Roman Catholic 4 Dummies: March 2012

2 RESPONSES TO “HOW DO I BECOME A CHRISTIAN?”

Alege Samuel Olawale
February 14th, 2011 at 10:04 am
God will continually bless your ministry, for making the truthfulness of His word,accessible by all,through your site.May His empowerment come upon this ministry,like a raging wind in Jesus name.Amen
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Joel Garner
March 6th, 2011 at 11:09 am
There’s a problem here: Water immersion is NOT required for salvation. Spirit immersion, the cleansing of Christ’s blood, His righteousness, imputed to us, yes; but not water immersion. That is a a form of works-salvation! Repentance and faith, wrought in us by the Holy Spirit, are all that’s required for salvation. We receive the Spirit at salvation.
I do not want to misunderstand you; I’ve seen some of your television program, and found it interesting. However, you’re teaching salvation partially through immersion, which is, plain and simple, works-salvation!
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- avandagriff
  April 11th, 2011 at 12:27 pm
  There are many scriptures that talk about water baptism. Some of those consist of Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, John 3:3-5, and Matthew 28:19. There is a great importance placed on baptism in the scriptures for a reason. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 tells us that we are saved by the gospel which is the death, burial, and resurrection. Romans 6:3-4 and Colossians 2:12 show us that we are buried with Jesus in baptism. James 2 tells us that faith without works is dead and that we are not justified by faith alone. Titus 3:5 says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Baptism and the infilling of the Holy Ghost are not our works of righteousness but they are made available to us for salvation by the mercy of God.
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- Rob Johnson
  June 20th, 2011 at 6:09 am
  He who believeth and is baptized shall be saved. Mark 16:16. Baptism is essentially for salvation. WE do NOT wash away our sins. GOD does. IT is NOT OUR work but His.
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  - Doug
    February 9th, 2012 at 6:51 pm
    Rob
    If baptism is required for salvation, then how were the O.T. saints saved?
    Doug
    Reply
    - avandagriff
      February 13th, 2012 at 9:36 am
      Throughout time there have been different dispensations of salvation. For example in the time of Noah and the flood salvation was through the ark. Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 that we are saved by the gospel which is the death, burial, and resurrection. Obviously this would not have applied to anyone in the Old Testament or even the thief on the cross as many have questioned because Jesus had not died, been buried, or resurrected yet. This way of salvation came after Jesus was glorified. Dealing with baptism in particularly, Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12 teach that we are buried with Christ in baptism. So scriptural we learn that through baptism we fulfill the burial process which is a part of obeying the gospel whereby we are saved.
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- Scott
  September 3rd, 2011 at 8:12 am
  How can you say this when Jesus clearly said “John 3:5 – Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God”?
  Also Peter said “Acts 2:38 – 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 Ghost”. This was following the message that he preached after Pentecost, when the crowd askd “what must we do”.
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- Gary B
  October 11th, 2011 at 4:27 pm
  The New Testament “Books” are very clear.
  The first (4)…Bio of Jesus Christ
  Acts of the Apostles (Church born!)
  Rest of the epistles were written to “Church” folks.
  So really the gospel message is launched at Acts 1:8……This power changed Peter’s life! He preached the 1st message about the “New” dispensation of grace, and concluded it with a answer to the listeners question,… “What must we do?” Cannot get any simpler than that!
  Now when we go to the epistles..we find God’s word “correcting” the church through “Holy Men of God” as they were inspired by God to speak and write.
  The death…the burial…and the ressurection, it will never be anything else but…..
  Thanks Bro Baxter, for sacrificing your time and effort for “all” God’s kingdom! Love ya brother.
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- Greg
  January 24th, 2012 at 10:36 pm
  Ecclesiastical . a ceremonial immersion in water, or application of water, as an initiatory rite or sacrament of the Christian church.
  FROM THE DICTIONARY
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  - rick
    January 25th, 2012 at 10:11 am
    When accompanied by faith and repentance, baptism (immersion) is how and when our sins are washed away. If it is not done with the understanding that our sins are being washed away (Acts 22:16), it is not the one baptism of the New Testament (Ephesians 4:4-5). We need to respond to the truth we have been given, as soon as we understand it. Although I had been baptized before, I discovered recently that when I was baptized in the correct, scriptural manner, I actually received the new life that I had always wanted.
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- Tony
  February 12th, 2012 at 2:00 pm
  This isn’t “works for grace”, Act 2:38 say’s: what must we do to be saved? Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus… this isn’t works, it’s a commandment! Why do you guy’s make this so hard? God bless
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Stephen
March 28th, 2011 at 11:34 am
Thank you for your write up. If we consider Romans 10: 9 – 10. This talks about believe and confession as the condition to be saved. Kindly expalin the meaning of these cerses in the context of your teaching on this matter. Yours in Christ, Stephen.
