Giving your Heart away
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Posted:Oct 19, 2010 10:12 am
Last Updated:Jun 18, 2011 3:38 pm 66995 Views
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Giving your Heart away
by Dennis Thompson
There are times in life that are so defining. What happens when you have a mentor that has loved you through thick and thin....helped you fight battles and grow. Then the day comes where you align yourself a little differently. People assure you that your mentor can not be right on because they do not line up with mans ideas of things. Yet when closely looked at if you were mature. they were right after all.
I had this happen to me when I first received Christ. My friend Chuck that led me to the Lord tried to dissuade me from choosing a denominational stance that was different than what he had. I chose a path of holding onto and seeking after the power of God... what he could do for me in life instead of embracing his greatest gift to me in life. His Love. When you get involved with this type of stuff you tend to think it is most important and you protect it for all it is worth. You can spend decades in this life of seeking his power and what he could do. Then one day, you are all alone. You realize something is indeed missing. It has always been in front of your nose. It is Love. God tells us we can experience all things. Be great at all things and if we do not have Love, it is all for not. How true.
So I said on that day about 10 years ago. Where am I Lord? What am I really doing. I have done all that the leadership has said to do and all I have when I am alone is this emptiness. Why? I have given all to my beliefs. He impressed upon me that day to forget all that i had learned with the exception of who Jesus is. I then began a journey for truth and the real teacher, the Holy Spirit began to teach me. Mans' opinions no longer mattered. I started to allow him to teach me. Many things he has taught me over the years are so precious. It also conflicted with what many men wished to believe. Then as time went on, I found out many people were learning the very same things. Everyone I met was excited about the Gospel of grace we were learning. Of course the big argument was always...Grace is just a license to sin. The real truth is people will do what they are going to do anyway. The real truth is the law makes people "sin" if they try and keep it as their justification before God.
Christians are only justified because of what Jesus did. All things pertaining to our Christian walk is found in... because of what Jesus did. Our lives are about allowing God to live through us, not in trying to avoid sin. If we allow God to live through us, which is our strength....then what wrong will we do? People, its about relationship. When you have friends, and family...is your thoughts confined to trying never to offend them...or is it about the love in the fellowship of the relationship? Thats right we live. This is what God wants most from us. First to abide and secondly to use our gifting to have that abundant life he says we "can" have. We will find his will for our lives in the passions and gifting he has given us. Its a journey, not a burden. God Bless!!!
*written in honor of my dear friend Deb Kenny and the inspiration she is to so many.
we could learn a lort from the Seals and how they live and play together
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of and not in, why spin?
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Posted:Oct 17, 2010 8:02 am
Last Updated:Oct 19, 2010 3:15 pm 67248 Views
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If you live in this world long enough you will want to find ways to cope with life on this earth. As a youngster we will watch cartoons. The more they are filled with fantasy the more they are liked. Space Ghost and the great adventures in space. Johnny Quest and his adventures in other lands where most of us could only dream of. There were many.
I can understand why, the world without Jesus. Without him there is no hope.Mans hope, which is blown in the wind, and then there is God's hope that withstands any storm that life has to offer.It is sustaining and true. Always offered to all,sadly chosen by few. But that is what this world is made of...choices. So does one hide, or do they live?
There is a huge difference between being spiritual, being real and being "religious". The Spiritual is a real connection between you and your creator. The one true God. The one who made a bridge between us an him in the form of Jesus. What a wonderful gift that is transcendent between two worlds. His and ours. Then there is religion that speaks of what to do and what not to do in order to be acceptable to God and also the people of the belief system. The big difference is that in the Spiritual, in Christianity, Jesus lives through you. In Religion, you try and live like someone in your own power such as how you think Jesus or some mortal man placed in mans eyes as a god such as Buddha.
This life as I see it is a gift. It has purpose. It is filled with blessings, joy and pain and in some cases tragedy. In each case resides that old "choice". How do we react. How does it effect us? Do we take on life by the proverbial horns or do we create a alternative mindset that allows us to get into a fantasy world that seems to make this world easier to accept? There are many ways to do that. Loneliness is a very hard thing to deal with. Do we take it head on or do we just find ways to easy the pain?
