Someone stated, "We must be baptized in a "watery grave" as an outward acknowledgment of both the death penalty We have brought on ourself by disobeying the law of our Creator and our willingness to let the old self die."
I wonder where the writer of the above statement came up with we must be baptized in a watery grave as an outward acknowledgment or have the willingness to let the old self die? One statement made is that we have brought on ourselves the death penalty by disobeying the laws of our Creator. I don't meant to be judgmental but here are two ambiguous statements, one about a nonexistent baptism in a watery grave, an acknowledgment of death penalty we have brought upon ourselves by disobeying the laws of our Creator.
I wonder where the author got the idea of baptism in a watery grave since there is no such thing mentioned in scripture?
Has the author of this statement come up with a new doctrine, perhaps a new religion? Since this is not found in God's word; baptism in a watery grave would have to come under the heading of Man's philosophic religion with a slant towards the tradition of water baptism. God's word states there is only one baptism, {Eph. 4:5}.
God warns us in His word that when a doctrine doesn't agree with all of His word then it's not from Him but rather from man's philosophies. Where else could it come from if it doesn't agree with all of God's word?
Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
If I understand the author when he stated, we brought the death penalty on ourselves by disobeying the law. What law, the Law of Moses or the one stipulation God imposed on Adam and Eve not to pick the fruit for eternal life and the tree of Knowledge?
The writer stated, " God�s Word tells us: "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3�4)." I believe that was a beautiful description of spiritual baptism as found in Colossians 2:12 that reads as follows:
Colossians 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of--the operation of God,--who hath raised him from the dead. {Dashes are mine since I can't underline}
The writer stated, " A Covenant with Our Creator
So when We are called or drawn to become a true Christian, We need to be willing to "bury" the old selfish self in baptism. Frankly, only God can grant the real repentance we need to fulfill His will (Acts 11:18). But if He is, in fact, opening our mind to grasp what true Christianity is all about�and calling us to be in the first resurrection�then we must utterly surrender our will to the Creator. We must sincerely and bitterly repent of having carelessly gone our own way all these years�and repent of continually breaking and smashing God�s Holy law in both our thoughts and our actions. Real repentance means to be profoundly sorry�so sorry that we turn around and go the other way! We must, then, make a covenant with our Creator not only to stop breaking the Ten Commandments but�with the power of God�s promised Holy Spirit�to start keeping them as a way of life."
All of the above speaks of man having the ability to save himself by making a covenant with God and stop breaking the Ten Commandments.
All the above is contrary to God's word. God says we are all born in sin and are cursed from birth, so how it is possible for us to bargain with God or satisfy God's court with the keeping of the law when it condemns us?
Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
God says no man is justified by the law.
Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
The answer to being justified by faith is found in this next verse.
Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Salvation is so simple, we must only believe what Christ did for us on the cross to be justified by God.
John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
