Can a Christian who refuses to be baptized be a Christian?

[damo1]

i like the church i am in now as this is like my home church when i am in Australia i know the pastor i know the leaders they dont force this on new christians or do they say to be a member you have to agree to our doctrines and be baptized before you become a member

our 5 churches my fiancee and her origonal pastor planted in Bacolod do the same as we do in grace

but i noticed that their are denominations that say before you become a member you have to agree to our doctrines and be baptized by our pastor before you are accepted as one of their members

before i became a member of grace i did not rush or did any one force me the couple who took me into there home when i came out of jail became my spiritual mentors any questions i had they answered my questions i thank god for this couple they taught me and gave me advice since i was a non believer giving my heart to the lord at such a young age i was 18yrs old they sat down with me and taught me how the church functions they guided me if it was not for this couple i guess i would have been one of these guys that just accepts with out ussing the brain god has given me

i noticed also from my observation a lot of christians dont go over the doctrines when it comes to the denominations

like i was taught

do the pastors do this in your part of the world were you place one of your full time members with a new christian and were they become like a spiritual mentor ?

or is the new christian left alone to work it out them selves ?

God bless from damo

[ayin jade]

There is no reason a church should make you join b4 they will baptize you.

To link baptism with church membership diminishes the ordinance He gave us. It is the outward symbol of the changed repentent heart. Not the outward symbol of "hey Im a member of bethany bible church" (or whatever the name is).

I agree with you that you are not joining a congregation when you partake of the sacrament of Baptism. But I also do not agree that Baptism is just for show an outward symbol, we believe baptism is the real deal. So I think that may be impacting how I am thinking about this and causing these differences. If someone came to my congregation to be baptized I would want for their sake for them to understand exactly what we believe is happening in Baptism.

For me it is a matter of consistency of belief and protection for the believer, thus to be a member is simply a way of showing you do believe you are one with fellow believers in that congregation, it is a part of our faith. We already have huge division outside of our congregations, I can't imagine wanting to sow even further division within the congregation by refusing to join, it makes no sense at all to me.

Hmm. I consider baptism to be a "real deal". Please dont look down at me and regard my beliefs as fluffy regarding baptism. I certainly want to be sure someone understands what baptism is all about before they do it. But that doesnt need to take a few weeks in a membership class. You can simply talk to them for a bit. How much time do you need? If someone is led to be baptized, who is anyone of us to say "um no, first you must attend classes so we are sure you fit what we think you need to be in order to be baptized".

[Smalcald]

I don't mean to offend anyone. I certainly did not mean to imply that people who disagree with me do not respect baptism and that is probably how I came across.

I will say that I believe that membership in a congregation is much much more than some membership classes. For our congregation it is the process of publicly proclaiming what you believe, renouncing the devil and becoming one with us as Christians, one faith, one baptism. When my wife and I joined we spent around three months in preparation, at that point we made a public profession of faith and agreement with doctrine, at that point we belonged and could also commune with our congregation, and we are all in total agreement without division as instructed in scripture.

I know this is not for everyone, and I don't malign any Christian who thinks that kind of a process foolish or simply wrong. The reason I bring it up is that it may give some background to where I am coming from on this issue. I might as well fess up that we also believe that Baptism is not an outward symbol of faith but a sacrament that infuses us with the Holy Spirit and wipes away original sin, for us it is real; something really happens it is a blessing from God.

Once again I realize that most people don't agree with that here, and that is fine, but I just want to be open about what we believe.

[nebula]

For anyone wondering about why they need to be baptized -

Or for those who wish to remember with joy the time they went down to their own "water grave" -

Click here for song video

Click here to read along with the lyrics

[arrowfromgod]

i feel that ppl should get baptised because jesus did ect.ect. but like the thief wasnt baptised so to speak yet he went with jesus to paradise that day ,,, and tho its not biblical i think had the thief had a chance he would of been baptised...

i always thought too that when jesus was baptised he did it for all of us ,,, like being crucified for my sins tho that is not biblical either (the baptised part )

like if i would have been killed the night i was saved but not water baptised there is no doubt in my mind i still would have went to god ,,, i went thru the water baptism at a latter date...

i cant see why a any one would refuse to do it tho ,,, jesus did it ,,, and even if lets say i didnt believe i had to i would just to take in consideration the weaker faith ...

john 3:16 says nothing of baptism as a requirment of salvation ,,, it does say however the words (any)who believe ,,, and to me any who believe would do that which our example did if we had the chance too ,,, love in christ arrow from god

[HAZARD]

Scripture demands faith and repentance as being necessary.

