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NASB | John 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 4:14 "But whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. But the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water [satisfying his thirst for God] welling up [continually flowing, bubbling within him] to eternal life." |
Subject: AO, was His John 3 not in effect? |
Bible Note: The verses in Post 103324 do indeed support water baptism. There is abundant evidence in the Book of Acts that believers were baptized in Apostolic times. And they are being baptized still. To my knowledge I've never met a professing Christian who hadn't been baptised. The church of which I'm a member is very strong on water baptism by immersion for Christian believers. ....... The verses cited, while clearly teaching the importance of water baptism, fall short of teaching baptismal regeneration however. Immersion in water neither saves nor contributes to salvation in any way. ....... Whereas only faith in Jesus Christ is essential for salvation (John 3:36), Christ commanded that those who become his disciples should be baptized (Matthew 28:19), making baptism essential to obedience. This witness to salvation is is testimony of the believer's obedience to the command of Christ. Only immersion fulfills the symbolism: (1) Pointing back in history to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ; (2) emphasizing the present in showing the believer's death to sin and resurrection to union with Christ and new life in Christ; (3) looking to the resurrection of the body when Christ comes again (see Romans 6:3-5). ...... Coming before water baptism is the new birth, being born again, regeneration. This is made possible by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. It is the act of God the Holy Spirit (John 3:5) through the instrumentality of the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23), by which one who is spiritually dead is made alive and brought to share in the resurrection of life (Ephesians 1:19-2:6) and is made a child of God (John 1:12,13). ..... Water baptism does not justify. Justification is the experience of a guilty sinner receiving the position of righteousness before God. Scripture is very clear that this is possible only on the basis of the individual's personal faith in the atoning work that Christ accomplished by His death on the Cross and His resurrection. ...... We are saved by grace through faith, and saving faith is that faith which rejects all confidence in human effort (works), and instead relies upon Jesus Christ alone to give to the sinner a right relationship with God. Works cannot do that. Water baptism will not do that. The only way a human being can be saved is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. There is absolutely no other way to heaven. The way of the Cross leads home! Amen. --Hank |