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

[Mudcat]

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

I'm more interested in knowing why a Christian would refuse to be baptised?

Because, it has been devalued to the point of worthlessness, at least by the evangelical community.

And that is strictly my opinion.

Sure it is a 'requirement' for church (little c) membership. But obviously not for Church (big C) membership.

But I can't honestly recall the last timed I heard a serious sermon of any significance of baptism.

The best I have heard is a minute or two's discussion, before the ordinance is performed, but I don't think I have ever heard a pastor devote a full sermon to it.

However, I have heard quite a few sermons in regards to why we wiffle down a slight piece of bread and drink a tiny glass of juice.

Am I crazy, or am I the only one who sees something wrong with what is going on?

Edited September 20, 2008 by Mudcat

[Guest man]

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

I'm more interested in knowing why a Christian would refuse to be baptised?

What if they had a water allergy?

[BlindSeeker]

I would say getting baptized definitely won't get you into heaven, but refusing to be could keep you out.

I think any believer can baptize a repentant sinner, or believer.

The phrase"Father, Son and Holy Ghost" or "in the name of Jesus" is neither the "abra" nor "cadabra" to a successful baptism.

It is the condition of the heart and faith toward Jesus Christ of the one being baptized.

[ayin jade]

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

I'm more interested in knowing why a Christian would refuse to be baptised?

What if they had a water allergy?

Since the human body is greater than 50% water, that is not possible.

[Guest man]

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

I'm more interested in knowing why a Christian would refuse to be baptised?

What if they had a water allergy?

Since the human body is greater than 50% water, that is not possible.

Look it up.

[damo1]

i am only speaking for my self hear i am not a suthern baptist or an anglican or am i a catholic

the churches my fiancee planted in the philippines are 4th square charasmatic

for me i believe it is important for a christian to do this other wise john the baptist would have not needed to baptise jesus

and we would not need to ask born again christians if they have been baptized in the spirit

Matthew 3 English standard version

6 And they were baptized by him in the river jordan confessing their sins

11 i baptize you with water for repentance but he who is comming after me is mightier than i whoes sandles i am not worthy to carry he will baptize you with the holy spirit and fire

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the jordan to john to be baptized

14 John would have prevented him saying i need to be baptized by you and you and do you come to me

15 But Jesus answered him let it be so now for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness then he consented

so why would i try to argue and say i have no need to be baptized or should this be told to new christians

Acts 20 English standard version

32 And now i command you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified

then ther should be no need asking christians if they have been baptized in the holy spirit

i am not judging the op or am i wanting to get into a biblical debate since i have seen these topics come up on this forum and die down very fast

jesus shows us by example speaking for my self i never really strugled with this i accepted this i was guided by my pastor i sat in a 4 week course on baptisem and i was allowed to ask as much questions as i wanted

all it is is you saying that you belong to god its like making a vow or making a commitment to your wife when you marry her in a church and then the pastor anounces you to your family her family and your friends i would like to welcome mr and mrs so and so

when you join a gang you have to swear by their code and make a pac certain gangs have their own way off accepting you and its their way to see if you will be loyal new zealanders have their own way some gangs wil belt the living day lights out of you before you are even accepted in certain cultures you are required to get a tattoo

i made a pac with sevral guys saying i will be loyal to them i wil keep what i see to my self if caled up to help a brother i wil be their with out questioning i let the leader draw blood and i shook hands with the guys i committed my self to

we say an oath when we find our selves in a new country vowing to up hold the laws of the country and love the president or king or prime minister of the countrys we find our selves in

when we land a job we sign a contrac with the boss who hires us we dont question what we sign we agree to abide by the contrac treat our co workers with respect and show our boss we can work in harmony with the staff he has hired

we vote i am on an elctroll roll and when i change adress or move state i have to give the electrol roll my new adress

so i cant see why christians would strugle with this simple request ?

it shows me you are ashamed and it shows me you are not willing to do this in public were you say satan i belong to jesus know

if you have the guts to walk down the front in front of strangers you do not know and have a man you have no personal relationship with lead you threw the sinners prayer and you repent and you say i believe jesus died for me i believe he rose and i believe he is seated with his father and ask him to forgive you

what is so hard when it comes to baptisem ?