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- avandagriff
  May 9th, 2011 at 12:18 pm
  This passage does deal with salvation but this does not cover everything the Bible teaches about salvation. We know that actions will follow our beliefs just as James taught in James 2. There are also many passages of scripture that teach we are saved by things such as Titus 3:5, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, and Mark 16:16. We have to take all scripture and put it together so that we can fully understand.
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Adam Sawyer
April 6th, 2011 at 7:04 am
I can see your scripturally sound on your teaching but I am troubled that you seem to have overlooked an absolute essential scripture on Salvation:
Ephesians 2v8-9… ”For by GRACE you have been saved through FAITH, and that not of yourselves; it is the GIFT of God, NOT of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Baptism in the Holy Spirit is also core to the Christian walk which I see you acknowledge & I don’t disagree a water baptism is good, it’s a public statement of faith but it’s not absolutely essential to Salvation since the criminal on the across acknowledged Jesus as Lord & he was promised Heaven ~ Luke 23:42-43
”Then he (one of the criminals on the side of Jesus) said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. 43 Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
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- avandagriff
  May 9th, 2011 at 11:18 am
  Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 that we are saved by the gospel which is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. I believe the thief on the cross was with Jesus in paradise because Jesus told him that he would be. However the gospel that we are saved by was not the message of salvation at that time seeing that Jesus was still alive. Peter preached the same message Paul did in Acts 2:38 when he said repent, be baptized in Jesus name, and receive the Holy Ghost. Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12 teaches that we are buried with him in baptism. Romans 8:11 shows us that the Holy Ghost is the resurrection power. Mark 16:16 says that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. So I believe we have to be born again of the water and of the Spirit just as Jesus taught in John 3:3-7.
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Barbara
April 22nd, 2011 at 8:17 pm
My dad, now with Jesus, was a simple hard-working, uneducated man. He had never heard of a trinity. He lived far out there in the country where his family lived poor and barely survived. He had never heard of church fathers of Bible concordances, colleges or seminaries, or anything. He knew nothing only to survive.
He started to drink and gamble. Still ignorant of the Bible. But after they moved into town he happened to be passing a little church. He went inside because he liked the beautiful music coming through the window.
He heard for the first time the gospel message. He could not stop gambling or drinking or chasing women and knew he needed help.
The people in the little church were uneducated also. They took the Bible literally just what it said they believed it meant. They barely knew how to read it but they could read. They told him what the Bible said about his condition and what to do about it. So he repented (asked forgiveness and died to the old man. He was baptized in Jesus name because they read the Bible in order and finally when they got to what did the apostles do in Acts after they saw Jesus go up and he had told them to tarry in Jerusalem, so they simply baptized in Jesus name (saying the name out loud, not thinking of the name as just an authority, they literally vocally said the name of Jesus when the pastor immersed the repentant dead to sin person. My dad was a new creature and new man in Christ. He understood it and to the day he died an old man, he never backslid but served the Lord all his life. My dad understood it as brother Baxter explained on this site.
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Angela Hartwell
April 26th, 2011 at 4:44 pm
Everyone has their opinion of salvation until you get a revelation of God’s word you will never understand salvation. I have always wanted to be save but didn’t know how. I remember praying to the Lord, “When you do save me I want to be save the right way, and lead me to the church that knows the right way”, and He did. I have repented, baptized in Jesus name, and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. I know that I am saved because I obeyed the word of God. It was until then that I really understood John 3:5 when Jesus said you must be born again of the water and of the Spirit and Acts 2:38.
In the book of Acts the Apostles have the revelation of salvation. In Acts 2: Peter preached his first sermon after receiving the Holy Ghost and in vs 37 the people asked what shall we do(to be saved)? Peter told them in vs 38 Repent, (Jesus said be born again)and be baptized ( of water) everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (of the Spirit). This is the plan of salvation it is the only way. It was acted out in the book of Acts by the Apostles.
Thank you Bro. Baxter for showing us the way of how to become a Christian. Your teaching on End of the Age has truly help me to be aware of what is going on around us. And as Christains we need to be ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Dipcka
May 12th, 2011 at 8:33 am
Thank you bro for your wondrful msgs. N may the Holy Name of Lord and Christ Jesus be forever blessed. Come soon O Jesus. Amen…
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Nate
May 13th, 2011 at 6:34 am
Awesome stuff!!! When compared to typical news sites, etc, this is night and day. I can get my news but remain encouraged. I don’t have to wade through a bunch of garbage. Thanks guys for your burden and hard work!!!!