The bible says that we are the bride of Christ as born again believers. Yes it is true. But we also have this real world to live in. A world that can have it's share of abundant joy. Many may think of this dream mate that has this long list of pearls about them that make this person so perfect. When I see people make these lists. I often wonder, well... just what do you bring to the table? Is it balanced to the list that you desire? If you want a buff hunk or a great body on a lady, are you in shape yourself. if you want kindness, are you kind? The list of mirror-ism is long. be real.
Are you living if the fantasy world is so much better and easier to access than the real? I see people claiming to be married to Jesus. I cringe when I hear that. God resides in you in the form of the Holy Spirit. To teach you all things and comfort you. But what good is this if you do not translate this into the real world. We can say we are not in this world, but the last I checked, if you do not pay your rent or mortgage, you have no place to live. Ignore the utilities and they are shut off. Its reality.
The word says perfect love casts out all fear. Why do we fantasize ? Because the real world can be painful. Jesus told us not to fear the things of the world. Why? because he says he has overcome the world. In life, if you want to be an electrician or a hair stylist you go to school to learn how to properly perform these positions. The same is true in relationships and the hope of one. You step outside of yourself and prepare. From getting in shape, taking care of yourself to honing who you are, so it can match up with what you want in life. Hope.... it transcends all fears.
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who is our worst enemy?
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Posted:Oct 12, 2010 5:10 am
Last Updated:Oct 13, 2010 11:11 am 65887 Views
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Who is our worst enemy?
by Dennis Thompson
Perhaps some would point to friends who were once trusted. Others maybe would say it is a government run a muck. Others would say that family members who do not treat them with the respect that they feel is due them. Then of course to many Christians they would point to Satan as he has cunning plans to destroy them and is always tempting them. The old adage for them, "the Devil made me do it". Really?
I really believe that we are our own worst enemy. Life is full of choices. If you are a born again believer in Jesus, the bible tells us that we have right and wrong written in our hearts. So, we are aware. Apostle Paul wrote that we can do all things, but not all things are profitable. You can allow yourself to be in a compromising position. I am sure everyone has, whether it is sexual, a business opportunity or just allowing yourself to be in a position of choosing when you know inside that its' not good.
Positive attitudes will only get you so far. Placing an anchor on your feet, where you will not be moved is essential in decision making. Going a long with the crowd is never going to allow you to be the person you were created to be. We all fail at something. That's ok, but when you fail in some areas, the consequences have ramifications that can affect you the rest of your lives.
In the field of love, you can be manipulated in many ways. You only have one reputation. There are many emotions, many consequences. Is it worth it? Do they really love you? Love that lasts is not found in a feeling that comes and goes. It is found in commitment to always try and do what is best for the other person.
Plenty of people live together. The biggest issue I have with that is, the guy somehow is looked at as he is kool. He is doing it. But the woman is looked at as loose. Dishonored. it the guy really loved the woman. he would never wish to have her looked down upon by society. he doesn't love her deeply. He may love her, but he comes first over her in his heart.
Love is patient, it is kind. It does not seek itself. Love really is not natural in a fallen world. The world seeks its own, states if it feels good, do it. But love is not like that. Love protects the object of its desire. Whether it is a Mom and Dad protecting their or it is an act of kindness towards another human.
Yet when we choose selfishness over righteous living, it is our fault. It is never worth it, and we know it is wrong. It is our fault. No one elses' . Just ours. God is indeed the God of second chances and thirds and fourths...but actions have repercussions in many instances. Once we become responsible for ourselves we think more. If your parents gave you a car, the chances are good that the day you bought your own, you became much more responsible for the one that you earn.
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in the middle of the night
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Posted:Oct 10, 2010 2:28 pm
Last Updated:Jun 18, 2011 3:54 pm 65769 Views
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In the middle of the night
by Dennis
Its been unusually chilly here in Central Florida. Something drastic for me has happened since last December. Something new to deal with in life. Aches. Today my wrists hurt. My shoulders hurt...my knees and ankles. Fortunately my hips are OK. I have never really understood why people thought the so called golden years were something to look forward to.
