Repentance and faith are gifts of God and the result of a powerful work of God. I take no credit for these gifts. Zero.
Works
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Repentance and faith are gifts of God and the result of a powerful work of God. I take no credit for these gifts. Zero.
Actually, a vacuum is a pretty good description of what I was when God saved me.
A person is powerfully convicted of their sin before God. They get down on their knees, tears streaming down down their cheeks and ask God to forgive them for their sins. They ask Christ into their life as their Lord and Saviour. How will God respond? Will He say:
'I will forgive you, but not yet, only when you have been baptised.'
Doesn't sound right to me
'I will forgive you, but not yet, only when you have been baptised.'
Doesn't sound right to me
Well...suggest you listen again as you familiarize yourself with scriptures sufficiently of baptism...start with Acts 2;38, et al.
That is not unlike the universalist ...everyone will be saved upon judgement.
How about Acts 10? Cornelius and his household received the Holy Spirit as the disciples did at Pentecost and spoke in tongues before they were baptised in water
ok...even Christ died and rose again before baptism was initiated.......so?
God can start/stop anything He wishes at anytime He wishes. It is ours to follow His commands.
Agreed, God can do whatsoever He pleases. So Acts 2:38 cannot be said to be an inflexible rule
I didnt have to in what we are discussing. I spoke in tongues before I was baptised in water.
The way of the Lord is simple and it is very clear. It is a matter of all or nothing at all like a song Frank Sinatra sang.
When you go to Christ and trust Him you give him your life, all of it. Scripture such as the sermon on the mount becomes your life force, it leads every thought and action. There then is no wondering if it is works or not, and wondering what works means to the Lord, no wondering if it is you are self directing you or Christ directing, your entire will is given over to Christ.
You immediately run into a huge stumbling block--you are a human and you can't carry out your will to never sin. Christ in his glory takes care of that. Christ tells us we can want to not sin and he will count it as not sinning, God calls it repentance.
To me, it is so simple, so complete, there is nothing to discuss.
When you go to Christ and trust Him you give him your life, all of it. Scripture such as the sermon on the mount becomes your life force, it leads every thought and action. There then is no wondering if it is works or not, and wondering what works means to the Lord, no wondering if it is you are self directing you or Christ directing, your entire will is given over to Christ.
You immediately run into a huge stumbling block--you are a human and you can't carry out your will to never sin. Christ in his glory takes care of that. Christ tells us we can want to not sin and he will count it as not sinning, God calls it repentance.
To me, it is so simple, so complete, there is nothing to discuss.
Acts 2:38 is shown not to be inflexible. There are times God chooses, and therefore desires people should receive the Holy Spirit as the disciples did at pentecost before they are baptised in water. That is the only point I am making
Question for you. I will not debate your answer, just want to understand your position.
In August of 1988, I was convicted by the Holy Spirit and repented and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. He radically transformed my heart in an instant. It was in my bedroom in the middle of the night. I did not call a preacher to baptize me that night, but starting the next day, I made arrangements to get into my mother's church and arranged for my baptism asap because I wanted to follow my Saviour's teachings and example. Was I saved that night in my bedroom, or was I saved when I was baptized? Was I justified that night, or when I was baptized? Was I indwelt with the Spirit that night or when I was baptized? If i had died before I was baptized, would I have perished? So you can say either a. saved and right with God that night I believed or b. Not saved until baptized. Thanks in advance.
Act 13:48, And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
There is no mention in Acts of these believers ever being baptized; which is not to say that they were never baptized.
If they believed and were ordained to eternal life as the result, might being baptized later be a part of that ordination?
Of course, the Philippian jailer was told, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house; was baptized almost immediately after.
Not sure I have the answer to your question, just wanted to add these thoughts.