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Dr. Sean
May 17th, 2011 at 7:18 am
Timothy tells us to study the Word, rightly dividing…Knowing God’s Word often takes more than pulling a few verses out of context. We have to be careful to put each verse in context of the chapter, book, and bible.
One cannot be saved by any work. It is a turning of one’s heart to Jesus Christ, God the Son, asking Him for forgiveness and believing that He died and rose from the grave. Asking Him to be Lord and Savior and truly giving one’s life to Him is salvation. If any work or action, like baptism or speaking in tongues is added, then it contradicts Ephesians 2:8-9 concerning Grace alone through Faith alone.
The biggest sin of all is PRIDE. Pride says that what Jesus did on the cross is not enough. That is why man has tried to add something to faith and grace. We have a hard time trusting that Jesus’ sacrifice as God the son was enough. But that is the faith we must have. “Jesus, I could never earn your salvation. I am a sinner. I believe you are God and Savior and I believe you died and rose from the grave for my sins. Please come into my heart and save me. I give my life to you. Please help me to follow you all the days of my life. In your name Jesus, Amen.”
Acts 2:38 here is not interpreted correctly as stated above. The Greek is telling us that we are being baptized in response to salvation received, not in order to receive salvation. The correct structure is that we repent for the remission of sin, and then we are to be baptized as the first act of obedience in salvation, but not required for it.
This is clear from what follows Acts 7. In Acts 8, an individual from Africa is saved (before baptism). In Acts 9, an individual from Asia is saved (before baptism). In Acts 10, an individual from Europe is saved (before baptism). Why didn’t these individual conversions occur before Acts 7? Because the first seven chapter of Acts deal with Israel (1:6-8; 2:36; 3:12; 4:8-10; 5:31; 6:7-14; 7:1-60). The question of INDIVIDUAL salvation is asked and answered in Acts 16:30-31: “. . . Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Those who fail to make this distinction are guilty of violating II Timothy 2:15 where we are told to RIGHTLY DIVIDE the word of truth.
Paul said in I Corinthians 1:17 that “. . . Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” This “gospel” is defined by Paul in I Corinthians 15:1-4, and it does NOT include water baptism. The idea that anything is required beyond faith and grace and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ’s ultimate sacrifice is truly false. It is our pride that does not trust Jesus 100%. We must admit that we cannot follow rules to get to heaven. We cannot obey the commandments in their entirety. Breaking the least of the rules breaks all of God’s laws. We need complete forgiveness through Jesus’ sacrifice alone. You cannot add to His finished work on the cross anything at all.
Trust Jesus and his sacrifice alone for your salvation. Then follow His commands to walk close to Him, but never to earn or keep your salvation. Works cannot earn salvation or keep it. Remember Ephesians. I want my children to obey me, their father, because they love me, not because they only fear me. God made us for relationship with Him. Salvation through Jesus obtains that. We then serve Him out of love and appreciation for what He did for us, not to earn or keep salvation. Do you trust Him? I trust in His finished work at Calvary.
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- avandagriff
  May 17th, 2011 at 11:37 am
  The Bible does teach that we are saved by faith and not by works. However James 2:24 says that we are justified by works and not faith only. James throughout this chapter teaches us how faith without works is dead. What the Bible is teaching is that when we have true faith, works will follow. Our actions show our beliefs. If a man screamed that the house was on fire but he casually sat on the couch, no one in the house would believe him. If a man screamed that the house was on fire and he dashed out of the house, people would believe him and they would follow him. Works and faith go hand and hand.
  If a work is defined as an action then believing and repenting could be considered works. So we need to take all scripture into perspective so that we can see how we obtain salvation. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 teaches that we are saved by the gospel which is defined as the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. So we have to accept or apply the works of Jesus to our lives to be saved. When we repent we are dying to ourselves and turning toward God. Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12 teach that we are buried with Jesus in baptism. Romans 8:11 teaches that the Holy Ghost is the resurrection power. So it appears that Peter was preaching the saving gospel message in Acts 2:38 when he said to repent, be baptized in Jesus name, and receive the Holy Ghost. When Jesus taught that we had to be born again to enter into the kingdom of God, he taught that we had to be born of the water and of the Spirit. 1 John 5:8 shows us that the three that bear record on the earth are the Spirit, the water, and the blood. It goes on to say that these three agree in one. So throughout scripture we see that repentance, baptism in Jesus name, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost are taught for salvation. The reason Paul said he did not come to baptize is because the Corinthian church had been baptized. You can read in 1 Corinthians 1 that they were boasting about who baptized them. Paul even mentioned that he had baptized people but his purpose then was to preach to the church to give them instruction.
