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NASB | John 3:5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 3:5 Jesus answered, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God. [Ezek 36:25-27] |
Bible Question (short): Can we stop preaching baptism? |
Question (full): You have brought out some good points. But, let me ask you this. If baptism is not necessary for salvation, then can preachers stop preaching baptism? Can we just repent, believe, and confess and do away with baptism? I understand that salvation is not brought through the actual immersion of water. I realize that it is a representation. Just as prayer, God knows our every needs and desires. He knows what we will pray for even before we pray. So, does that mean that we don't pray anymore. Instead, we just wait on God to send His blessings? God forbid, Praying is an act of faith. God wants us to openly come before Him and make our requests made known unto Him (Phillipians 4:6). God's word also says that if we ask we shall receive (John 16:24). So, by asking we show our faith that God will provide. Also, the comment about the shedding of blood, without it there is no forgiveness of sin. Of course not, I never denied this. My point was not to say that Baptism is the only means of salvation. I also, did not say that baptism was more than any other aspect of salvation. My point is that when we all have a commen goal, there is not one part of the means to obtain that goal that is any less important than the other (Romans 12:3-5). "Paul said that he came to preach the gospel, not to water baptize folks. This makes them mutually exclusive and demonstrates that while being baptized into Christ (what the Holy Spirit does) is part of salvation, water baptism (what man does) is not." The above quoted statement concers me. Paul did come to preach the gospel. What is the gospel? It is the death, burial, and ressurrection of Jesus Christ. What represents the gospel...baptism. So, even it Paul did not physically baptised people, he taught baptism. Further, you said that what the Holy Spirit does is necesarry for salvation, while what man does is not. Let me get this straight. One thing that we can agree on is that in order for salvation to take place one must repent, believe, and confess, right? So, does man repent, believe, and confess or does the Holy Spirit do this? Of course, Man. So, what man does is just as important as what the Holy Spirit does. If we did not do the work (Faith without works is dead), then we could not be blessed. God gave man his own free will. Therefore, we have to make the choice for salvation. This is done by openly displaying that we want it. The Holy Spirit will not come without this open display. So what man does and what the Holy Spirit does are both necessary for salvation, you can't have one without the other. You see, God used a man, Jesus, to bring forth salvation. What Jesus did, brought forth salvation, therefore, what we do will bring forth our own salvation. No, the water is not what cleanses us, but the act of faith by which we believe that we are buried with Christ pleases God. (Mark 16:16) states that He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. |