Subject: Unbaptized children |
Bible Note: Hi Tim, Thank you for your response. Upon reading 1 Peter 3:21 I would have to say that the symbol is not the baptism, but the symbol is the water from the flood. who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge[5] of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Peter says Noah was saved through the water, (which was an act of obedience). This water (the flood waters) symbolizes baptism that now saves us.(vs. 21). When I think of water baptism saving us, I have to agree. It is a command of God ( Acts 2:38, Matt. 28:18-20 etc.) Consider 2 Kings 5:1-14. Naaman was cleansed from his leprosy only because he obeyed. If he didn't dip himself into the river would he have been cleansed? No. Did the water cleanse him? No. But that was the command given by God so Naaman did it, as much as it didn’t make sense to him! If we can understand this illistration we can understand how our water baptism saves us because it is an act of obedience. Will we be saved if we don't obey this command to be baptized? I don't think we would be saved any more than Naaman would have been healed if he didn't obey. Wow! I can really get into this stuff. I hope you would put up with me! I am interested in hearing what you think. And I hope we can talk about this (very controversial issue) in good spirits. I haven’t been so lucky as yet on this forum. I have deep convictions on what I believe, but there is the need for me to repent in the way I come across. And I need to get back to those I might of run over with my words and make amends. I want this forum to be a source of truth and not hostility. So if I get going on an issue, let me know if what I say is not with the “gentleness and respect” 1 Peter 3:15 teaches us. Thankx, Kin |