James, I would say that I feel loss for anyone who truly seeks to follow Jesus who does not enjoy the wonderful experience of water baptism. It has remarkably changed so many people before my very eyes that certainly that is the last Christian symbolism I would mess with. First I would take carnal and rawkus rock bands and their rock concert Peavey amplification system out of the house of rock, and let it perhaps become something of the House of God again. Then probably I would have the band emersed in water quickly.
But seriously, and without dispute because its silly between believers, all I say is we should never in the slightest dissuade anyone from letting all that horrendous sin and guilt of things not done right wash away forever. And I am so very comfortable with Matthew
13-17. If you ever care to read it and run it through the Strongs to fully understand each word, then you will respect my feeling that if water baptism was good enough for Jesus, it sure was good enough for Grace.
Again, does not being emersed keep you out of Heaven in my eyes? The thought is ludicrous and of course not. It is just a way to very quickly separate the sinner from the desire for sin. It's like inner cleansing of the addictions of every kind. So I respect it and heartily suggest that everyone find a person they truly love and respect in the Lord and head for a warm creek.
My sincere feeling on the matter, and it has nothing to do with getting to Heaven, but perhaps it may make it a little easier to assure that the person does make it, and does not slowly return to their vomit as so many do because they don't have the wherewithall to stay away from it. That may be the reason it is there for those who care to take advantage of it. I personally received a very definite baptism of the Holy Spirit before I was emersed in water. So, it is obviously not necessary, but then I wasn't so bound up in sin that I was on my way to suicide like thousands of people who have come to the Lord in that state.
Also, washing filth incrusted feet and hands before ministering to the Lord just seems like something anything but a dumb beast would want to do, doesn't it? It is more in line with levitical laws of common health sense and decency, where really most of the hygeinic laws originated which prevented plagues from running rampant. That's just an idea, but I sure don't see clean feet and hands as a baptism. Isn't that a bit of a stretch? That was in fact one of the first things you did for a guest even in the pagan Arab world, was try to let him wash the filth and animal smell off his hands.
It just doesn't seem in itself a holy function. Is there something there I don't see?
Hummmmm. Well, that about clinches it for me. Just looked at Acts 2:38, where Peter preached and everyone was convicted and said what do we do now, and Peter says REPENT (key to baptism) and be baptised EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS
and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Then they THAT GLADLY RECEIVED HIS WORD WERE BAPTISTED (3000 THAT DAY).
I guess that's all the justification baptism really needs. Jesus and Peter are two men I truly trust. And since one of them is the very Son of God Himself, who was seen ascending to Heaven in a cloud-like manner, I feel He has the last word in anything.
Honestly, James, to argue against the beauty of baptism for others is probably not the best thing you can do for them, if you look at it through scripture.
:) |
