ChristB4Us
Member
Frankly, no I can't. I think you are being argumentative for the sake of it.
Not sure how you can defend John of Japan's stance that only legitimate Baptist church can give water baptism by immersion as that is an unbiblical teaching arguing from the silence of the scriptures and yet doing it in such a way that the RCC & the devil could cry for mimicking their enslaving methodology to a system of works that denies Him.
No one on this thread has suggested that water baptism is essential for salvation, but it is a commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples, and it was plainly the practice of the apostolic Church.
But the emphasis on water baptism by immersion is in question. John of Japan would like to argue that is what baptism means and yet gave the same references you had where the majority of them is according to my belief tetsifies of the baptism with the Holy Ghost,
I repeat, the N.T. knows nothing of the unbaptized Christian. If someone lived in a place where there is no water, he would probably have no time to be baptized before he died of thirst.
How do you address those on their deathbeds or those dying from an injury that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ & that God has raised Him from the dead?
If you want to join a church where water baptism is not practised, try the Salvation Army or the Quakers. But you should not post any further on the Baptist forums here.
I do not believe that was ever my point nor desire, as I have been water baptized enough including water baptism by immersion in a Baptist church and so the discussion is you guys trying to prove that water baptism can only be done by immersion and according to John of Japan's stance, by a legitimate Baptist church.
John of Japan likes to call those who do not follow Jesus as never saved and even doubt the ones that fell away were ever saved to begin with. Is that your stance as well?
Discipleship and salvation has to be separate otherwise by running that race or looking yourself to follow Him as His disciple as a means to obtain salvation, then that becomes a work that denies Him for why He will deny them at the rapture but even though denied by Him, He still abides in them as He will finish His work even in those left behind that were not ready for the Bridegroom.