  To sum everything up we can look at Titus 3:5. It says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Jesus saves us by his mercy by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. We cannot go around doing good things and expect to be saved. When we believe in Jesus works will follow. They are not works that we do by ourselves but they are God’s works which we do.
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  - Jonny
    May 30th, 2011 at 11:48 am
    Yes, but see the problem is we have to respond to what God has given us. Of course, we are not saved by works, but Christ demands us to obey what is written in his word in regards to the gospel. It is the death, burial, and resurrection. We have to repent, we have to be baptized (if its not required, then throw it out of the bible. period) in the name of Jesus, and God will fill you with his spirit as he did on the day of pentecost. As for 1 Corinthians, Paul is not saying that baptism is not necessary. remember he is dealing with division in the church. some are following, apollos, paul, jesus etc.. what he is saying is anyone can baptize you, im not coming for that, im coming to preach the gospel in its entirety. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be damed” Mark 16:16. Also, 2 peter 1:21 “like unto baptism which now doth also save us”.
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Jonny
May 30th, 2011 at 11:43 am
Greetings Bro. Baxter, This is a perfect explanation for Biblical Salvation. Anyone can believe, but not be saved. REPENTANCE, WATER BAPTISM IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND INFILLING OF THE HOLY GHOST WITH EVIDENCE OF SPEAKING IN OTHER TONGUES. People, Please obey the Gospel. God Bless you.
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susan
June 8th, 2011 at 11:04 am
If water baptism and speaking in tongues are necessary for salvation,then what about the people who have death-bed conversions without either??
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- avandagriff
  June 8th, 2011 at 11:31 am
  We have to remember that God is the final judge. We do know that God will use His word to judge and we know that His word is forever settled in heaven. I am not aware of a death bed conversion in the Bible but as I said God will have the final say. For now, we need to focus on our personal salvation and make sure that we are aligned with God’s word.
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susan
June 9th, 2011 at 12:17 pm
It seems to me that most churches of most denominations use John 3:16 as a very important salvation verse. Shouldn’t it read “For God so loved the world that whosoever believes in Him,and is baptized in water and speaks in tongues,should not perish….etc.”??
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- avandagriff
  June 14th, 2011 at 12:07 pm
  Like I previously stated in James 2 when we believe we will have works that follow as a result of our belief.
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- Nick
  March 16th, 2012 at 4:15 pm
  Apostle Peter in 1Pet.3 talked about Noah and how 8 souls were saved by water and then in said
  in verse [21] The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
  it is by the resurection that we are save like as the water saved Noah and his family by lifting up the ark therefore saving them from drowning Baptism into Jesus’ death Romans 6:4 allows us part in the resurection of Jesus Christ.
  in the KJV bible you will find that John 3:16 doesn’t say a believer will be saved it says should be saved which gives the believer a choice to obey and be a doer of the word not decieving one’s ownself. Should is not an imperitive and agrees with other scripture believers need to be saved. Look at Simon the Sorcerer he believed and what Peter said to him.
  Believers need to be saved. 1Cor 1:
  1.[21] For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
  If you don’t obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ this will be your lot with God. 2 Thes. 1:[7] And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
  [8] In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
  Holp this helps.
  ——————————————————————————–
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susan
June 9th, 2011 at 12:22 pm
BTW….I’m not saying I don’t believe in baptism and tongues. I’ve been baptized in water and I have a prayer language in tongues. I’m just saying I don’t believe either of these are necessary for salvation. Some people are,for whatever reason,unable to be baptized,etc. Are they bound for hell bcs they weren’t baptized and/or don’t speak in tongues?? I don’t think this is what Jesus taught at all.
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- avandagriff
  June 14th, 2011 at 12:06 pm
  There are a number of scriptures that teach we are saved by baptism and the Holy Ghost. We do know that God is a merciful God and He will have the final say. However we know that God will use His word to judge and His word does not change. We can think of situations where it appears someone cannot fulfill the gospel but the Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 9:11 that time and chance happens to all. Jesus Christ paved the way for salvation and that is why we are saved by the gospel, which is the death, burial, and resurrection, according to 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.
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susan
June 10th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
So then what do you do with John 3:16 that says “…….that whosoever believes in Him should not perish,but have everlasting life.” “Believes in Him” doesn’t have to include water baptism and/or speaking in tongues. What about a prisoner who repents and accepts Jesus as his Lord and Savior but is unable to be baptised? Does he go to hell bcs he wasn’t baptised? Not what my Bible says..