I see many retired people working at fast food restaurants and grocery stores to supplement their incomes. Where is the rest? The certainty? The peace for their futures. Life is a lot like those commercials about life coming at you fast. There is a lot of truth to that. One day your are toddlers and the blur until you see them in a cap and gown and even weddings and grand .
So I wake up today, once again reminded that I am no longer bullet proof. Things which were once limited in how they could control me physically now mock me. My aches and pains are very minute to someone who has lost a limb or is incapacitated in some way. They are just the thorn of aging. It is not like my mind is going. That would feel like a huge entrapment in life. Who really knows what goes on inside the people who have lost their memory.
It is interesting what each person values in life. You will see it in their everyday existence. If it is family, it shows. If it is what they have in possessions, that will show as well. My mom always told me, things can be replaced and people can not. How true. The bible says where your heart is, there will your treasure be as well.
I am thankful above all that God has blessed me with, my . He is my treasure on this earth. Many times people place these vast values monetarily on things such as Diamonds, Cars and Homes. They have a price and people sometimes stand in Amazement about it. The sad amazement for me is when they put possessions above family and friends. My is priceless to me.
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Is it really God's Bar we raise?
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Posted:Oct 8, 2010 4:59 am
Last Updated:Jul 12, 2011 3:06 pm 68027 Views
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In the early Christian Church after Christ had given atonement for the sin of the world, there sprung up an interesting dilemma that reigns even today. With the death and resurrection also came the birth of Christianity. A new Covenant that replaced the old one, and not only that made the way for all mankind to have a personal relationship with God. Before it was only the Jews and their relationship was works based and one where they did this and God did that. But this old Covenant was now faith based on Grace provided by Jesus. So the Jewish people had to set down their justification by law keeping and know they were justified because of what the messiah had done.
Then there were the gentiles. Non-Jews. They had always been on the outside looking in. Over the centuries they had bought into many forms of humanistic type teachings. The most common was the Gnostic. They did not believe that they had any sin that separated them. Everything was relative in life to them. So there were many hurdles when they started attending the Church of Christ. There were many many hurdles for the Jews as well.
I say this because in today's world the same issue comes into play. People who receive Christ are immediately led into whatever denomination that the people were that led them to receiving Christ. They get plugged into not only that theology, but also a certain expectations of their actions from that point forward. Yes when we receive Jesus we are a new creation in Christ. Yes the Holy Spirit now resides in us, and yes we have the mind of Christ. Old things do pass away. However we also have a flesh that will always be a hindrance to us, Paul's thorn perhaps.
Some people's transformations are indeed outstanding and heart warming. Some people are ready to run away from their pasts. Others are not and it takes them time. Does this make them any less a believer if they struggle? Or does it make them perhaps a believer that needs encouragement and not condemnation. Remember, God desires to transform us into Christ and not into what man thinks they ought to be.
I have heard so many people in life, who have this idea that they can not trust Christ as savior because they know they would just fail God. Little do they know that the whole world fails and that is one of the major reasons Jesus came. But when they see people putting pressure on other people to be this or be that, then they see their inadequacies at a whole new level. It can be so intense that they see themselves at even a worse level. Not Good, and really what Satan wants for them, feeling there is no hope really for them.
Diamonds are considered a thing of not only great value, but also of natural beauty. They did not just exist, they were formed through many years of constant pressure. But the end result is the product that most women want on their wedding bands as they appreciate the product. No one wants a half formed diamond.
The great thing is, the bible says that Jesus is not only the author, but the finisher of every Christian's faith. Not us. It says that it is God's Goodness and Kindness that brings us to Repentance . We begin to love him because we realize he first loved us. It goes deeper. Jesus said, I no longer call you servants, but friends. Isn't That awesome??!! Think about it? Paul stated it was no longer he living, but Jesus living through him. He experienced the life of abiding. The same one Jesus had when he said the words I have, are not my words but the fathers. The same with the miracles, the father doing them through Jesus. That is the whole Christian life, Jesus living through you. Simple. Pressure's off.
