E-MAIL QUESTIONS ANSWERED
DAVID L. ODOM
>David:
>First of all, let me say that I totally agree with you on most things. I
certainly agree that >we should follow the teachings of the first century.
That is when it all began on Pentecost >and we are living in the church age,
the dispensation that began with the coming of the >Holy Spirit. I read what
Acts 2 says but am not totally convinced that the baptism was not >ordered
only as an act to be performed publicly to indicate how the Holy Spirit had >moved
upon the hearts of the hearers and as a result, they had truly repented. To me,
>this heart change, sorrow for sins and asking for forgiveness, based on a
person's true >believing is what saves a person and baptism is an act by the
person in obedience to this >instruction because we act on what we really
believe. Scripture references such as >Ephesians 1:13,14 are the reason I
don't feel that baptism is essential to salvation since >Paul states here
that the readers, and I believe us as well, were included in Christ when >they
heard the Word of truth, the gospel of their salvation, believed it and as a
result >were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, and this
was all done to the >praise of His glory. This not only doesn't mention
baptism but doesn't even mention >repenting, however, as I have mentioned
before, I believe we act on what we really >believe, and true believing in
who God is and what He has done for us by sending His Son >to die for us,
will result in repentance and obedience. This obedience I believe will >certainly
include following the instruction that we should be baptized to indicate the
new >believer has symbolically been buried with Christ and is now risen with
Him to live a new >life as He is led by the Holy Spirit. But David, I may be
missing something and I have >just received a series of video tapes by a man
who I believe is a prophet in our present >time, Brother Given Blakely,
entitled, Looking Back over your baptism. I certainly don't
>claim to know it all but I really appreciate individuals such as yourself, who
are not afraid >to confront teaching which they feel is in error in hopes of
promoting truth. I too have had >many, and at times heated, discussions
concerning doctrinal issues and my oldest >daughter married a man who led
her into "The Way International" which promoted the >concept that
Jesus was not God. They are both out of that now but I believe that false >teaching
has affected them both to the extent from which, apart from the grace of God, >they
may never recover. You speak of the importance of worshipping God properly, and
I >certainly agree about its' importance since I believe God's desire as a
purpose for our >lives is that He be glorified as a result of the way we
live. I will continue to study because >I want to know God as well as I can
and again want to thank you for your efforts in >assisting me to that end.
>Your Brother in Christ
>David:
>I have only watched the first session of the tape series, "Looking
back over your >baptism" by Brother Given Blakely and realize I need to
add being baptized to my list of >"Steps to Peace with God". Since
it is my conviction that in the mainstream of >Christianity today, obtaining
salvation is being made too simplistic since unbelievers are >encouraged to
just say a sinners prayer, I was wondering what you would include in a >"Steps
to Peace with God" list ? I plan
on adding "be baptized by immersion" to the list >in my website.
>Thank you for your help.
>Your Fellow Searcher for Truth.
Hello _____,
Good to hear from you again. I'm glad we do see some of these things together
as the Bible puts them forth. That shows, I believe, we are both seeking to see
things the way our Creator would want us to see them! I believe His feelings
are much more important than ours, or anyone else's in our lives, or on this
earth. So it should be our top priority to find out what He means in His word,
and to make sure we are not causing His word to
contradict itself in our understanding of it.
On your feelings about the possibility of water baptism only being an outward
sign of an inward change, you did right in giving me some Scripture's that lead
you toward that belief. As I have always found in working with people who have
different beliefs from the New Testament, Scripture is always used to justify
the position, but we must study, in
fact, examine (Acts 17:11) the teachings to see if the Scripture's are correct,
or if they are being 'twisted' to teach something that makes 'contradictions'
with other Scripture!
We both know that God will not contradict Himself (I Cor. 14:33). He is perfect
and doesn't lie, doesn't 'double-talk' like men do! So anytime we understand a
passage that cause's it to contradict another passage, something is wrong!
Either we are misunderstanding that passage, or the other passage. But there
are No contradictions in God's Word. I believe that as strongly as I believe in
God Himself, because that is how strongly I believe in His Word being
unpolluted by man so we can have faith that it
will lead us to Heaven! But we must not tamper with it by making it teach
anything other than what God intended it to teach.
Now to the passages:
Ephesians 1:13,14: You said that this is a passage which makes you feel that
baptism is not essential to salvation.