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- avandagriff
  June 14th, 2011 at 11:55 am
  John 3:16 is true but we cannot only take one scripture out of the entire Bible and use that for salvation. James taught us in the second chapter of his writings that faith without works is dead. If you truly believe then you will have actions that prove your belief. If a person believed that their house was on fire then they would get out of their house and not just sit there saying, “My house is on fire.” So when a person truly believes in Jesus they will act on that belief and live in obedience to God’s word. As a result of this a person who believes will obey the plan of salvation given to us in scripture.
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  - Rob Johnson
    June 20th, 2011 at 6:22 am
    Lord save us all!!! Teach us plainly the way to salvation. Acts 2:38.
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- Arland Pafford
  July 21st, 2011 at 3:23 pm
  Susan-
  The Scriptures teach that salvation is by grace through faith, but the faith that saves is not mere faith (agreement to the truth of certain propositions about God) but it is a perfected faith. Faith has two limitations; faith without love is nothing and faith without works (obedience) is dead and useless. When faith is combined with love it is energized and motivated to obey. That is what the Apostle Paul meant when he said the faith whuch avails (KJV) or means something (NASV) is the faith which works through love. (Gal 5:6)
  The faith in view in John 3: 16 is certainly a faith that avails, as it results in everlasting life. This implies that it is a faith which works in love.
  To be fair to yourself take a good concordance, like Young’s Anaytical Concordance, and look up all the factors that “save” or are associated with “salvatiion. The next step is to deny yourself and all the things you think you have learned. Pray to God to show you the truth and give you strength to accept it even if it is contrary to what you have been taught. God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud.
  Praying for you,
  Arland Pafford
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- Ann
  September 1st, 2011 at 1:06 am
  If you truly want to be saved and you truly love God, then just be obedient to what His word says you must do to be saved. There are scriptures that mention believing, there are scriptures that menton being baptized, just do it all, and focus on your relationship with God and how to live a life that is pleasing to HIm. If God’s word says it, do it. Don’t mess with your eternity. I would rather be baptized in His name, and find out when I die that it wasn’t necessary than to not do it and find out when I die that it was necessary.
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Bennie
June 11th, 2011 at 8:18 pm
When people who refuse to be baptized in Jesus name after they repented and claim that that baptism is just works and an outward confession of an inner faith received they forget some things. The apostoles all preached the message of being baptized for pardon, cancelation, blotting out, remission of sins etc because there is no other name given under heaven whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)We must be carefull to not fall into the trap of an opinion with no Bible claiming that baptism is just an outward confession etc. When the Philipian jailor took Paul and Silas to his home, the two who were beaten with sores from the stripes were washed and at midnight was baptized. When Philip was called by the Spirit to go to the desert where he met the eunic and explained to him what the Bible meant there is no doubt that Baptism was also mentioned because the man said “Here is water” He was not interested in a group to watch his “confession” because all that saw it was the sand, so baptism is really important because the Apostles preached it along with the other two items to obey of Acts 2:38. Often Ephesians is quoted where we are saved by grace but did the reader ever study how the Ephesians were saved that Paul was writing to? Check Acts 19:1-5. Was baptism in water left out and they only believed to be saved? Let the Doctors of Divinity, steeped in tradition twixt the scripture to make big congregations with no real obedience to God’s plan but the fact remains that we are built upon the Apostles (Eph. 2:20) and follow in their steps and the doctrine that Peter preached on the day of Pentecost became the Apostles doctrine that they all continued in. To try to be baptized and not use the name of Jesus, in view of sins being washed away by being baptized in His name (Acts 22:16), is like going to the landromat with a load of very dirty clothes and not bringing along the soap. Only an idiot would try to wash stains out of clothes without soap. Jesus name baptism is the detergent that washes away sin when people believe, repent and obey. See also, Acts 10:45-48; 8:16. Acts, the history of the beginning of the church is full of these historical accounts.
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- Shondae
  November 30th, 2011 at 12:30 pm
  I agree with you very much! I think there is some confusion on what “works” is and why it is involved in these scriptures. Jews believed that if they did something bad (like stole something) then the only way to be justified is by returning it and maybe apologizing for the bad deed. This is justification by works. Being baptized in Jesus name is not a work of our own, but we are commanded by Peter as believers to do so in Acts chapter 2. If we follow the book of Acts carefully, we will see that EVERY believer in the new testament was added to the church daily by repentance, water baptism in Jesus’ name, and being filled with the Holy Ghost speaking in other tongues – and sometimes not in that order! God bless you all for the wonderful communication I see here from lovely, God-fearing people!