However when we place a high bar on people with little experience in things of the spirit, then we take everything from a faith based belief system and make it a chore that no person has ever been able to handle except Jesus. Would you want someone to do that to you? I have experienced the loss of loved ones in life. I have experienced divorce. Both were out of my control. I made a decision though, to trust God beyond my personal pain.
In both instances and also other circumstances that have been painful in life has brought forth my own form of diamond. Wisdom to share with others experiencing the pains of failing or failed marriages. Hope for others that you indeed can make it to the other side. The ability to mourn with those who lose loved ones. We can either become a form of a diamond and embrace the Lord through circumstances, or we can remain the coal instead. It is hard, but Jesus told us to embrace his burdens while letting go of our own because his load is light. Cast your cares upon him, because he cares about you. Allow him to bring people along as he writes their story of faith.
Be Blessed
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How hard is that?
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Posted:Oct 7, 2010 2:08 pm
Last Updated:Oct 8, 2010 11:17 am 67389 Views
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Each day when I get up, I am thankful for another day. The first presence I am aware of is God tugging at my heart. So from that point I may ask a few questions but I do a lot of listening in my spirit. I am but a flawed imperfect person who sometimes does well and sometimes blows it. But I do try and allow the opportunity for God to live through me each day.
Some may say, but don't you put on the full armor of God? If you look at what each part of that is, righteousness, peace, truth etc. It is simply saying here Jesus, you live through me today. He is after all the Prince of peace, he is our righteousness as we are righteous before God because of what he did. The word states that we as believers have the mind of Christ. We renew it in daily fellowship with him. He is the word, so he is our sword of thee spirit. It is simple. We trusted him to save us and forgive us. What changes from day to day? Nothing. It is all about trust.
There are no promises, just that he will be with us no matter what we endure. Good or bad. He does have a plan for our lives. Sometimes those plans never take place. It is usually because we get so caught up in what we want in life. The Gospel is simple. It is free. It is not this secret that needs to be revealed only by some televangelist if you send money to them and boom! They send you some teaching tape. It is not found in a building where some man is speaking.
It is found in the intimacy of you and the Holy Spirit taking time together. Imagine, God indwelling in you because of your belief in who Jesus is and what he did. That Holy Spirit is there to comfort you and to teach you all things.What else do we need in the arena of understanding ? Who do we trust? Men, or the Spirit of the God we say we believe in, that actually dwells inside us. It is simple and yet men always complicate it.
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what ya gonna do when it runs wild on you?
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Posted:Oct 5, 2010 8:56 am
Last Updated:Jul 12, 2011 3:11 pm 70415 Views
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If you believe in end times, a one world Government and all, where is your heart? Is it prepared to take on all the injustices being perpetrated now? many people are kicking and screaming as they "read" about laws being put in place, illegal appointments in Czars, the onslaught against God and our rights that were once part of our citizenship in America. Maybe this is the time of the One World Governments blooming. maybe it is not, but many things point in that direction.
If the Jewish People knew who Jesus was, would he have ever been sacrificed for the atonement of mankind? I do not think so. It is also curious that the bible said the very chosen people he was sent for would totally reject him, despite him matching everything prophesied about his coming. its like God inflicted blindness. That could very well come into play right now.
Saul on that Damascus road thought that he was doing the right thing by persecuting Christians even to the point of having them killed. Then the bright light appears and a voice speaks to him....Saul, Saul...why do you persecute me? The voice went on to say Saul you are kicking against the goads. Now, should we just accept what is happening? No, I think our responsibility is to fight against evil. To try and raise up good people in government. But we also must go to a place inside us where we say, your will be done God. Where yo take me I will go.
Thousands, if not more have been Martyr's for Jesus over the centuries. Who are we to think either that may happen, or we just may lose all of our rights as people. It has happened in many countries and is. Many Countries have Muslims killing and mutilating Christians for no reason other than the fact they are Christians. Why did not God spare them their lives? I do not have the answers, but I do know God doesn't love those people any less than he loves me. It's life. Life is not fair, it never has been and never will be.
Choose you this day who you will serve. I am not using this as an ultimatum. I am simply saying we all need to purpose it in our hearts that God is our source and no matter what the future holds, we have a special place inside us that praises him no matter the circumstances we may face. I have seen a lot of people who seem to think if God doesnt do everything they want, they look for a different God. So who is God when it is like that?
