Hi Sonya,
You bring up a very good question -this is certainly a very important issue and is essential to have our doctrine to be correct concerning this, seeing it is a salvation issue. You said:
This is a huge 'red flag' right here. She begins by quoting Jesus when He commanded His apostles (and us) to baptize all converts in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, but then she goes on to "explain away" what Jesus said and to basically say it doesn't apply to us. This is the area of specialty for cults and heretical sects; to take scripture and twist it, explaining it away, while conveniently quoting only the scriptures that can easily be 'read into' to develop their own pet doctrine and to support their own preconceived views. Whenever somebody explains away a clear command of Jesus, saying it doesn't apply, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!! In the very next verse, after Jesus says to baptize all nations in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, He says, "Teaching them to observe [u]all things whatsoever I have commanded you[/u]: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." -Mat 28:20. We are to teach and practice ALL THINGS THAT JESUS COMMANDED. What right do we have to explain it away? This is to twist and pervert scripture and to "take away from the words of this book", something commonly done among modern day theologians who want to explain away all the 'hard sayings' of Jesus to make the gate that leads to life broader than it really is.
Let me answer her three implications:
Though baptism is very important and is commanded by Jesus, it is certainly not "neccesary for salvation". Scripture says, [i]For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)[/i] We are saved by God's grace alone, and that through faith, which is itself the gift of God. We are not saved by grace through baptism, but grace through faith!
[i]For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
(Romans 3:23-28)[/i]
We are justified (declared righteous and restored to right relationship with God through forgiveness of sins) freely through the redemption that is in Jesus (through His finished work on the Cross) through faith alone in the merits of His shed blood that atoned for our sin in full. We are justified by faith alone, by beliving in Jesus, apart from any deeds or works.
I would reccomend reading all of Romans chapter 4 and 5, talking about justification by faith. In Romans 4, circumcision is a 'foreshadow' of baptism. Both are symbolic of cutting away wickedness from the heart and a covenant sign of faith in the true God. Also read Galtians chapter 3, which speaks of justification by faith alone.
[i]And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
(John 3:14-18)[/i]. According to Jesus, whoever believes in Him (with a true, living faith) has everlasting life. Period.
[i]For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:3-7)[/i]
There are MANY, MANY other scriptures we could quote, but this is sufficient enough alone to prove the case that salvation is by grace through faith alone, apart from any works.
This is not true and contradicts the whole of Scripture. John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb:
[i]And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and [u]he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.[/u] (Luke 1:12-15)[/i]
And we must remember, John the Baptist was still under the old covenant. So if he could be filled with the Spirit from his mothers womb under the old covenant, without being baptised, when grace through Christ was not yet revealed in full and when His blood was not yet shed for the remission of sins, then how much more can we be saved and filled with the Spirit now that we are under grace, apart from any "extra" condition, such as baptism?
Once again, when Peter went and preached to Cornelius, the Holy Spirit fell on him and his household when he wasn't even baptised yet:
[i]While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. (Acts 10:44-48)[/i]
This PROVES beyond a doubt that baptism is NOT THE MEANS by which one is filled with the Holy Spirit. We receive the Holy Spirit when we believe in Christ being justified by faith alone:
[i]O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:1-7)[/i]
We receive the Holy Spirit by the promise of God through faith, not through baptism.
If this is true, then EVERY SINGLE BELIEVER IN THE OLD TESTAMENT IS NOT SAVED. This is absurd. This also means that the thief on the cross was not saved, even though Jesus told him he was, because he was never baptised nor did he speak in tongues. It is not different under the New Covenant either, for under both covenants men were justified by faith apart from works (read Romans 4 and Hebrews 11). Is the grace that saves greater under the Old Testament than it is under the New Testament? Why can men be saved by faith ALONE apart from even baptism under the Old and not under the New? What then do you do with the MANY NT scriptures that overwhelmingly speak of being saved by grace through faith alone?
Your understanding is correct. Do not let the grace of God be perverted by the doctrines of men!
We must remember that the Church is not a building or a denomination, but the people of God who are His saints, His "called out ones" who have been born again by the Spirit and placed by God into the Body of Christ. Looking for a local fellowship can be very disheartening in modern times. There is error and heresy on all sides, as the Apostles of our Lord warned. They prophsied of a great falling away before the man of sin is revealed, and this is what we are seeing. Much of the institutional church is built on the traditions and doctrines of men, not on the Solid Rock of [u]CHRIST ALONE[/u]. Run from these places, run for your life! Beware of the leaven of the pharisees! Seek God, fast and pray in earnest, and He will lead you where He wants you in His perfect will! Don't run ahead of God and get sucked into a false doctrine or counterfeit church, seek His face and He will lead you as the Good Shepherd! His sheep know His voice and another shepherd they will not follow!
These deceivers call themselves Apostolic, but nothing could be further from the truth. There is division from the Body of Christ around the world, the sectarian spirit, faction, and more all because of a false doctrine.
[i]"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, [u]seditions, heresies,[/u] Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)[/i]
I reccomend the following link for more information on this subject:
http://www.carm.org/oneness.htm
