HeavensHound

I wouldn't want to get away baptism. It is my response to the gospel! I wouldn't make any more of it than that. To do so, is to miss the spirit of it.My focus is not on my obedience; it is on Jesus Christ! He is the only one who can finish what he started in me, Praise BE!

The body of Jesus Christ is all over the world and in many different orgainizations, denominations and don't forget the underground church! IMHO, it would be pride and arrogance to believe "we" are the only ones who are doing it right or that follow God in our baptisms and beliefs.

All of them. There is only one body. It is to be hid in Christ - not any one organization.

Sorry about that. My mistake. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

I believe in being baptized and I believe in Jesus Christ I believe baptism is similiar to marriage in its form of commitment, testimony and witnesses: · "Would you feel comfortable marrying someone who wanted to keep the marriage a secret? Neither does God. It's one thing to say in the privacy of your own heart that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. But it's quite another to walk out of the shadows and stand before family, friends, and colleagues to state publicly that Christ is your forgiver and master. This step raises the ante. Jesus commanded all His followers to prove it, to make the pledge, by public demonstration in baptism. In the New Testament, baptism was no casual custom, no ho-hum ritual. Baptism was, and is, 'a pledge made to God from a good conscience' --- 1 Peter 3:21, The Jerusalem Bible" (Max Lucado, Baptism: The Demonstration of Devotion, p. 3). · "Remove your shoes, bow your head, and bend your knees: this is a holy event. Baptism is not to be taken lightly. The event is a willing plunge of the body and soul into the promise and power of Christ. The ritual of washing signifies our admission that apart from Christ we are dirty, but in Christ we are pure. The ritual of burial signifies that we are willing to die to sin and self and that we can be made alive again because of Him. Baptism effectively seals our salvation, uniting us to Him and His body. Christ's death becomes my death. Christ's resurrection becomes my resurrection" (ibid, p. 5). God be prasied that we have been given such a "bold, daring and visible manner in which to demonstrate our faith in God"(reflection 65)

"The noted theologian F. W. Robertson went straight to the heart of the issue when he observed, "The baptismal question is this: Whether we are baptized because we are the children of God, or whether we are the children of God because we are baptized; whether we are to understand thereby that we are made something which we were not before -- magically and mysteriously changed, or, that we are made the children of God by baptism in the same sense that a sovereign is made a sovereign by coronation." Others have asked the same question, but with different illustrations. The wedding ceremony, for example. Is it a signed and stamped marriage certificate, duly recorded by a county clerk, that marks the moment of union between man and wife? Is it words pronounced by a minister in an official ceremony that joins the pair? Or is this public ceremony and its legal certificate simply a visible demonstration of a covenant already entered into by a man and woman deeply devoted to one another, and who had already pledged their commitment to one another for life? Is the former merely visible evidence of the latter? Or, does the latter not truly exist in reality until the completion of the former? These are questions that God's people have pondered for centuries, with good, honest, godly men strongly advocating both positions. Needless to say, both sides take their perspectives most seriously, with many regarding the matter to be a "salvation issue." Group #1 will condemn group #2 for diminishing the place of immersion in God's plan of salvation and proclaiming salvation by faith only, while group #2 will condemn group #1 for elevating the place of immersion in God's plan and proclaiming salvation by meritorious works of law. It is essentially the age-old battle of Law versus Grace, Works versus Faith, and, in most cases, neither side fully comprehends the position of the other, thus leading to ever increasing confusion, condemnation, and castigation. The reality is that both camps are probably closer to agreement on the issue than either realizes. Lack of communion is far too frequently simply a matter of lack of communication! Perhaps Max Lucado summed it up best when he wrote, "Our danger is to swing to one of two extremes: we make baptism either too important or too unimportant. Either we deify it or we trivialize it. One can see baptism as the essence of the gospel or as irrelevant to the gospel. Both sides are equally perilous" (Baptism: The Demonstration of Devotion, p. 1). There is absolutely no question as to the importance of baptism to God's plan of salvation for fallen man. It is an essential feature. It is vital. It should never be trivialized. However, neither should it be virtually deified as THE focus of God's plan. It is an aspect of that plan, but I would no more characterize it as the pivotal point than I would confession or repentance. Each of these is critical, but the CENTER of God's plan of salvation is JESUS CHRIST, with God's grace and man's faith being the two dominant characteristics that make this wondrous gift of salvation accessible to all." (Al Maxey)

By the way, being baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire is not a water baptism.

