| json_metadata | "{"app":"musing/1.1","appTags":["life","christian","musing","steem","steemit",""],"appCategory":"life","appTitle":"Can one enter the kingdom of God without being baptized?","appBody":"<p>I really like your question and it is a good one for all Christians. In the scriptures, two baptisms are mentioned. Baptism of water and Baptism of the holy spirit. You just mentioned baptism, so i will answer your question in this manner.</p><p>Without baptism(water and of the spirit) you cannot enter the kingdom of God.</p><p>This is established biblically in John 3:1-5 where a jewish teacher called Nicodemus approaches Jesus Christ seeking knowledge from the good master. Jesus Christ tells him unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus does not understand this and literally ask if a man can enter his mother's womb and be born again.</p><p>So, Jesus further breaks this down by saying except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.</p><p>So, we can conclude that to enter the Kingdom of God, you must be born of water(Water baptism) and of the spirit (Holy spirit baptism).</p><p>Water baptism is an essential and basic doctrine of Christianity established by Jesus Christ and his apostles. Rrad the bible and you will see that everyone who came to believe in Christ experienced these two baptisms. The 3000 people on pentecost, apostle paul himself, the ethopian eunuch, the disciples in Acts 19 etc.</p><p>It is only in this modern day Christianity that water baptism has been considered unnecessary yet the very Lord Jesus Christ in his last words to his disciples commanded to go and preach to all nations and when they have believed baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Hily spirit (Matt 28:19).</p><p>Saying water baptism is not necessary is like saying the last words of Jesus were not necessary yet he is the one to show us the way.</p><p>Even himself, demonstrated as an example to us that it was only after his water baptism that he cMe out of the waters and the holy spirit descended upon him and God acknowledged him in the midst of all and that was when his ministry here on earth started.</p><p>On the day of pentecost, Peter filled with the holy spirit uttered these words, repent snd be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and you wi receive the gift of the holy ghost. (Acts 2:38).</p><p>God is a holy God and he does not indwell just any vessel but that which had been cleansed snd is ready to receive him. In Acts 2:38, apostle Peter gives the reason to repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins so that you can receive the holy ghost.</p><p>Even in the house of cornelius in Acts 10, they received the holy spirit and then Peter commanded them to be baptized. If it was not necessary, why will people who have received the holy spirit already be water baptized again?</p><p>Scripture says we are baptized into his body; we don't repeat a prayer to be added to his body.</p><p>The command is preach and when they have believed ,baptize them. Why are we trying to ommit the baptismal part of it?</p><p>A popular scenario i see today is people asking people who have believed Christ to repeat a prayer and after which they are confirmed born again. Does this confirm with Jesus Christ's definition of being born again?</p><p>Born again = Baptism of water + Baptism of the spirit. (John 3:1-5).</p><p>Water baptism as an action does not save you, it is your faith in action that truly saves. If you don't truly believe and have faith in Christ as you obey his instruction of being baptized then you will only go in a dry sinner and come out a wet sinner. It is your faith in the act that truly saves.</p><p>So my dear, if you have not been baptized, go and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for that is the name by which all men can be saved. It will cost you nothing to do it and plus you have nothing to lose.</p><p>We will be judged from the word of God and it will be a terrible thing to assume it was not necessary when indeed it was..</p><p>Hope this helps and remain blessed.</p>","appDepth":2,"appParentPermlink":"p3cwm8vzw","appParentAuthor":"duchessrita","musingAppId":"aU2p3C3a8N","musingAppVersion":"1.1","musingPostType":"answer"}" |
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