ARISE... BE BAPTIZED.... AND... ???

Arise

and

be baptized;

and

wash away your sins,

calling on the name

of The LORD.

Acts 22:16

After being struck with blindness on the Damascus Road, Saul spoke to the Voice+ which he heard at the time the Great Light from Heaven shone upon him.

He said, "What shall I do , LORD ?"

And The LORD said to Saul, "Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do."

Saul (Paul) was a righteous Jew. Yet, he had sins. He had to do something about those sins. What was it he did?

He obeyed the Word+ of GOD.

O My+ People, why do you not obey My+ Word to you ? Why do you kick against the goads? Why do you not obey the way I+ have showed you in word and example to enter into My+ Covenant?

No unclean one may enter into My+ Covenant. No unrepentant one. No-one who refuses water baptism will enter. You must come the way I+ have showed you to come. There IS no other way.

Stop kicking against the goads. I+ will not change My+ Word for you: you must change.

+ + +

An ILLUSION of SALVATION

An Illusion of Salvation

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart,
and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles,

Men and brethren,
what shall we do?

Then Peter said unto them,
Repent, and be baptized
every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins,
and ye shall receive
the gift of the HOLY SPIRIT.
Acts 2:37,38

<(((><

.

.

It happened again. A sincere, well-meaning, zealous and utterly serious Christian brought confusion into the camp. This one has given his life over to the LORD and never denies HIM+ before men. It is his heart-felt desire to see everyone saved and walking with CHRIST JESUS in the fullness of the HOLY SPIRIT. He has walked with The LORD many years.


Recently, he said he led a little girl in our neighborhood to CHRIST. This is what he said (by his own retelling):

“I asked her if she knew JESUS. She said yes. I asked her, ‘Are you born again… are you saved?’ She said, ‘I don’t know.’ Then I said, ‘Do you want to be saved?’ Well, she kind of shrugged but she didn’t say no, so I pushed on ahead. I prayed with her right then and there to invite JESUS into her heart. Then I turned to her and said, “Now if anyone asks you ‘Are you saved’, you can say yes I was… on this date.” Then he told me, well, he hadn’t mentioned anything about repentance, but likely, that would come later. He did NOT mention the need for water baptism at all.

Bless his heart and bless the heart of that dear child! He meant well, with all his heart. Likely he would cry if he knew what he really had done. He planted a false faith in that child.

If the child agreed in his heart with the prayer, the child simply made a request to The LORD. That is not salvation. If the youngster agreed in her heart, she may have made a silent (?) confession of faith. That also is not salvation. There is no entering into the Covenant of Salvation this way.

The way for salvation is laid out plainly. One repents; one is baptized in the name of The LORD JESUS CHRIST. Then one is saved. Other steps may be included: a profession of faith, a profession of love towards The LORD, a confession of sins, a renouncement of sins, a dedication of life to CHRIST JESUS and so forth.

But Christians, one does not enter the Covenant of Salvation… one is not born anew… one is not saved… unless there is a repentance of life and a water baptism in The name of The LORD JESUS CHRIST. To promote otherwise plants an illusion, a false faith, in the heart of the one who wants to come to CHRIST.

The “sinner’s prayer” method of entering into the covenant of salvation is a very modern thing. There is no scripture in the New Testament for praying away one’s sins. Our Lord JESUS and His Apostles after Him taught plainly how to enter into salvation. The ancient Church and the Church in the centuries after them practiced this way.

Yes, there may be “breech” births out there. The LORD moves as HE+ wills, as HE+ did with the thief on the cross, who was still under the old covenant. But not many of us are in such dire straights as that thief.

In life’s normal circumstances, however, we follow the instructions given to us specifically regarding Salvation.The Scriptural way of entering into the Covenant of Salvation is by taking sincere steps of repentance of life and a trust that one will be accepted through the waters of baptism to receive the gift of the HOLY SPIRIT. To teach otherwise brings confusion to the new believer and to the old, alike.

This young child will need lots of prayer to untangle the confusion if she continues on towards JESUS. She now thinks she’s “okay.” In 5 minutes of time, the well-meaning older Christian built an illusion in the child’s heart and soul that now she is “right” with GOD… an illusion which used Scripture’s terms but has no Scriptural backing and no sanction from the HOLY SPIRIT. May The LORD have mercy on them both!

LORD JESUS CHRIST, we pray for mercy. Help the older Christian to stay within Thy bounds as established by Thy written Word and the Apostles’ teaching. Bring this well-meaning soul into all-truth.