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Peter
July 13th, 2011 at 9:59 pm
I don’t have the verse numbers and chapters in front of me, but please look into the following with the help of a concordance.
“The like figure where unto baptism doth also now save us…” and “Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Why fight God. Please be baptized in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ, the Almighty!
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- avandagriff
  July 14th, 2011 at 10:57 am
  The verses are 1 Peter 3:21 and Acts 22:16.
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ruby badger
August 9th, 2011 at 2:41 am
life is short so let try are best to give are life to the lord.
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Voice of Reason
August 10th, 2011 at 2:04 am
I believe Jesus saved the thief on the cross without a doubt thru faith under the Old Testament. Gal 3:8
Please think on this… If using this example for salvation is acceptable for the New Testament, then you have to ask yourself… when did he repent? I never once heard him repent or repeat a “sinners prayer.” No one will disagree repentance is essential.
Because of the thief example, some will use the dangerous logic that baptism isn’t necessary. By using the same logic we must infer repentance isn’t necessary either.
I believe repentance and baptism is necessary to be born again. Acts 2:38 is the New Testament way.
Isa 1:18
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Thank you all at Endtime for all you have done.
God Bless
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Russell
August 13th, 2011 at 7:48 pm
Pertaining to John 3:16, I was taught and believed it to be the plan of salvation until you understand the context of the entire conversation that it is concluding. Jesus is dealing with a Pharisee who only recognizes Him as a “teacher from God”, not as Lord and Savior. Because Nicodemus should know the scriptures better than most as a Pharisee and therefore should know who Jesus is, Jesus cuts to the chase and declares to him salvation is from being born again, of water and spirit. Look in Strongs Concordance and water is from streams, rivers, lakes, etc indicating baptism, not amniotic fluid of natural birth as some tried to tell me. Nicodemus still didn’t get it, Jesus tried explaining it, and finally concludes with vs. 16 that no one will ever be in obedience to born again salvation without first believing that Jesus is God and not just a teacher sent from God. Traditional American culture already believes Jesus was God, but that belief alone doesn’t save them. Obedience to His word saves him.
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SGO
August 15th, 2011 at 6:55 pm
I cannot understand how so many people can read one scripture verse and have so many different answers. My God in Heaven. No wonder this world is a mess. So much confusion about something so simple, and we certainly know that God is NOT the author of confusion.
Come Lord Jesus Come….
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PF
August 23rd, 2011 at 4:45 pm
If it’s one thing I know from experience is the evil one plagues us with guilt from our past and we self-condemm ourselves unless we forgive and forget the occurance … The evil one can only play with your past and if you are still living in your past in your mind , you can give him a sronghold on you… Let it go and give it to who loves you and paid the price for you.. Not by your works nothing you do can ever repay for what you do in life -the wage of sin is death… But to please god is to worship him and we do this through jesus christ- Jesus is the only way to the father… You following god’s plan for you to walk the narrow path live in peace and set an example for others who are lost…..Read proverbs all of it for wisdom is my sister and knowledge is my kingsman always…
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- quickenedspirit
  November 28th, 2011 at 10:20 pm
  Amen. God bless you for this word.
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Daniel Bulus
August 24th, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Ladies and gentle men,this is one thing i know which is certain. Either you don’t know or you don’t understand this dose not nullify the fact that baptism is very important, because JESUS CHRIST Him self commanded it (Matt.28:19). But get this very clear, baptism itself has no power to save anyone. By faith in JESUS CHRIST… we are saved (Rom.5:1, 10:9). God is God and Man is Man.
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- avandagriff
  August 25th, 2011 at 10:53 am
  Baptism is taught throughout scripture as being a part of salvation. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 shows us that we are saved by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12 tell us that we are buried with Christ in baptism. Mark 16:16 teaches that he who believes and is baptized shall be saved. So from that scripture we see faith and baptism being necessary. 1 Peter 3:21 also says baptism doth also now save us. So we see that baptism is a part of salvation according to the Bible. Remember that faith alone will not save us as found in James 2. Faith without works is dead.
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Robert
August 29th, 2011 at 6:10 pm
It is refreshing to hear the truth of GOD’s Word on how to be saved. Not everyone will speak the truth of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,especially tele-evangelism. Too many souls are deceived by “easy believism”. Many think that they are saved because they’ve quoted Romans 10:9, or stated the ever-so popular, “Lord come into my heart..” But in the third chapter of the book of John, Jesus told Nicodemus,”Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Further, Peter, on the Day of Pentecost, declared the proper Way to be saved in Acts 2:38. When you are born of
His Spirit, (born again)God will fill you with His Spirit with evidence of speaking with other tongues.