I believe that! They were given that authority, but we have also been given that authority. And it is not because we are worthy. It is because of what Christ has done for us.

There are many uses of the term "baptism" within the pages of the New Covenant writings. Thus, it is totally fallacious to assume they all have reference to water baptism. Jesus, by way of a singular example, spoke of a baptism He would soon experience, and which many of His disciples would experience as well [Mark 10:38-39; Luke 12:50]. This was an immersion into suffering and death, however, which had nothing to do with the rite of water baptism. Let us always remember those three essential rules of biblical interpretation: context, context, context!! It can prove to be a life saver ... literally! When the Holy Spirit plunges us completely and intimately into Jesus, we are so utterly immersed in Him that we are daily thereafter increasingly transformed into His character, overwhelmed with His grace, and endowed with His gifts. It is this immersion of which Paul speaks, NOT the rite of water baptism. It is an immersion performed BY the Spirit of God that incorporates us into the Son and thus not only unites us with Him, but also with all others who have been thusly incorporated by the Spirit into the Son. THEREIN is the basis of our unity and oneness!! Paul tells us that when this is our reality, we, in effect, have cast off our "old man" and have "put on the new self" who is being transformed into the very image of the One into whom we have been immersed -- "a renewal in which there's no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all" [Col. 3:10-11]. It is an immersion we dare not deny, and dare not diminish, both of which I believe we do when we seek to restrict the meaning of "immersion" in these passages to the rite of water baptism. Does this perception in any way whatsoever diminish the place of water baptism as a visible demonstration of faith; as an evidence essential to our faith response? Of course not. I am in no way suggesting such a thing. I am merely suggesting that perhaps we have misapplied the above passages in our zeal to prove a particular doctrine and practice that, frankly, if one is not careful, can be easily given improper emphasis and thereby abused. Water baptism most definitely has its place in the process that leads us to and evidences our union with Christ Jesus. I fear, however, that too many for too long have elevated it to such a place of distinction that the work of the Spirit has been all but forgotten, if not replaced altogether. This is dangerous, and such a practice really needs to be challenged. IMO, I personally find nothing within the Scriptures that suggests anyone's baptism is rendered void or invalid due to who or the words spoken prior to immersion by the one performing that act.

Joseph Smith’s teachings concerning priesthood makes up one of the very many differences between traditional Christianity also as it constitutes a special part of Latter-day Saint faith. The priesthood, according Latter-day Saints, has two specific meanings. 1) It is authority from God to act in his name, and 2) power to accomplish God’s purposes. Mormons believe Joseph Smith received such authority and power directly from God and that ordinances of the church performed without divine authority have no binding effect outside this life including or especially in baptism. According to traditional Chritianity we are all priest and have authority to excerise that preisthood through Christ. Rev 1:5And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. According to the Bible we don't have need that any man teach us and we have the authority and responsibility to try the spirits of what is being taught to us by any who claim God's authority. 1Jn. 2: 27But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. "Baptism is NOT a part of the Gospel message. Rather, it is one of the aspects of our response of faith TO the Gospel message. Baptism would fall under the category of Doctrine: critical teaching to which one who has heard the gospel must be immediately exposed so as to know how to respond to God's gracious offer contained in the Gospel. Salvation enters the equation in that God's gracious offer spurned results in condemnation. The "Gospel" is the message of what God has done for us through the gift of His Son's self-sacrifice for our atonement and redemption. Our response to that offer will determine our eternal fate. If we choose to accept that gift of life -- and baptism is a demonstration of that accepting faith -- then we shall receive immortality. If we refuse His gift, our fate will be an everlasting forfeiture of life. Thus, immersion is clearly NOT a part of the Gospel, but is rather an integral part of our response to it. In my opinion, baptizing someone is not about "authority" (especially not about the "authority" of the one performing it), rather it is simply an honor and privilege to help facilitate another's entrance into the One Body. We are all merely servants in that process; no one servant superior to another. Thus, there is no authority to usurp in simply immersing a penitent believer into Christ." (al maxey)

thanks

I will just be observing for now. Thanks HH:)