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Standing Firm In Christ

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Posts posted by Standing Firm In Christ

  1. The Psalmist once said, "If I regard iniquity in mine heart, the LORD will not hear me."

    I believe that those who "love their lifestyle" too much to be willing to trun from it, have no chance of Salvation until they come to the place that they understand that they are totally lost in that lifestyle. God resists the proud, but gives more grace to the humble.

  2. I  believe that, had Simon been saved, he would not have asked Peter to pray for God to forgive him.  He would instead have heeded Peter's instruction and prayed himself.

    Surely, the Spirit would have convicted him to pray.  But instead, when told to pray that God forgive him, he tells Peter to pray instead.

  3. The Greek word used for "perish" in Acts 8:20 is translated as "damnable" and "destruction" in 2 Peter 2:1.  It is translated "pernicious ways"; "of perdition" and "waste" in other verses.

    I don't see the word being attributed to the saved of God.

  4. Not totally sold on that, since the Apostle Paul makes a distinction between those who perish and those who are saved.

    1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

    And every post-crucifixion verse that uses the word "perish" is attributing it with the lost.

  5. I find Peter's reply to Simon when asked to sell the gift of the Holy Spirit somewhat interesting.

    "Thy money perish with thee..."

    This is and interesting statement, since, those who are saved aren't truly "perishing".

    Why those exact words by Peter?  Shouldn't Peter have known whether Simon was saved or not?

    If Simon was saved, why the statement?  Why not just, "Thou canst not purchase this gift"?

    The text seems to imply Salvation (he believed) but then seems to imply Salvation was not acquired after all.

  6. Simon wasn't saved until he heard Philip's message and believed.  Nor were the people that had previously had high regard for Simon.  They were bewitched by Simon,'s sorceries and believed them to be a power from God.

    When PHilip preached to them, they believed.  At that point they were saved and were subsequently baptized.

  7. If we're going to take the qualifications of the Bishop to the extreme that I am reading, then we have to ask...

    "At what point do a Pastor's children cease being his chillren?"

    The truth is, they do not cease being the Pastor's children even if they move out and/or get married.

    A child that leaves his father and mother does not cease being the child of his father and mother. So, must a Pastor step down from being a Pastor just because his married son, who lives miles away from the Pastor got drunk, or committed some other sin?  Of course not!

    But that seems to be the only logical end to the argument that children MUST be in subjection. 

    ps... I like the point about Colossians 3:20 saying ""children" are to obey their parents, so a single "child" doesn't have to obey"  It sheds some perspective one what Paul acutally means when he spoke of "children".

  8. Jesus baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire.  Why would He tell His Apostles to baptize any other way contrary to the way He baptized?  Nothing in the Gospels say that Jersus baptized with water.  Nor dows Matthew 28 say to baptize with water.  People read "water" into the text.

    By the way, if the church I was a member of was "heterodox", then I would say that is a good thing.  They call them "Independent" for a reason.



     

  9. According to Matthew 3:11, John baptized with water, but Jesus baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire.

    Which baptism was Jesus commanding His Apostle's to observe?  His? or John's?

    Seems to me the Apostles, as followers of the Lord, would have taught the baptism of the Lord, i.e; baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire. 
    They obviously did not accept John's baptism in water as being proper in Acts 19, but baptized with the Holy Ghost.
    Just sayin'



     

  10. 19 minutes ago, DaveW said:

    Oh that's right - you like to ignore context and put your own definitions on bible passages - I forgot that.

     

    This is now a fuitless pursuit, since we cannot even agree on the basics of definitions, and you choose to ignore anything but that which you can twist.

    I would like to ask a mod to lock this thread before he can continue to promote a flase definition of both the church and church membership.

    Your "suggestion" that Acts 2:41,47 is speaking of water baptism ignores the context. 

    I haven't "twisted a thing.  Show me in Acts 2:41 where Peter said one has to be baptized in water in order to be a member of the Church.  It's not there.  Your "twist" puts it there though. Acts 2:47 says that the saved were added to the Church.

    8 minutes ago, Alimantado said:

    So Victory Heights Baptist would have a person join as a member before they were baptised in water? So let's imagine a new believer--that believer would join Victory Baptist and then the pastor might speak to them about water baptism further down the line. That sort of thing? I haven't encountered that before.

    The Adult Sunday School  Teacher, Keith Kendall, was a member of VHBC for thirty years before being baptized in water. 



  11. We do allow membership without water baptism.  We hold to the belief that people are saved prior to baptism, and that if they are saved, they are a member of Christ's Church, whether baptized or not.

    As to other churches requiring water baptism in order to join their assembly, we believe this to be an un-Scriptural  requirement.    Nowhere in the text of Acts 2  is water baptism mentioned.  That which happened in the beginning of acts 2 was a Spirit-baptism.  There is no reason to believe that Peter was speaking of water baptism in either Acts 2:38, or Acts 2:41.

