Do you think that being baptised will change someone?

[Littlelambseativy]

I will be the contrary voice in this discussion....one can be immersed as many times as they want but unless they are baptized by the Holy Spirit, they are not baptized. The thief on the cross was not immersed but on accepting Jesus and acknowledging Him as the Son of God and the Holy Spirit entering into him to convict and baptize him of who Jesus was, no amount of baptizing in water would gain him paradise/ heaven. It is the baptism of the Holy Spirit that gains us eternal life.

I know of many not immersed but baptized by the Holy Spirit including me, who I know without a shadow of a doubt will be in the rapture or have or will enter heaven before because it is the Holy Spirit that does the baptizing and makes a difference in a Christian's life.

[Guest Teditis]

On ‎1‎/‎20‎/‎2016 at 7:50 PM, Brittany said:

I mean, if someone really wanted to change but had trouble doing so. If they were trying, but then they kept failing because they didn't have enough willpower to resist worldly temptations, do you think that if they were baptized, they would have enough incentive to obey God's word better?

I think that it might if this person were a believer who had not yet been baptized.

The act of obedience to the Lord increases our willfulness to follow Him closer still.

[completedbeliever1]

Actually, baptism is very important.  

It shows that we have died to the old man.  The ways of the old man.

The sins of the old man.  

While a human lives, they are able to sin.  Whenever they want.   

Once a person dies, they are no longer able to sin.  It is impossible.

They are buried, and in the grave.  (Hades, hell, the grave.)

Then they are resurrected WITHOUT sin.  

Then, they live to the almighty.  

All of their sins from their past life are gone.

Now the life they live MUST reflect the spirit.  

[hmbld]

40 minutes ago, completedbeliever1 said:

Actually, baptism is very important.  

It shows that we have died to the old man.  The ways of the old man.

The sins of the old man.  

While a human lives, they are able to sin.  Whenever they want.   

Once a person dies, they are no longer able to sin.  It is impossible.

They are buried, and in the grave.  (Hades, hell, the grave.)

Then they are resurrected WITHOUT sin.  

Then, they live to the almighty.  

All of their sins from their past life are gone.

Now the life they live MUST reflect the spirit.  

Baptism is an act we do in obedience, to represent the old man has died-the act of obedience itself is not what forgives the sins or gives new life.  To say a Christian is no longer able to sin leads me to think we must be perfect at all times.  Where a Christian is forgiven, it does not mean we don't have struggles.  

[completedbeliever1]

1 hour ago, hmbld said:

Baptism is an act we do in obedience, to represent the old man has died-the act of obedience itself is not what forgives the sins or gives new life.  To say a Christian is no longer able to sin leads me to think we must be perfect at all times.  Where a Christian is forgiven, it does not mean we don't have struggles.  

Having struggles and sinning are two different things. 

"...you be perfect even as I am perfect...".

To say YAH gives a command that we can not follow is contradictory.

We are asked to stop sinning and that is what baptism is for.

[Guest Teditis]

Baptism doesn't make us Holy as God is Holy... therefore we continue to sin even after baptism.

[hmbld]

32 minutes ago, Teditis said:

Baptism doesn't make us Holy as God is Holy... therefore we continue to sin even after baptism.

Exactly.  But we are not left in that sin.  God is faithful to forgive us, and the new heart He creates in us, sets us free from the sin that controls us.  The part that seems hard, is we try to be perfect in our strength, I'm not sure how to say it, but I think its only as we let the Lord lead us, and our relationship grows with Him, and yes, part of that is to be obedient, then we become more perfect as He is.  To say one can never sin after baptism, I think is putting an impossible goal for a new believer to accomplish.  God loves us, and is patient, and it is He who changes our heart.  We need to seek Him, yet even this I believe is God drawing us near.  Rely on God.  

[Guest Teditis]

Amen

 

[Guest Robert]

If the person's heart is not in repentance before the Lord, no physical act is going to change them. Otherwise, we could just drop baptismal water on the Middle East and they would all become Christians.

Edited February 1, 2016 by RobertS

[FresnoJoe]

Baptism

John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. John 1:26-27

And The New

John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Luke 3:16

Child

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 1 Peter 1:22-23

Glory~!