Baptism

[Rookieupgrade1]

our church does full immersion. Had one guy go in with mask snorkel and fins on......it was hillarious.

[Soldier4Christ]

From where is the power coming to receive Christ?  From Him, would be my answer.  Therefore you're still not doing anything for your salvation. 

You could say a vessel is receiving water when it is poured into it, but is the vessel doing anything?  No, it is the one who is pouring. 

If you truly believe you can accept Christ by your own decision and will, somehow that puts you a step above all the other sinners in the world.  You'e got some sort of advantage that they don't.  Why is it that you can see what they can't? 

The same thing could be said about your statement, what makes you sp special that God would give you a gift that he wouldn't give to any other sinner in the world.  The answer in both cases is nothing for God treats all men the same, He is no respecter of persons.

From where is the power coming to receive Christ?  From Him, would be my answer.  Therefore you're still not doing anything for your salvation.

Amen. Of which power He gives all men to either accept or to reject His wonderful gift as they so wish. God wants those that willingly  come to Him to worship Him. Not those that were forced in any way.

You could say a vessel is receiving water when it is poured into it, but is the vessel doing anything?

Your example is moot because you are talking about an inanimate object. Man is given a will by God. A will to accept or to reject a gift. If you are given a gift by someone else do you not have the ability to reject that gift or to graciously accept it? Yes you do. It is the same in the situation with God's wonderful gift of salvation. All men are the same, we all have the ability through the power that He has given us to accept or reject Him. We are no different He gives the exact same gift of Salvation to all men.

[Rookieupgrade1]

Pastor presented a message a couple weeks ago that may help.

in short

"Faith without works is dead"

When we accept Gods gift and a believe that our sin debt is paid, we are going to go to heaven. There is a point that we will be rewarded for our works. The issue here is that we can not gain acces to heave by works. Only Christ. We have a responcibillity to do certain things as believers....ie. works. Specifically the great commision, and that whole "love eachother as I have loved you" thing. If we act on this conmmand o our Saviour how can we not actually do "works" in His name for His glory?

If we do "works" without faith it is pointless. If we do "works" for our own benefit it is pointless. We do works for His glory. That is the only motivation. God did this amazing thing for ma and saved me from death........the least I can do is love others.......

I don't care if there are rewards. I can't see into the future to see what I am working for and honestly.....God said heaven is cool so thats all I need to know about it. He wants me to love people and help them to see that God loves them. So thats what I will try to do. If it is as simple as giveing somone the extra $50 I got from wherever than its gone.

It doesn't matter to me if I get to see the result.

Standing before the trone........to hear "well done good and faithfull servent" thats enough reward. If God is happy......I'm happy



As for the age of a child. As christian parents we are obligated to raise our children to follow God. The live by our xample and all children reach the age of realization at different times. We don't know when that is......God does. So we have to show them Gods way and salvation so that when they "realize" right and wrong they can be saved through faith and enter into the kingdom of heaven. up till that point the have a free pass. When they gain the knowlage of right and wrong they are at that point vulnerable.

[Ruth]

"All men are the same, we all have the ability through the power that He has given us to accept or reject Him."

You say we have the ability to accept Christ through the power He gives us.  That's my point!  It's not us accepting on our own, it's only because of His power!  It's His work.  And once again, what about the people who DON'T receive the power?  If it's only His power that allows us to choose Him, and the power isn't distributed to everyone, isn't that a form of predestination?

I could go back to my original point made by my theology prof that perhaps all people are saved just because Christ took away the sins of the world, but we can reject this salvation.  I'm not saying this is neccessarily the way it is, I'm saying it's something to think about.  

Regarding faith without works is dead...I believe it, because if you have faith, works will naturally follow.  God has given us the good works for us to do.  Good works are a sign that you have faith, they are not a prerequisite for having faith. 

[Ruth]

our church does full immersion. Had one guy go in with mask snorkel and fins on......it was hillarious.

Oh good.  Baptism should be hilarious.


Where in the New Testament does it say that children have a free pass into heaven until they can make a decision for Jesus?  I hate to bring this up again, but regarding faith, Jesus presented the ideal faith being that of a child's...A child who cannot decide for him or herself whether to believe in Jesus.  Isn't that saying something about how our faith is supposed to be and IS? 

[Soldier4Christ]

You say we have the ability to accept Christ through the power He gives us.  That's my point!  It's not us accepting on our own, it's only because of His power!  It's His work.  And once again, what about the people who DON'T receive the power? If it's only His power that allows us to choose Him, and the power isn't distributed to everyone, isn't that a form of predestination?

No it is not predestination. You have left out part of what was said. We have been given the ability to accept or reject. We have the ability to do either. All men have been given this power equally.  That is up to each individual to choose which way they go. God could put it into each and everyone of us to accept Him but He doesn't. He wants those with a willing heart. Therefore He has given all of us the ability to decide this on our own. To say otherwise is saying that God Himself has one person in respect over another and we know that this is not true.