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Ann
September 1st, 2011 at 1:12 am
If God tells you directly and in person that “today you will be with me in paradise” then you probably don’t have to worry about doing anything else, but if you haven’t had that type of experience, I highly recommend Acts 2:38.
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Michael Oduro Duah
October 7th, 2011 at 8:09 am
Jesus said, he is the way and the truth, no one goes to the father except him. So i believe that for one the received the grace of love,righteous and holy living from God one needs to believe in the death, resurrection of body and forgiveness of sin which have been done through Our Lord Saviour(De Christ). By doing so, one received one most powerful indwelling spirit ie Holy Spirit which always draw us the the love of God and his blessings.
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Patrick I Rodrigues
December 13th, 2011 at 6:15 pm
‘Moreover,Bretheren,I declare unto you the gospel
which i preached unto you, which also ye have received,& wherein ye stand;By which also ye are
saved,if you keep in memory what i preached unto you,unless yoy have believed in vain.For I deliv-
ered unto you first of all that which i also rec-
eived,how that Christ Died for our sins according
to the Scriptures;And that He was Buried,& that He Rose Again the third day,according to the Scr-
iptures,& that He was seen of Cephas(Simon Peter)
then of the twelve:After that He was seen of above five hundred bretheren at once;of whom the
greater part remain unto this present, but some
are fallen asleep.After that He was seen of James,then of all the apostles.And last of all He
was seen of ne also, as of one born out of due time………..Therefore whether It were I or
they,so we preach, & so ye believed.’1Cor.1-11.
‘And they(Paul & Silas)said,Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,& thou shalt be saved,& thy house
(household).And they spake unto him(Philippian
jailer)the Word Of The Lord,& to all that were in his house.And he(Jailer) took them the same
hour of the night(Paul & Silas)& washed their stripes,& was baptized(he the jailer)he & all his
,straightway.And when he(jailer)had brought them
(Paul & Silas)into his house, he set meat before them,& rejoiced,believing with all his house.’
Acts.16:31-34.
‘Neither is there salvation in any other:for there is none other name under heaven given among men,whereby ye must be saved.’Acts.4:12.
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Patrick I Rodrigues
December 13th, 2011 at 9:47 pm
The Bible says,’That if you confess with your
mouth,’Jesus is Lord’,and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead,you will be saved.For it with your heart that you believe and are justified,and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved”(Romans 10:9-10).
To enter into this relationship you need to put your trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation- which means the forgiveness of your
sins and entering a right relationship with God.
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Patrick I Rodrigues
December 13th, 2011 at 10:24 pm
God the Father is seeking a relationship of love with you for which He has created you.
But there is a problem. Because of sin all people
are born separated from God,makink it impossible
for us to have a relationship with Him.The Bible
says,”For all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God”(Romans 3:23).
There is a remedy.Sin affects us so much we won’t seek God on our own.Therefore God takes the initiative and draws to His Son Jesus Christ
-who is the only way to the Father.(John 14:6).
Jesus says,”For God so loved the world that he
gave His one and only Son,that whoever believes
in him, shall not perish but have eternal life.”
(John 3:16)
Eternal life defines the relationship God desires,Jesus says,”Now this is eternal life:
that that they may know you,the only true God.
and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent”.(John 17:3).”That they may know you,” means an ongoing love relationship that begins when we trust in
Christ and continues for eternity.
To enter into this relationship you need to place
your trust alone in Jesus Christ for your salvation- which means the forgiveness of your sins and entering a right relationship with God.
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tommy c
December 29th, 2011 at 9:56 am
though many spoke in tongues, many didnt. paul asked do all speak in tongues.maybe you know the scripture im talking about. acts 2:38 promises after repentance, and baptism in jesus name,we shall recieve the gift. what is a gift. god doesnt break promises.when someone is raised in a certain belief, its hard for them to understand the truth. irvin changed his belief to post trib rapture.im not saying some of us wont speak in tongues, but not all will. please show the scriptures that back your belief. im worried for your souls, as the scripture tells us not add or take away. i include irvin, his family, and ministry, in my prayers.his ministry has helped many, including myself,remain informed on whats going on in our world;helping us see that the lord will soon be returning for the church.