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whats up with all the sin?
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Posted:Oct 2, 2010 4:49 pm
Last Updated:Jun 18, 2011 3:47 pm 66096 Views
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Our original sin did separate us from God. There was an answer to that. Jesus atonement on the cross. One thing I have never understood is the ongoing a fixation with sin in people's hearts and minds.
He has written right and wrong on our hearts in the New Covenant man has; once we believe on him. Unless you are Jewish, you were never made righteous by "law keeping" to begin with.
We are righteous as believers because of what Jesus did.. So why the focus being on the straight and narrow when the only one able to ever complete that is Jesus? What did Jesus say?
He said to love the Lord Your God with all of your heart, your mind and your being.
He said to Love your neighbor as yourself.
He stated that he is the vine and we are the branches, abide in him. This means allow life to pass from him to you, in essence he living through you...and Paul stated, It is no longer he living, but Christ living through him
Yet we concentrate on things that we can fail on in our own strength, when in his strength we can have life abundantly...
Amen
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What Really is Water Baptism?
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Posted:Sep 28, 2010 10:29 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2026 1:39 am 66850 Views
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Water Baptism
by Thomas Jefferson Conant
Water baptism is a symbolic burial, by which the new Christian publicly declares they have died, and are now beginning a new life, in Christ.
Baptize is the English form of a Greek word which means to immerse: to place something into something else.
In Christian water baptism, the believer is put completely under water, then immediately raised out of the water.
Water baptism is a statement of faith: my old life is behind me -- I am a new person, with a new life.
Water baptism is a sign of repentance -- repentance means change -- a change so drastic that the old person is "buried."
It does not make you acceptable to God. As a work of righteousness, trying to obtain a good standing with God, it is worthless.
Water baptism is a way of giving testimony to what has happened inwardly, and a clear commitment to turn from the old life.
For Your Benefit
Water baptism outwardly demonstrates what has happened inwardly. Water baptism helps you to grasp the reality of the spiritual truth that the old "you" has died.
Water baptism is only as important as the participant believes it to be. Water baptism is their confession, and a public commitment. Unless the person really believes they died, there is no need for a burial.
It is not something we must do to impress God, but something to impress on our mind what happened to us inwardly. Water baptism is for our benefit -- not God's.
Meaning Of The Word Baptize
T. J. Conant in his book, The Meaning And Use Of Baptizein,1 after an exhaustive examination of the Greek word baptizein in Greek literature, concludes that the English word immerse is the best word to translate it.
Conant tells us, "The word `baptize' is an Anglicized form of the Greek BAPTIZEIN."
He says immerse is the English word that "precisely" makes known to us the same meaning as BAPTIZEIN did "to those who first heard and read the Gospel in Greek."
In all the available Greek literature, both secular and religious, Conant found no example in which the word baptizein had any other meaning.
Conant reports that it was a common, secular word, used in the daily affairs of life, to express the most familiar acts and conditions.
Baptizein was a daily household word. Whenever the idea of total submergence was to be expressed, whether literally or metaphorically, baptizein was the word used.
As you read the Bible, mentally translating the word baptize to the word immerse will greatly help your understanding. Not every time the word baptize or baptism is used in the Bible refers to water baptism.
Burial After Death
Water baptism is about death -- your death. ("Death" is the end of something.) Water baptism is your public declaration of your death. It is a public confession of faith: I have died to my old life and my old ways.
By being baptized in water you are saying that you have died to sin, selfishness, and the world's ways. Water baptism is a public burial of the old life.
By asking for burial, you declare that you believe something has died. There is no need for a burial without a death.
Burial is not absolutely required, but is recommended as the best course of action. So, generally, those who receive Jesus Christ should normally be baptized in water.
In the book of Acts, water baptism always seemed to be done without delay. Although burial can take place at any time, the best time is immediately after death has been confirmed.
Clean Break With The Past
As we are baptized in water, we are in effect saying goodbye to our old life (self), and saying hello to a new creation who is IN Christ Jesus.
