Hello from Milton...
Growing up in North Alabama, I later moved to Nashville where I worked several years in Social Services.
As a youth, I was quite worldly. Church was occasionally attended from my youth on. But although worldly, I did learn one thing back then: I LEARNED THAT BAPTISM WAS FOR REMISSION OF SINS.
However, I was slow to realize that a radical heart-change and Holy Spirit renewing is really INDISPENSIBLE to becoming a Christian. After being regenerated, I began learning to be led by the Spirit.
During all this, I soon found that many friends from similar backgrounds as mine were giving up some beliefs that I considered fundamental to our faith. ONE OF THESE WAS BAPTISM FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS.
I began to try to understand why. I wanted to have full fellowship with them... yet stand for the truth. Many of my friends had just left churches where the Holy Spirit was not prominent although water baptism for remission of sins was.
In leaving the trappings of dead churchism, and wanting to blend with others from various denominations, my friends had tossed out baptism for remission of sins.
So, the sinner's prayer for salvation was increasingly used, it seems... yet, without post-Resurrection example or authority.
My mission over many years is to return the Church to the original pattern of entering the Covenant of Salvation through Jesus Christ. Our Lord laid down the way to enter into the New Birth by example and Word (John 3). The Apostle Peter confirmed this on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.
There is no Scriptural authority whatsoever for doing away with water baptism (Gk: immersion). The whole package--- repentance, conversion, water and Holy Spirit baptism--- are required to enter into the New Covenant.
Here is where I stand. In the subsequent messages, I will be sharing the Scriptures which establish this truth and where I learned this.
Milton
No comments:
Post a Comment