Religious Cults & False Prophets~ Discussions and DebatesCritical Identity of BaptismActually I have dealt with this question in my post, "Few Were Saved By Water" in a reply post on that thread. Whether one receives the baptism of the Holy Ghost prior to the water baptism or afterwards seems not to matter as far as God is concerned. Again, the grace of God seems to make an allowance for the order. In the account of Acts 10:44-48, the Holy Ghost fell on the believers right in the middle of Peter preaching. It is as if God decided they had heard enough and they were ready to receive the Holy Ghost. I have witnessesed this same pattern in real life as well. However, once it was evident that they did receive the Holy Ghost baptism, Peter immediately commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus. The fact that they were commanded to be water baptized indicates the necessity of it. Remember, the purpose of the water baptism is for the remission of sins. The outward physical manifestation is water but the spiritual manifestation is the applying of the blood. I agree with you. That is exactly the point I tried to make. I devoted an entire post, "Few Were Saved By Water" to make that point but you're the only one who got it so far who posted a reply. Repentance typifies death to the old Adam nature. It is a turning away from sin. However, that in itself does not address the remission of sins which water baptism addresses. Isaiah said all man's righteousness is as filthy rags. "Filthy rags" refers to used menstrual cloths (the ancient version of disposable maxipads), and no doubt being an offensive stinch in the nostrels of God. So then, if one repents without the blood of Jesus being applied and the righteousness imparted by the Holy Ghost, that person is not under grace but under Law. They are like a stinking corpse without a buriel and without a resurrection. They are in still in the flesh and those in the flesh cannot please God. (see Romans chapter 8). It is impossible to crucify the flesh to the degree required by God apart from the blood of Jesus (that cleanses and washes away all sin) and the power of Holy Ghost to change the sin nature. As a born again believer, I have no righteousness of my own to boast about. I am righteous because He is righteous. The Adam in me is dead and buried. The only life in me is the life of Holy Ghost. It is the submitting to the Spirit that takes effort and not allowing the flesh to dominate. The water baptism typifies the buriel. At the moment one is baptized the blood of Jesus is applied to wash away all sin, thus, the remission of sins. How one can bury the flesh apart from the application of the blood of Jesus is unthinkable. The spiritual journey of the sanctification process is another matter. That journey cannot begin until the new birth has taken place. It would be like a baby learning how to walk while still in their mother's womb.
When considering the man on the cross beside Jesus it must be taken into account that it happened prior to the birth of the Church. There is a similar account in the gospels when the beggar, Lazarus, died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom. There is no inference made to repentance in this case but it appears as a soveriegn act of mercy (Luke 16:20-22). Under the Old Covenant era there had to be a remedy for God to save people but under the New Covenant we are obligated by its terms. I would like to believe God has a remedy to save apart from the plan of salvation but that would not line up with the accounts since the birth of the Church. I am not willing to bet one's soul on a vague uncertainty. If there was an example like the two above recorded after the birth of the Church then I would accept it. |
🌈Pride🌈 goeth before Destruction
When 🌈Pride🌈 cometh, then cometh Shame