Because of death you are free from your old master the devil; now you have a new Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.
A major benefit to the believer is the clean break that water baptism makes with their past. When the devil brings temptations and accusations concerning their old life -- the believer can reply, "That person is dead and buried. I am a new person in Christ."
Water baptism is a point of separation, dividing the old from the new. It says the past is dead and gone -- drawing a clear line between the old life and the new, graphically imprinted on the mind of the believer.
Jesus' Baptism
Why was Jesus baptized in water? He was, and is, our pattern. And, in a sense, He was, at that point, dying to His past life.
From that point, His first allegiance would no longer be to earthly relatives. ("Who is My mother, or My brothers?" Mark 3:31-35.) Jesus would no longer be a carpenter. He was beginning His public ministry.
Jesus was declaring that He was dead to any selfishness and existed solely to do the will of the Father God.
A Picture Sermon
Because it illustrates the central message of the Gospel, water baptism should be a tool for teaching and evangelism. Water baptism should help people understand the spiritual truths being proclaimed.
Water baptism pictures the most fundamental truths of the Gospel: the burial and resurrection of Christ, and of the believer in union with Him.
By means of water baptism, we demonstrate to the world our identification with the crucified and risen Christ.
By water baptism we testify that our old life is gone, and we are now joined with Jesus. We are pledging ourselves to a new life, with Jesus Christ Who died for us and rose again.
Water baptism also acknowledges that the person being immersed is indeed a Christian believer.
So, all who baptize should question converts, just as Philip did in Acts 8:37, to be sure of their commitment to Christ, before immersing them in water. Only those who accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ should be baptized in water.
Which Formula Of Words?
MATTHEW 28:19 NKJ
19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the and of the Holy Spirit,
ACTS 2:38 NKJ
38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Some people place great importance on certain words being spoken when a person is baptized in water. This is all religious tradition with no real meaning whatsoever.
"In the name of Jesus" can mean by the authority and command of Jesus. Colossians 3:17 tells us our every word and deed should be in the name of the Lord Jesus. Certainly, Colossians 3:17 does not mean we have to continually say, "I do this, or say this, in the name of Jesus."
Claiming that certain words must be said at the time of water baptism, or that only certain special people can truly baptize you in water, makes water baptism into a magical rite -- a work of man trying to be right with God.
The words spoken by the person baptizing you in water will not save you, or condemn you. Water baptism is not some magic ritual which makes you right with God. Water baptism is a testimony and picture-sermon of what God did in you.
Even if no words are spoken over you during your water baptism, it is still a picture of burial and resurrection. Specific words are not what is important, but the attitudes and faith of the people involved are what matters.
When baptizing new believers, saying something like, "In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I baptize you into the Name of the Father, the , and the Holy Spirit," is probably best. Then the devil cannot tempt them to think they were not baptized in the right name.
Must You Be Baptized To Be Saved?
In Luke 23:39-43, we have the record of one of the criminals crucified with Jesus acknowledging Him as Lord.
LUKE 23:43 NKJ
43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
Jesus told the criminal he would be with Him in Paradise, even though he was not baptized in water.
Also, in Acts 10:44-48, Cornelius' household became believers, received the Holy Spirit, and began speaking in tongues, before being baptized in water.
According to Jesus (John 7:38-39, Mark 16:17), receiving the Holy Spirit happens only to those who are believers, and therefore saved.
So, we must conclude that these believers were born again, and ready for Heaven, before they were baptized in water.
TITUS 3:5 NKJ
5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
We are not saved by works of righteousness that we do. Many think, wrongly, of water baptism as a work that must be done to be right with God.
EPHESIANS 2:8-9 NKJ
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
If water baptism was necessary for salvation, then salvation would partly be by works, and not by grace.
1 CORINTHIANS 1:17 NKJ
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
The apostle Paul, who received the Gospel direct from the risen Lord Jesus, said he was not sent to baptize. If water baptism was necessary for salvation, that would not make any sense.
MARK 16:16 NKJ
16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
What about Mark 16:16? Obviously, if water baptism was required for salvation, that requirement would be made clear throughout the New Testament -- and it is not. Mark 16:16 could mean, "believes to the point of publicly confessing, by the act of water immersion." Or, it could mean, "believes and is placed in Christ."
