. I was taught like you. You must be Southern Baptist.
Like I posted, after salvation, you were baptized the next service.You can go back to John 3:16 - The greatest and most powerful witnessing verse in the Bible, but it says nothing of getting baptized, and Jesus was speaking!
Heh. I'm actually an independent Baptist. That just means we have more pot-luck meals than you all. ;-)
If you wouldn't mind sharing, what do you mean when you say you were saved but didn't know it until 6 months later? Was it just that you had accepted Christ but didn't know what it was called?
If you wouldn't mind sharing, what do you mean when you say you were saved but didn't know it until 6 months later? Was it just that you had accepted Christ but didn't know what it was called?
I was 8 years old when we moved to MS. We were invited to go to church and at one of the invitation hymns, my sister and mother went to the front. My daddy said that we should all go. I honestly didn't realize what was going on. We all got baptized and I honestly thought, as I grew older, I was saved. When in 1985, I was with my folks at another church they'd been going to and it was as if I wasn't in control......I just had to get to where the preacher was standing. I honestly thought I was re-dedicating my life, but 6 months later, I realized I'd gotten saved. I talked with my preacher about it and he said he thought that was what was going on, but he went by what I was telling him. I got re-baptized. I really was expecting to feel different when I came up out of the water. I didn't, but my sister said I looked angelic. I've lived the parable of the seeds falling on the different soils. I know what it is like to get saved. I know what that Amazing Grace feels like when it envelopes you. It was the most humbling experience of my life, Glory to God!
Oh, the whole baptism thing. I do not believe that the act of physical baptism is a requirement for salvation. I am baptized, but I was baptized when I became one of jehovah's witnesses many many years ago, and some christians have even gone so far to tell me that my baptism doesn't count...........LMAO!!!!!
What if a person lived alone and couldn't get baptized? What if a person repents on their death bed? What about people in prison's, concentration camps, people that had no possible way of being baptized even if they wanted to? Are those brothers and sisters not saved? I don't believe that, sorry.
From what I read, the only thing that saves a person is faith and repentance, the heart condition. God is a reader of hearts and minds. He knows.........
What if a person lived alone and couldn't get baptized? What if a person repents on their death bed? What about people in prison's, concentration camps, people that had no possible way of being baptized even if they wanted to? Are those brothers and sisters not saved? I don't believe that, sorry.
From what I read, the only thing that saves a person is faith and repentance, the heart condition. God is a reader of hearts and minds. He knows.........
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