Baptism is a symbol of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and it is a testimony to all the world that the individual has been saved from a life of sin and that the individual is now walking in newness of life.

It is only people who are followers of Jesus that are commanded to be baptized. (Read Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; and Acts 2:38-39). Why would a Christian who knows what Jesus said regarding baptism refuse to be baptized?

The repentant thief on the cross at Jesus crucifiction was never baptized yet Jesus told him that "To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).

So the truth is Baptism alone is actually not necessary for salvation. The purpose of baptism is not to save the soul, sanctify one, or make us children of God, Jesus did that through His death and resurrection. The sole purpose of baptism is plainly taught as being figurative and not litterally a clensing from sin.

The palsied man of Matt. 9:1-7 was saved without water baptism: "Jesus seeing their faith [not their water baptism] said . . . thy sins be forgiven thee . . . the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins." Jesus did not baptize one person in all His ministry but He did remit sins of many people (John 4:2). This is sufficient proof that sins can be remitted without water baptism. There are many cases of remission of sins and healing which were done by faith without water baptism (Matt. 9:22; Mark 5:34; 10:52; Luke 7:48' 17:19; 18:42; Acts 3:16).

An unnamed woman sinner was forgiven her sins before and without water baptism. Jesus said, "Her sins, which are many are forgiven . . . thy sins be forgiven . . . thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace (Luke 7:36-50).

Haz.

[Guest]

Can a Christian who refuses to be baptized be a Christian?

Rascel! Can A Christian Who Would Say Such A Thing Of A Brother Be A Christian?

Although In My Far Past I've Been Bedeviled Into Three Separate Baptisms (Each One With Three Separate Backward Dips!)

I Was No More Save Then That Sunday Afternoon In The Northern Woods Of Illinois In 1949

When I First Walked And Talked To Jesus And Asked HIM Into my Heart

And He Told Me He Loved Me And HE Did.

My Trust Is In THE LORD

And In HIS Word

I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. Psalms 130:5

Only In Jesus

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me John 3:4

And In HIS Word

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. John 15:3

Is Found Salvation

Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart:

for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16

Praise HIS HOLY NAME

>>>>>()<<<<<

And You See Dear Brother Water Baptism Is An Act Of Pure Joy

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance:

but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear:

e shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Matthew 3:11

To Those Who Are First Baptized With The Holy Ghost

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:

the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63

Even Those Who Are Alive With God The Holy Spirit

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. John 14:17

Those Who Confess Jesus Is LORD

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:11

Who Confess

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9-10

Who Believe

And this is the record,

that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God;

that ye may know that ye have eternal life,

and that ye may believe on the name

of the Son of God. 1 John 5:11-13

>>>>>()<<<<<

The Cleansing Of Our Sins Is Not By The Created Waters Of This Planet

But By The Creator, By HIS Blood, By The Precious Blood Of The Lamb Of God

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,

we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

Trust In Jesus

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:

and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 3:36

Trust God

Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel;

I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. Isaiah 48:17

Your Shepherd

[larryt]

Hi all,

I have been tousling with baptism for a bit now, and thought I would post a thread in regards to it.

It has been promulgated by my church (SBC) that baptism isn't required for salvation.

I for the most part, would find myself in a position to agree with them. Verses regarding Salvation by Grace have been consistently postulated by the pastor, staff and congregation to reinforce such beliefs.

We view baptism as an ordinance. The ordinance has no salvific power, in and of itself...we say.

Are we missing something?

I would posit two Scriptures.

Mat 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

Mat 3:14 But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

Mat 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

Here we have Christ, submitting to the need of baptism.

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

I am quite aware there is more than one way to interpret various emphases on this verse. Feel free to bring forward any thoughts you have.

Respectfully,

Mudcat

The key word to the question is REFUSES. When man is born again one thing that happen is that he is made willing to obey his Lord. Ignorance of baptism is one thing. Rebellion is another.

LT

[Guest]

The key word to the question is REFUSES. When man is born again one thing that happen is that he is made willing to obey his Lord. Ignorance of baptism is one thing. Rebellion is another.

Agree! Even Under The Assurance Of Beheading And Such, Brothers Are Baptized Around The World!