We should also note that the passage in question does not say, "He who believes and was baptized will be saved." Only a present tense baptism guarantees a person's salvation. That is to say: those who are IN CHRIST now, are saved.
Salvation cannot be dependent on physical surroundings -- such as water being present for baptism -- there are too many situations where water baptism would be impossible.
Those who make this error do so because the word baptize was not translated and understood. Therefore, they think every mention in Scripture of the word baptize refers to water -- which is not true.
Baptism in water is not necessary for salvation, but is beneficial for the believer. Water baptism provides a good foundation, if understood correctly.
Summary
The main points to remember about water baptism are:
* It does not make you a Christian, or right with God. It is only a symbolic act with no power to save you.
* It is a testimony of what has already happened inwardly in the believer -- the death of their old life.
* Certain formulas of words are not vital.
* It is complete immersion into water.
* It is best done publicly.
* It should be done only by someone old enough to understand what they are doing.
* It should be done only by those who have received the Lord Jesus Christ and are committed to Him.
Should you be baptized in water? Yes, if you understand clearly what you are doing, and sincerely mean what baptism signifies.
Otherwise, you should not be baptized in water, because it will do you no good whatsoever. Water baptism could even harm you by giving you false hope.
_________________
1The Meaning And Use Of Baptizein, Thomas Jefferson Conant, ©1977
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Loves Union, by Malcolm Smith
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Posted:Sep 28, 2010 10:03 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2026 1:39 am 66475 Views
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LOVE’S UNION
Eternal life is participating in the limitless and unconditional love of God.
"And this is eternal life that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.” John 17:3
The verb “to know” in the Scripture means to know intimately, it describes love’s union – it is often used to describe the marriage relationship. Eternal life is not something that is reserved for endless times at the end of the world but describes life here and now in union with God-who-is-love. We say it often in the phrase “life is love”.
This is powerfully described in the parable of the prodigal in Luke 15. The story was actually directed at the Pharisees’ religious anger toward Jesus because He made friends and ate with those they had rejected and damned. These Pharisees believed that they were accurately reflecting the desire and purpose of the one they called and worshipped as God. Jesus was the very opposite to all they thought God was like and so were scandalized by His actions; the Pharisee false god would never sit at table with these sinners!
But Jesus is the of God perfectly reflecting His Father – the exact image of God in our flesh and what He said and did is the final Word of God to us. Sitting at a joyous meal and the message of the parable tell us that God is at home with people religion has rejected, expelled and pronounced damned!
Parables are not simply stories that illustrate truth; they are meant to shock us out of a rut dismantling all we thought was final truth and leaving us confused as to the validity of our belief system. They are meant to show us Reality as we have not seen it before. The parable of the lost coming home must stand at the head of the list for shocking us into a realization that we hardly know the true God but have lost Him in the maze of religion.
The most important truth revealed in the parable is the attitude, the feelings the father had for his returning wayward . Jesus portrays the father as running to the when he first saw him - a figure far off on the horizon. That alone tells us he had been searching the horizon since the day he left, longing for and expecting his return.
The act of running in the culture of that day was for the young; it would be a scandal for an elder of the village to run. This father is beyond caring what people thought and ran with his garments gathered around his waist to where the young man was. When he came to his in his sad state fresh from sleeping in the wilderness with the pigs … half-starved and unwashed, he flings his arms around him in a bone crushing bear hug and begins to kiss him repeatedly. It was an exhibition of uninhibited shameless joy; a volcanic eruption of love.
The words of the story tell us that the father had always had only one agenda – to have his in his arms and to know the boy’s love response. His unwavering purpose was to establish relationship with his . The young man had been born to live in relationship with his father but had never known or pursued it.
The father had always seen him as his ; he had never rejected him, never embarrassed to own him, never lost from his heart that yearned to hold him and share his life. He wanted no explanation of where the boy had been or what he had done; he was not interested in a litany of guilt, only to hold him in his arms and communicate his love.
