I was reading some of Jack Kelley's blog this morning and although I love his understanding and love of the Holy Bible and how he believes it is the inspired word of God, I question his stand on the issue of when we receive the Holy Spirit, is it at the moment of belief?, at the moment of repentance?, at the moment of confession?, or as Peter says in Acts 2:38 we are baptised for the remission of sins and to recieve the gift of the Holy Spirit?. (emphasis mine)
How many wonderful believers strain at the gnat of 'is baptism required for salvation' to swallow the camel of well 'Jesus said that unless you were born of women and born of the spirit you can't be saved.'
John 3:5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth,11 unless a person is born of water and spirit,12 he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
What kind of logic is that? Surely one saved or not must be born, have a mother, before he could hear and believe the gospel to be saved, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
And, the question of the thief on the cross, not being baptised, doesn't even deserve discussion, of course he is saved, Jesus himself said it to him. So too I believe that all who Jesus told that their faith saved them, if they died before Peter used his keys to unlock the Kingdom at Pentecost and the household of Cornelius, which by the way was necessary for the unity of the church and stop the Judiasers (another lesson for another time maybe); those whom Jesus said their faith had saved them, if they preceded Him in death, I believe met Him in Paradise on the day of his death on the cross. He did however tell the Jewish believers to go and keep the Law as they were still bound by the Law. (another lesson, another time maybe).
But so many great preachers and teachers are bound that there's nothing we can do to 'earn' salvation or nothing we can do to lose it once we have been given the free gift. I'm not, here, going to argue that we can lose it when we are saved, just wonder if we somehow lose our free will at salvation? (another lesson, another time maybe); I just want to examine what baptism is about in the act of being saved. Jesus did say that the only work on earth is to believe God's word...He also said to Peter that I will give you the keys to the Kingdom and what you bind on Earth will be bound in Heaven and what you loose on Earth will be loosen in Heaven ..........
So when did Peter use those keys? At Pentecost (the birthday of Jesus Christ's Church) Peter was asked what must I do to be saved? He said "Repent and be Baptised, for the remission of sins to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit". Then again at the household of Cornelius he loosed the Judaic requirements by allowing water immersion baptism to the Gentiles.
Praise the Lord I didn't have to submit to the Jewish Torah as a requirement to be a part of Christ's church here on Earth!!
These verses alone should put an end to the question; and yes, we must be baptised into Jesus Christ to put on Christ (Holy Spirit) and we must continue living under his commands. The Apostle Paul in Romans tells us that very thing; that at baptism we are buried with Christ to arise and walk in newness of life. We die to our old self (repentance), are buried in the watery grave of baptism and arise to walk a new life (with the Holy Spirit guide).
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase? 6:2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 6:3 Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.16:5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection.26:6 We know that3 our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us,4 so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 6:7 (For someone who has died has been freed from sin.)5
Is it true that salvation is a free gift of God? Yes!
Can we do anything that will make Him take away this gift? No!
Can we do anything to earn this gift? No!
Must we make a concious effort to keep the faith and live holy lives? Yes!
Are we able to live sinless lives after salvation? No!
Can we make a concious decision to take ourselves out of his Grace? Another question for another lesson) I don't know for certain, our God is a Awesome God and able to do whatever He wants, not limited by time and space, eternal in his love and vengeful in His wrath ...it is impossible, having once known his grace; if one returns as a dog to it's vomit or a pig to it's wallow; to once again regain his glory (pray's paraphrase, certainly not inspired). Jack Kelly and I have a different take on if the warning is concerning the false teachers or those who hear about the false teachers. In either case, someone knew the blessing of salvation and fell away..
How many wonderful believers strain at the gnat of 'is baptism required for salvation' to swallow the camel of well 'Jesus said that unless you were born of women and born of the spirit you can't be saved.'
John 3:5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth,11 unless a person is born of water and spirit,12 he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
What kind of logic is that? Surely one saved or not must be born, have a mother, before he could hear and believe the gospel to be saved, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
And, the question of the thief on the cross, not being baptised, doesn't even deserve discussion, of course he is saved, Jesus himself said it to him. So too I believe that all who Jesus told that their faith saved them, if they died before Peter used his keys to unlock the Kingdom at Pentecost and the household of Cornelius, which by the way was necessary for the unity of the church and stop the Judiasers (another lesson for another time maybe); those whom Jesus said their faith had saved them, if they preceded Him in death, I believe met Him in Paradise on the day of his death on the cross. He did however tell the Jewish believers to go and keep the Law as they were still bound by the Law. (another lesson, another time maybe).
But so many great preachers and teachers are bound that there's nothing we can do to 'earn' salvation or nothing we can do to lose it once we have been given the free gift. I'm not, here, going to argue that we can lose it when we are saved, just wonder if we somehow lose our free will at salvation? (another lesson, another time maybe); I just want to examine what baptism is about in the act of being saved. Jesus did say that the only work on earth is to believe God's word...He also said to Peter that I will give you the keys to the Kingdom and what you bind on Earth will be bound in Heaven and what you loose on Earth will be loosen in Heaven ..........
So when did Peter use those keys? At Pentecost (the birthday of Jesus Christ's Church) Peter was asked what must I do to be saved? He said "Repent and be Baptised, for the remission of sins to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit". Then again at the household of Cornelius he loosed the Judaic requirements by allowing water immersion baptism to the Gentiles.
Praise the Lord I didn't have to submit to the Jewish Torah as a requirement to be a part of Christ's church here on Earth!!
These verses alone should put an end to the question; and yes, we must be baptised into Jesus Christ to put on Christ (Holy Spirit) and we must continue living under his commands. The Apostle Paul in Romans tells us that very thing; that at baptism we are buried with Christ to arise and walk in newness of life. We die to our old self (repentance), are buried in the watery grave of baptism and arise to walk a new life (with the Holy Spirit guide).
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase? 6:2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 6:3 Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.16:5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection.26:6 We know that3 our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us,4 so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 6:7 (For someone who has died has been freed from sin.)5
Is it true that salvation is a free gift of God? Yes!
Can we do anything that will make Him take away this gift? No!
Can we do anything to earn this gift? No!
Must we make a concious effort to keep the faith and live holy lives? Yes!
Are we able to live sinless lives after salvation? No!
Can we make a concious decision to take ourselves out of his Grace? Another question for another lesson) I don't know for certain, our God is a Awesome God and able to do whatever He wants, not limited by time and space, eternal in his love and vengeful in His wrath ...it is impossible, having once known his grace; if one returns as a dog to it's vomit or a pig to it's wallow; to once again regain his glory (pray's paraphrase, certainly not inspired). Jack Kelly and I have a different take on if the warning is concerning the false teachers or those who hear about the false teachers. In either case, someone knew the blessing of salvation and fell away..
22:17 These men63 are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm, for whom the utter depths of darkness64 have been reserved. 2:18 For by speaking high-sounding but empty words65 they are able to entice,66 with fleshly desires and with debauchery,67 people68 who have just escaped69 from those who reside in error.70 2:19 Although these false teachers promise71 such people72 freedom, they themselves are enslaved to73 immorality.74 For whatever a person succumbs to, to that he is enslaved.75 2:20 For if after they have escaped the filthy things76 of the world through the rich knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,77 they78 again get entangled in them and succumb to them,79 their last state has become worse for them than their first. 2:21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment that had been delivered to them. 2:22 They are illustrations of this true proverb:80 “A dog returns to its own vomit,”81 and “A sow, after washing herself,82 wallows in the mire.”83
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