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gary dixon
January 10th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
2 PETER 1:20 NO PROPHECY IS A MATTER OF PRIVATE INTERPRETATION
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Sherry
February 7th, 2012 at 11:22 am
All I can say is what (real) bride refuses to take her husband’s name. If you want to take part of an individual’s life their name is involved somewhere – birth, marriage, identification, and death – almost every aspect in life involves a “name.” Even when you get hired on a job, you get a badge with the name of the company, all your benefits and checks are associated with the name of that company. So you say, “What’s in a name?”
If Jesus died for your sin so that you can have eternal life, then why can’t you take His Name? What can it hurt really? I’m so glad to have had the name Jesus Christ called over me when I was baptized! So glad for the Holy Ghost! With the way this world is shaping up, I would be baptized in Jesus name seventy times if that’s what it took for me to be saved!
I am amazed at how this one issue creates a great gulf amongst “believers.” There’s so much more to be said about this. But if you truly want to please God and your heart is right, you’ll do whatever it takes to obey His word! When it is all said and done, the bottom line is we all had an opportunity to obey the scriptures or not – your choice. Hope you can live with it. I’d rather be ready than wrangling.
One final thought: to those who are struggling with whether just saying the sinner’s prayer, merely believing on Jesus is enough – I challenge you to go to the Lord in prayer (sincere prayer) for the truth to be revealed and ask Him what He would have you do and ask him to help you (through His word). Either you will believe or you won’t (He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved – he that believeth not is damned already). However, he’ll tell you from out of His word that baptism in water (immersion) in the name of Jesus and receiving the baptism in the Holy Ghost with evidence of tongues is the way. If you don’t believe it then, you be like so many who go to the airport -just seeing us off!
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Ben
March 3rd, 2012 at 9:55 pm
The question “Do all speak with tongues?” (I Cor. 12:30)
This 12th chapter of first Corinthians practically lists the gifts of the Spirit (verses 8-11) that come from the Spirit AFTER a believer receives his own personal Holy Ghost experience. All original believers in New Testament church spoke in tongues Acts 2:4; 2:45-48 and 19:5-6. The Holy Ghost is readily available to all who believe they can have it, and in sincere worship, intense hunger, seeking Jesus, the baptizer (Luke 3:16) will receive.
After having received this powerful personal experience and praying thereafter the believer can pray in tongues, a special form of personal self devotion to edify himself or be reinforced inwardly to face his fiery trials and problems sooner or later with life. It is strengthening to have Christ in him and this continuing evidence. (I Cor. 14:2, Col. 1:27) But if one goes to a meeting of believers this personal devotion is secondary and subject (1 Cor. 14:32) to the believer at the time of listening to the minister speak a message in the local language to edify, exhort, and comfort all.
Tongues is listed in another use as one of the gifts of the Spirit in this book of Corinthians which was written to believers who had already received the Holy Ghost and been baptized in Jesus Name, (I Cor. 6:11) which may come audibly distinct in the middle of a meeting of believers and may be reinforced by another similar utterance as a witness of a special message to be interpreted to the church and as a sign to unbelievers present that God is among them. At this time not all in the local assembly speak in tongues but the messenger(s) by two or three in order with one who interprets.
To use the above question “Do all speak with tongues?” totally out of context to convince people to go the “easy believe” route and not seek and receive this glorious experience as all did “at the beginning” (Acts 11:15) in Acts chapter two, is to deprive them of tremendous spiritual dividends. Since all the gifts and fruit of the spirit come from the Holy Ghost “tree” too many will be condemned at the final day because they did not believe nor go up the Acts 2:38 tree. Obeying Acts 2:38 is life or death! No other scripture is people-inclusive, “every one of you” nor time-inclusive, “as many as the Lord shall call.” If you want the gifts and fruit, and in the end, salvation, GO UP THIS TREE!
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Pastor Nick
March 20th, 2012 at 3:09 pm
God’s word does not belong to anyone. The KJV is not nor can be copyrighted. Most new versions are controled by copyrights. If it is copyrighted then the text belongs to someone not God. The KJV says for John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only BEGOTTEN Son that whosoever believes in Him SHOULD NOT PERISH but have everlasting life.” the Lord Jesus is the only begotton Son of God. and no one should perish doesn’t some don’t perish just that they should not perish. A person that smokes should not keep on smoking. That doesn’t mean they will stop smoking. There is a choice to be made. KJV John 3:16 leaves room for a choice after one believes. NIV John 3:16 doesn’t leave room for a choice after one believes. NIV has a copyright meaning it belongs to someone and not God. KJV Romans 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written,
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Happy new year
March 21st, 2012 at 11:56 pm
I have never heard receiving Salvation explained quite like this. Thank you.
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