The boy had been lost in a trackless wilderness of a personal hell; he had been blind, deaf and totally unaware of the warmth and energy of his father’s love and intentions that had relentlessly flowed to him through all his pathways of pain. In his confusion he had believed himself to be rejected and cut off from father and family and no longer his father’s . This was the logical conclusion of believing that he was loved only if he performed acceptably; he understood acceptance as a precarious thing to be earned by good behavior. He saw himself as the worthless wretch coming before a cold and distant judge who would condemn and punish him for his behavior.
The sudden appearance of his father in the path flinging his arms around him and kissing his gaunt, unwashed and worn face blew his entire belief system to pieces. It left him confused with a new kind of hope and joy he had never known. He was introduced in that love moment to relationship instead of judgment. His father did not drag up the past, nor treat him in the light of his past behavior but wiped it out, forgiven and forgotten in the uniting embrace. He experienced a new kind of love, unearned and without condition being poured on and into him like a river in flood.
He does not know what to say or how to act. He had set out with a rehearsed speech that he hoped would appease and defuse the wrath he was certain was awaiting him. His carefully prepared speech opens up how he viewed himself in relation to his father. He saw himself as worthless, bankrupt in every way with nothing to present as a right to return to the family or in fact to being his father’s . He is now confounded by his father’s unconditional acceptance and announcement of his -ship; he cannot take in the fact that the only thing his father passionately wanted, was that he accepted his acceptance and received his father’s love.
He is in a dazed wonder that he is being welcomed back to the heart of the family to live in such love. All he had thought regarding his father and himself now lay shattered; his entire thought structure would have to be reconstructed on the foundation of his father’s love.
Acceptance was not about being good or not being bad – it was about opening his heart and life to his father and walking together in love. If he had known this, he would never have left home to try and find acceptance in the far country. True life was not to be found in any kind of doing but was rather in first being in the security of love. But at this moment he had no category for such a relationship in his brain.
In the embrace of forgiving acceptance he was reconciled to his father, released from his own self-hatred, self-judgment and self-condemnation; the bear hug of love swallowed his shame and dispelled all expectancy of punishment. In that moment of enlightenment within his father’s embrace he knew his father as he had never known him and began a journey of knowing him that would never end. He had lived in misery in the far country because he was fleeing and fearful of a father that only existed in the warped and twisted ideas of his own mind.
The father having declared him accepted, forgiven and his dear then attired him in a fashion that was appropriate to his status and swept him into a celebration of the restored relationship known now as never before.
Jesus, God in our humanity, brought the unconditional and limitless love of God into our lives blasting away the lie of the distorted image of God as Judge and Executioner.
This is what he was doing as He sat with the people religion had excluded and despised as sinners.
The Pharisees, and in fact, all religion of this world are summed up in the elder brother of the parable. He lived in proximity to his father but he had never known him living under the same distorted image of his father as a master and judge (although producing different results from the younger brother). He, in his own words, worked as a slave for a master trying to please and earn position and acceptance. It is no surprise that he expected his father to welcome his younger brother with a whipping while reciting all his sins, followed by public humiliation and banishment from the family.
Such expectancy was consistent with how he thought of his father. His unmet expectation erupted in his rage. He gives his father a recital of his brother’s sins and spat out his disgust that the father had rewarded such a performance with celebrating the sinner’s return filling the ranch with music and dancing instead of the screams of pain of the lashes on the back of his brother.
When the father responded to the rage of his elder he totally ignores the indictment of the younger . He is father not judge. Instead he pressed his love for this raging man declaring that he too was his beloved, accepted not for his much work but because he was his - included into the celebration in progress.
But the older would not relinquish his deception but in plain light of his fathers love declared that he was not in the family if his brother was part of it – go back to the party to that of yours! He reinforced his belief of what the father should be - refusing to be part of his life unless he repented and saw things his way! He left his father refusing to accept an unconditional love.
God created us to love us and bring us into limitless relationship with Himself and to that end Jesus came, lived, died, rose and ascended. We are created to join in the heart of the Holy Trinity who is love. This is the Gospel and we do well to renew our minds to know in every second of our life we are accepted not by keeping any law but by responding to the love that will not let us go.
Blessings,
Malcolm Smith
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