One can not be saved through sprinkling baptism?

[christine_wb]

I have become a Christian for almost 1 year. But a haunting question which seemed to has never been solved recurred to my mind today. I have accept a sprinkling baptism from my church last year. They claimed that through whatever kind of baptism, immersion or sprinkling one, one can be saved so far as he would accept Jesus's Salvation. I was eager to be baptised ASAP at that time, when it happened to be winter, which means I have not other choice. However, I have heard many hold a brief for immersion, not sprinkling one, they declared the latter makes no sense.

I've been confused for a long time. I'm not sure if it is necessary for me to be immersed again. Today when I read the Bible, it came to me Romans 2:25-26,

25 For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.

26 So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

According to these verses, therefore, will one could not be saved for what he received is not immersion but sprinkling baptism?

The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:23-24

[seraph]

We are saved by grace, through faith. Beyond that, what we do is a result of what Christ has done.

I was saved when I received Christ as my Lord and Saviour, I was baptized by sprinkling. Later, I made the personal decision to be re-baptized by immersion even though I had been saved and baptized for several years. It's p r e t t y likely the thief on the cross wasn't baptized by immersion... he is no less saved... Jesus Himself told him "Today you will be with me in Paradise."

God is not the author of confusion... He brings peace. Continue to search the Scriptures, pray, and seek godly counsel and God will guide you in what His will for you is.

[christine_wb]

We are saved by grace, through faith. Beyond that, what we do is a result of what Christ has done.

I was saved when I received Christ as my Lord and Saviour, I was baptized by sprinkling. Later, I made the personal decision to be re-baptized by immersion even though I had been saved and baptized for several years.  It's p r e t t y likely the thief on the cross wasn't baptized by immersion... he is no less saved... Jesus Himself told him "Today you will be with me in Paradise."

God is not the author of confusion... He brings peace. Continue to search the Scriptures, pray, and seek godly counsel and God will guide you in what His will for you is.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks to brother Seraph!

Yes, I indeed should spend more time on Scriptures reading and prayer. I always prefer to seeking help from human beings than that from God. Maybe I have still not learnt how to live as a real christian. I have once dreamed that I have been re-baptized. However, I also believe I have been saved since God also answer my prayer. I know clearly that he abide in me.

[seraph]

it's sister seraph

We are wise to seek godly counsel, but of course anything anyone says needs to not contradict what God tells us through the Bible of through His Holy Spirit. Through the Bible, prayer, and the example of other Christians, we grow in our faith... it is ongoing. And we know we are saved by His Spirit dwelling within us, amen!

Proverbs 12:15

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

1 John 4:13-16

By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

[christine_wb]

it's sister seraph 

Hehe, sorry for the mistake.

Proverbs 12:15

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

Yes, I always choose to listen to consels from other people who are more mature than me when I need help. But when I became a christian, I think I should always seek God's will through prayer. While in fact, I still tend to people's help when confront to troubles. It seems that I could not wait until God shows me his way. I really need patience.

Just like 2 months ago, one day, I have suddenly lost my faith and interest in my current job because of a meeting. I was so depressed that I thought there was nothing I could do but devote myself to God's service. Then I prayed to God if it was his will that I made such a decision. Another time, before I obtained a clear answer, I rushed to search Seminaries through internet. Soon, it came to me WTS. I also got many useful suggestions from a brother in WTS. Everything seemed to go so smoothily, then, within 1 week, I decided to prepare my TOEFL, which is needed to go to the seminary.

However, 2 months past, I known that I can continue to work in my current company which I have once presumed would fire me,since I always have no confidence in my working ability. While my TOEFL preparation seemed so bad, my listening compresion seemed to be worse and worse, even worse than 2 months ago. Frankly, I think I can understand what they when it is not in a test. I can not calm myself down when in such test.

Then I began to searched my heart, whether I really want to be a priest in the future. It turns out I'm not. Maybe I just want to escape my incapability in my current job. What's more important, I think maybe I did not really love JESUS, for if I really love him, I also would love his flock. "He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep." (Isa. 40:11) But will I behave like this? I'm afraid I will not. If I see the wolf coming, I will leave the sheep and run away. Therefore, how can Jesus chose such one like me to feed his flock?

Now, I have regretted to my decision. I don't know how to do next step. Why am I always so hot-tempered. I also do not know how my life will be if I still do such secular things like current ones. I'm also afraid I will miss the calling from God if he really called me this time.

[seraph]

Yes, I agree God

[Leonard]

Great posts from both of you, here. Very insightful, Christine! Not too many people have such a capacity for introspection.

Terrific advice, Sister Seraph!

[stevehut]

Christine,

In the Bible, the word "baptize" literally means to immerse. Sprinkling is not a baptism.

An excerpt from a book that I'm writing:

[Khristeeanos]

Christine,

In the Bible, the word "baptize" literally means to immerse.

Edited November 12, 2004 by DIME Ministries

[SkilletRocksMyFace]

Great post about the baptizo, it is indeed the only mehtod of baptism...anything else isn't baptism.

Romans 6 makes it clear that we have be "buried with Christ" and risen to share in the ressurection like he did:

Romans 6:3-5

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

[5] For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

The thief on the cross was most certianly baptized, he literaly shared in the death of Christ being "baptized into his death" We know that the mode of immersion baptism didn't come until after CHrist's death for salvation since it is his death we have to immeresed into. Thereofre the Theif would have been baptized literaly, sharing in the death of Christ

Acts 19:3-5

And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism." [4] And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus." [5] On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Only baptism into Christ saves us, we have to be immersed to share in the "burring of Christ" to share in the likeness of his ressurection.

1 Peter 3:21

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

There you have it.

Peace.