    Now, before you accuse me of teaching Pentecostal doctrine, I am not.  I am teaching exactly what is written in the word of God, keeping the context of Acts 2..      The last IFB Church I was a member of, (prior to God putting me in Set at Liberty Baptist) Victory Heights Baptist, taught exactly what I teach concerning Acts 2... that it was not speaking of water baptism.  So, the teaching that Acts 2 is not speaking of water baptism is an IFB teaching.

  12. Look at verse 47.  The Lord added to the Church daily... not the same day as in verse 41... such as should be saved.

    Verse 41 does not sy Baptism in water is a prerequisite for membership in the Church.  As a matter of fact, verse 47 disproves such thinking.

  13. 9 minutes ago, Alimantado said:

    The context of this bit of the discussion is this statement by you, SFIC:

    The teaching you disagree with speaks of an "organised assembly". So would you agree with the teaching if it said this instead:

    "A church is an organized assembly of scripturally baptized believers and non-baptised believers, called out to do the Lord's work according to the New Testament."

    I would say, "The Lord's Church is comprised of all who have trusted Christ for their Salvation and as the propitiation for their sin; whether they are baptized in water or not."

  14. 7 hours ago, Standing Firm In Christ said:

     

    Acts 4:1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
    Acts 4:2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
    Acts 4:3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
    Acts 4:4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

    Five thousand Believers... no Baptism.

    1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

    If Baptism was a necessity in order for one to be a member of the Church, Jesus Christ would have commissioned Paul to baptize those who heard the Gospel and believed.  No commission to Baptize.

    Baptism is not a pre-requisite to becoming a member of Christ's Church.

  15. And from their "Statement of Faith":
     

    BAPTISM

    The Scriptures teach that Christian baptism is the single immersion backwards in water of a born-again believer in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (Mt 3:6; Mk 1:10; Jn 3:23; Acts 8:36-38; Col 2:12); to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our identification with the crucified, buried and risen Savior, it pictures our death to sin and resurrection to a new life (Mt 3:16; 28:18-20; Jn 3:23; Acts 8:36-39; Ro 6:3-5; Gal 3:26,27; 1Co 15:1-3; Col 2:12; 1Pe 3:21); that baptism has no merit in salvation (baptismal regeneration); that it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership; that baptism is to be performed under the authority and approval of one of the Lord’s churches (i.e. unapostated Baptist churches); that those baptized differently than previously stated, should not be received into the membership, but instead should submit to scriptural baptism; and further, that “open” baptism (non-Baptist and apostated Baptist) and “infant” baptism are to be wholly rejected (Mt 28:19,20, Act 2:41, Jn 3:27, Mk 11:30).

    [Acts 2:41; 8:12,13, 26-39; 9:17,18; 10:25,26,44-48; 16:14,15,25-37; 18:7-11; Mt 3:1-16; 21:24,25; Jn 3:22,23; 4:1,2; Gal 3:27,28; Ro 6:4; Col 2:12; I Pe 3:15,20,21; II Sa 23:22,23; Pv 20:11]

    source: 
    http://www.faithfulbaptistcollegestation.com/statement-of-faith.html

  16. In his article, "How Different are INtependent Baptist's from other Churches?" David Warner writes:

    "BAPTISM
    1. Non-regenerative: It is done after salvation. It is soley symbolic. Acts 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. [Lutherans,Methodists,etc err]
    2. Membership Door: One must submit to proper church baptism in order to be a member of one of the Lord’s churches. (Acts 2:41; 8:36-38) [Charismatics, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, etc]
    3. Baptist Only: Baptist only baptism is accepted for church membership. (Mt 21:23+; 28:18-20) Matt 21:23-25 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? [even most Baptists err here]

    The Methodist articles were based on those of the English Church (Episcopalian) . . . Concerning the articles of the English Church, to which he belonged, we find John Wesley writing as follows (Sermons, London, 1872, Vol. 2, sermon 45, p. 74): "It is certain our church supposes that all who are baptized in their infancy are at the same time born again; and it is allowed that the whole office of the baptism of infants proceeds on this supposition."
    Lutheran dogma is expressed by their founder in the Augsburg Confession as follows: "Concerning baptism, they teach that it is necessary to salvation . . . and condemn the Anabaptists, who hold . . . that infants can be saved without it." (Neander, History of Christian Dogmas, Vol. 2, p. 693).
    Presbyterians: “Being washed with the water of Baptism, Christians received new life in Christ and presented their bodies to be living sacrifices to God.” (Book of Order W-1.3033.1)"

  17. I do not remember the class.  I only have notes.  

     

    As I said, I did not stay with it very long.  It was in the first couple lessons,... I do remember that.  So it was probably introductory.

     

    as to other false doctrines they teach, keyword searches will reveal much.  

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