[Ruth]

Romans 9:14-24 - "What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills."

    "You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honored use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory-- even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?"


Ephesians 1:3-14 - "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth."
   
"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."


John 15:16 - "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you."

[airIam2worship]

  It's not us accepting on our own, it's only because of His power!  It's His work.  And once again, what about the people who DON'T receive the power?  If it's only His power that allows us to choose Him, and the power isn't distributed to everyone, isn't that a form of predestination?[/quote/]

Ruth. God wants all men to come to Him, He wants ALL men to be saved. He has given every man a conscience, and whether  you believe it or not that is the Holy Spirit talking to us , God is always talking to us, to everyone, but not everyne listens for Him therefore they don't hear Him. He is calling every human being, HOWEVER, He has given us the ability of free will we can choose to answer His calling or we can choose to ignore His calling. God does not have a favorite we are all His creation, He has given us all the ability to receive salvation. He is NOT a respector pf persons. And He does not change. If God was a respector of persons I guarantee you that less than 99.99% of the world's population would be saved. But that is not how God is.

[Rookieupgrade1]

No it is not predestination. You have left out part of what was said. We have been given the ability to accept or reject. We have the ability to do either. All men have been given this power equally.  That is up to each individual to choose which way they go. God could put it into each and everyone of us to accept Him but He doesn't. He wants those with a willing heart. Therefore He has given all of us the ability to decide this on our own. To say otherwise is saying that God Himself has one person in respect over another and we know that this is not true.

Exactly, we have that free will that caused the whole originall sin to begin with. we always had the abilities God gave us. we had no choise in that at all. We have the choice to follow or stray.

Children don't have the knowlage of right and wrong untill we teach them. They follow our example until they become able to dicide for themselve. At that point they can follow or stray, their choice.


God can force us to follow but doen't want mindless zombies. He wants joyfull willfull obediance.

[Rookieupgrade1]

Oh good.  Baptism should be hilarious.

Where in the bible does it say that our faith is a morbid, solumn thing.

It doesn't make my brother in Christ less of a believer than anyone else because he has a sence of humor. Pastor posted a picture of it on our church web site. He must have not seen anything that took away from our brothers faith.

I belive it was David that wrote the psalms that speak of rejoicing in celebration of our faith

We should rejoyce in our salvation......not morn it

[nicole rork]

lol @ age of accountability

[airIam2worship]

Nicole welcome to CU, I hope you enjoy your visits with us. I am looking ofrward to more of your posts
In Christ,
Maria

[nChrist]

Brothers and Sisters,

The real and only TRUTH here is very simple:

The Holy Bible makes is exceptionally clear that Almighty God doesn't want any person to die in their sins without JESUS.

It should be obvious that GOD has the power to order whatever HE wants, but HE didn't. HE gives each man and each woman the choice to either accept or reject JESUS CHRIST as Lord and Saviour.

Some in this thread are grossly confusing predestination with GOD'S foreknowledge of all. GOD knew the number of hairs on our heads before the foundation of the world. YES, GOD knows who will accept and who will reject JESUS CHRIST as Lord and Saviour, and GOD knew this before the foundation of the world.

Nobody wanting to accept JESUS CHRIST as Lord and Saviour will be rejected - NOT ONE! Nobody will be forced to accept JESUS CHRIST as Lord and Saviour - NOT ONE!

ALMIGHTY GOD knew the time that each sparrow would fall out of the sky before the foundation of the world. There are many reasons why our CREATOR is known as ALMIGHTY AND ALL-POWERFUL, simply because HE is. GOD does love us, and HE wants us to return HIS love, but GOD won't force us to love HIM or accept HIM. HE could have made humans like robots with a love for HIM starting at birth, but HE didn't.

Many will even mock the things of GOD, and GOD will allow this. However, there will be a final JUDGMENT that won't be humorous at all, and that JUDGMENT will be for eternity. Bluntly, I feel very sorry for those who wish to laugh at GOD or the things of GOD. In the absence of repentance, their short laughter in this life will result in the fires of hell for eternity with the devil.

Thanks be unto GOD for HIS unspeakable GIFT!, JESUS CHRIST, our Lord and Saviour forever!

Love In Christ,
Tom

Psalms 119:11 NASB  Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.

[airIam2worship]

AMEN Brother, I couldn't have said it better myself.

[Ruth]

I don't look at it as God forcing salvation on anyone.  I look at it as Him loving us and saving us on His own accord, while we were still dead in trespasses, without anything of our doing, without any merit and worthiness in us.  

I believe what the verses say.  

Who's laughing at God or the things of God?  The only person who's mentioned anything humorous in this post is Rookieupgrade1.  

There is a proper distinction between Law and Gospel.  Your fire and brimstone proclamations aren't helping anyone in this thread.