About 5 years ago, I made a statement of my basic beliefs about baptism. Having reviewed the passages on baptism, I want to repeat that statement as a launching point for a discussion to follow:
I believe in baptism…
…of adults
…in water
…by immersion
…as part of saving faith
…for the forgiveness of sins
…accompanied by the reception of the Holy Spirit
…to enter into the body of Christ
And how do you regard other believers who have different beliefs about baptism?
Wendy,
That’s a pretty broad category. I guess you’re asking if I think someone has to agree with me about this or they can’t be Christian. Is that it?
No, I don’t put my opinions on the same level as God’s Word.
Tim
Mark Love had a stellar article (one of several, actually, but this one is my favorite so far) on baptism. You might have caught it already (I apologize for being woefully behind in my reading!)
http://dei-liberations.com/2014/03/31/jesus-baptism-and-ours-i-should-be-baptized-by-you/
I believe in baptism into Christ that we’d live in His death – Rom. 6:3
Very good post. I have come to realize that for many years I had baptism as a “work” to qualify for salvation. Its only in recent times that I have began to see it as a covenant rite. When one goes through baptism they come out a part of a new covenant people. It is a rite of passage from one kingdom to another. Thanks.
I know that baptism is part of the salvation plan. If this was not so, Jesus would not have said it. So who do we believe, Jesus, or someone else’s opinion?
Salvation plan? Is that a Biblical concept?
All depends on one’s understanding of salvation. If one thinks it is going to heaven, well that’s one way to understand it that’s not really according to the Bible. If salvation is being healed, that’s one way revealed in the gospels. If it is being born of God (regenerated) that is yet another way. If salvation is Christ Himself, that is a pretty high level of understanding. If it is losing our soul life here, to gan the eternal life to come that is salvation as well. If it is being sanctified (made holy) and transformed that is yet another. If it is receiving a reward to rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years, that’s a way. If it is to be disciplined by fire for that same thousand years, that is also a way of salvation. If it is receiving a redeemed and glorified body to dwell in oneness with God for eternity in the New Jerusalem on the new earth under a new heaven, well that’s about all the different understandings I can think of at the moment that are based on the Bible (but I may have missed a few, the Bible is so rich in revelation). Salvation is actually not a simple concept because the same word is used in so many different contexts in the NT. And yes the NewTestament does mention it as a plan though not explicitly a “salvation” plan. God is doing everything according to His will and good pleasure. Blessings.