if you refuse to get baptized it will keep you out

even though i have heard of people having a fear of water yet with the way science has advnaced i am sure their will be help for the indervidual who has a phobia or water alergy and i know of no one having water alergys

we drink water to keep our fluids up we use water to wash our dishes with and we use water to was our clothes and cars and even use water to water our gardens and our lawns and we wash our selves with the water that comes out of the shower or the water used in your bath tub

soon as i was given all the information i needed i wanted to be baptized being our winter in canberra i could not get baptized in the local pool or the local lake so i had to op for a spa it was done at my cell group leaders home i had no problem in geting baptized with non believers watching this is what i wanted

my first wife got baptized though in the local lake we had to keep an eye out though for bull sharks as they are use to surviving in fresh water and salt water

very strange but i am in no position to judge or heep coals on any ones head

the 32 prisoners in our bible study group in the philippines who have given there lives to god we had to improvise and use a bath tub we had to get permission from the warden as the male prisons and female prisons in Bacolod do not have pools like i have seen in one jail in australia that does have a pool the prison farm i was in the chaplins used the dam on the property

i am going to leave this one to the experts who do want to debate this i do not want to debate this or get into a biblical argument

having to explain my self we have the tools right in front of us and jesus as i said gives us the perfect example

you can accept your churches doctrines and missions statement and views and beliefs why stugle with baptisem

God bless damo

[Mudcat]

What if they had a water allergy?

No one is allergic to pure water.

Though there are people who have allergies to some mineral contents and chemicals found in water sources....like chlorine and fluoride among other things.

A suggestion would be... take an antihistamine in advance.

Perhaps a church could make arrangements to use distilled water.

Where there is a will there is away, I suppose.

[Mudcat]

To All,

Seems some folks are having difficulty with my words in the OP.

I suppose one of these days I will come up with a topic that is worded perfectly...until then.

I wanted to clarify exactly what I mean by what I believe a refusal is.

I think the Bible is clear that Christ was baptized.

In the Great Commission Jesus commanded the Apostles to baptize.

I think it is also clear that Christians in the early church were baptized.

I think the Bible would council us in many places to baptized as well.

I also believe that someone who takes the time to read the Bible, can't walk away from it with an understanding that they should not be baptized.

*OK....now that that is done. I wanted to rant for a moment*

However, I would submit that there are a number of people in the world today that have taken the name of Christ and yet have not been baptized.

Why?

I would suggest that people..like the 2/3rds majority on this poll, have told them you don't have to be baptized to be a Christian. I don't want to single these people on Worthy in specific out. I have a church of about 750 people that will tell you the same thing. In fact, if you put me in a corner, I will tell you the same thing to.

But....

Are we doing anybody any favors by saying this?

Christ commanded his apostles to do it.

Yet often times with words that point to the Graciousness of Christ... we remove emphasis from the ordinance.

I have likened baptism to a wedding ring. It is a Christians symbol of their fidelity in union with Christ.

Christ has said we should wear that wedding ring. So have his apostles.

Shiloh357, brought an interesting thought in the Trinity thread.

Shiloh said something to the effect of... 'if we put the doctrine of the Trinity on the chopping block, what is next the virgin birth, deity of Christ, ...?'

In my opinion, one of the clearest doctrines in the Bible. The doctrine of baptism has been on that 'chopping block' for a long time now.

It is my hope, this thread will make us at least think about that.

Respectfully,

Mudcat

[Guest shiloh357]

God will judge disobedience, and He will not bless those who live in willful disobedience, to be sure. But God has far more at his disposal than taking away a person's salvation.

He expects us to be baptized and I have never heard of any genuine Christian who had any kind of moral objection to baptism. I think it is one of those unlikely scenarios, to be honest.

Its not the same as someone who say, nearly drowned as a child and now has a phobia of bodies of water.

[Guest yod]

I also don't believe that a person can be saved without repentance and water baptism is merely a sign of that occuring.

It can be done by another believer and the words/ceremony don't matter so much because it is only symbolic...not some hocus-pocus magic trick.

But their life has to be immersed in Adonai