Help and bless this young child move towards THEE+ in faith and love. Put Thy Hand upon this young soul and guide it into the Covenant of Salvation and Ever-lasting Life. This we ask in Thy Name, O Gracious SAVIOR, and Life-Giving LORD. Amen.

+ + +

SCRIPTURES on BAPTISM...

Some Scriptures... with Greek... on Baptism

Unless one is born out of water and spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of GOD.... The Words of Jesus, recorded in John 3:5

<(((><

Not by works of righteousness we did (not earned), but according to His mercy He saved us thru the LOUTRON/ bath/washing of rebirth/regeneration, and renewing by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5

<(((><

Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for it, that He might sanctify it, having cleansed it with the LOUTRON/bath/washing of water, in the RHEMA/saying/word/message. Ephesians 5:25-26 [Does not say water of the word]

<(((><

More EARLY CHRISTIANS SPEAK... about Baptism...

EARLY CHRISTIANS SPEAK… more about water baptism..

.

.

From Firmilian (c. 256) 5. 393

.

.

The Second birth, which occurs in baptism, begets sons of God.

.

.

<(((><

.

.

Here’s an anonymous quote from the Early Christian writers:

.

.…Being baptized in the name of Christ, they have been redeemed with the precious blood of the Lord. 5. 675.

.

.

<(((><

.

.

The next two quotes are from the Apostolic Constitutions, complied (c. 390):

When they wish to repent, we receive the pagans into the church to hear the Word. However, we do not admit them to communion until they have received the seal of baptism and are made complete Christians. 7. 414.

.

.

He who out of contempt will not be baptized will be condemned as an unbeliever. 7. 457.

.

.

<(((><

.

.

from the Canticle of Mar (date uncertain) 8.654 :

.

.

[Dark] I was in sins. But I am comely. For I have repented and converted. I have put away that hateful hue in baptism. For He, the Savior of all creatures, has washed me in His innocent blood.

.

.<(((><

EARLY CHRISTIANS SPEAK... Cyprian, c. 250 A.D.

From the Writings of Cyprian, circa 250 A.D....

.

.

By the help of the water of new birth, the stain of former years was washed away, and a light from above, serene and pure, infused into my reconciled heart. Then, by the agency of the Spirit breathed from Heaven, a second birth restored me to a new man. ANF 5. 276

..

<(((><

.

The Lord, when He came, manifested the truth of baptism... in commanding that this faithful water---the water of life eternal--- should be given to believers in baptism. ANF 5. 360.

.

<(((><

.

In the baptism of water, there is received the remission of sins. ANF 5. 497

<(((><

.

...from that death which once the blood of Christ extinguished, and from which [death] the saving grace of baptism and of our Redeemer has delivered us. ANF 5. 332.

<(((><

.

[ more of Cyprian to come ]

PALMS of VICTORY...

Ante-Nicene Fathers on Baptism

Part 3

From Tertullian... c. 198... volume 3, p. 646....

... a countless throng are revealed, clothed in white and distinguished by palms of victory, celebrating their triumph doubtless over Antichrist, since one of the elders says, These are they who come out of the great tribulation and have washed their robes, and meade them white in the blood of the Lamb, for the flesh is the clothing of the soul. The uncleanness, indeed, is washed away by baptism, but the stains are changed into dazzling whiteness by martyrdom.

.

<(((><

.

And from Tertullian again, on p. 676 of that same volume...

Unless a man has been born again of water and Spirit, he will not enter the Kingdom of the Heavens. These words have tied faith to the necessity of baptism. Accordingly, all thereafter who became believers were baptized. So it was, too, that Paul, when he believed, was baptized.

.

<(((><

Part 2 Ante-Nicene Writers on Baptism

Part 2 from the Ante-Nicene Writers

on Baptism

Theophilus and Irenaeus

circa 180 AD

<(((><

.

~~~from Theophilus, (ANF 2. 180)

The things proceeding from the waters were blessed by God, that this also could be a sign of men being destined to receive repentance and remission of sins, through the water and bath of regeneration-- as many as come to the truth and are born again.

.

~~~from Irenaeus...

When we come to refute them [the Gnostics], we will show in its proper place that this class of men have been instigated by Satan to a denial of that baptism which is regeneration to God. Thus, they have renounced the whole faith...For the baptism instituted by the visible Jesus was for the remission of sins. (ANF 1.346)

.

~~~ Again, from Irenaeus...

As we are lepers in sin, we are made clean from our old transgressions by means of the sacred water and the invoction of the Lord. We are spiritually regenerated as new-born babes, just as the Lord has declared: Unless a man is born again through water and the Spirit, he will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

(ANF 1.574)

(to be continued)

Elder Milton