The word we must properly understand here is 'believed'. The word 'believe' is
used in at least two different ways in the New Testament. One way is simply a
'mental acceptance of God's Truth' Mark 16:16 is a good passage to show that
usage: "He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned." Notice
that mental acceptance MUST be tied with 'baptism' in order for us to 'be
saved'. But the denominational world tries to destroy the power of this passage
by saying that the second part of the passage doesn't say anything about
'baptism', therefore, baptism is not essential!
But think about it, if I give instructions for you to find $100 bill, and I tell
you to go 451 Fairlawn Road, go inside the house there, look under the couch,
you will find a $100 bill, you can keep it. But if you don't go to 451 Fairlawn
Road......you won't find the $100 bill. See, I didn't have to say anything but
the first instruction! That is what is happening in Mk. 16:16.
Also, If a person doesn't believe the Gospel, which includes not only the truth
that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, but also that we must repent of our sins,
confess Christ, and be baptized 'into' Christ for the remission of our sins,
then that person certainly isn't going to be 'baptized' if they don't believe
the Truth on these matters! That is why the verse is
stated the way it is stated, not because baptism isn't essential to getting 'into
Christ' where all spiritual blessings are found.
The other usage of 'believed' is when the word embodies all of the actions that
are required in order to become a christian and be saved: Back to the book of
Acts again. Those that were baptized in Ch. 2:41 were about 3,000, By Acts 4:4
the number of men alone came to be about 5,000! Notice carefully that the verse
says: "But many of them that heard the Word believed..." Here the
word is used to include all the acts that they did in order to become
christians!
One of the Greek words for 'believe' is 'apeitheo' (PEITHO) which involves 'obedience'
so in John 3 for example, 'believing' is not just a mental belief, but one that
involves being persuaded to action! Some translations give a good rendering for
example on verse 36 which says: "He that 'believeth' on the Son hath
eternal life; but he that 'obeyeth' (ASV) not the Son shall not see life, but
the wrath of God abideth on him. Those two words, 'believeth', and 'obeyeth',
are the same Greek word (apeitheo).
Look closely at John, Chapter 3; most people just quote verse 16, and that's it!
Why? Because they are trying to justify the 'faith only' doctrine, so they make
'believeth' simply a 'mental' acceptance of Jesus, and throw in a 'sinner's
prayer', which you can't find in God's Word. But read verse 20 and 21
carefully. No one was saved by 'faith only' under the 'Law of Christ', In fact,
we cannot even 'come to the light' unless we DO the Truth! (verse 21).
Well, you might be thinking of the 'thief on the cross' about this time. So may
I ask a few questions about that situation: Which Law was in effect when Jesus
told the repentant believing thief (probably a Jew) on the cross that he would
be with Jesus that day, in paradise? Was the Law of Christ in effect, or the
Law of Moses? Most denominationalists will confuse you by saying that the thief
on the cross was saved by 'faith only', so we can be saved by 'faith only'
today! (Don't forget James 2:14-26)
But, again, we cannot cause the Scripture's to contradict themselves, for the
Scriptures are God's Inspired Word! So, we must try to properly understand what
was going on, and what is the proper understanding of the Scripture! When you
study about the power Jesus had while He was upon this earth, you find that He
had the power to 'forgive sins', and so He did on various occasions, including
the thief on the cross! Was the thief saved? Yes, no
doubt about it! Was he baptized? Well, we don't know! He might have been baptized
in John's baptism, but again, what law was in effect at that time? Yes, if you
said the Law of Moses, your right, for the Law of Christ could not become
effective until He died upon the cross (Galatians 2:13-22).
Next, I would like to talk about your statement: "we should be baptized to
indicate the new believer has symbolically been buried with Christ and is now
risen with Him to live a new life as He is led by the Holy Spirit." Jesus
taught that the 'new birth' was just that, a new birth, and that it takes place
in only ONE act, and that act is baptism: John 3:3-5. That is
why Romans 6:3-6 is so very clear that baptism is that act which puts us 'into
His death', We are actually 'buried therefore with Him through baptism into
death, that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the
Father, so we also might walk in newness of life." Notice that the 'walking
in newness of life' doesn't come until after baptism! Notice verse 6 that our
'old man' was crucified with Him..."
Remember, what washes away our sins? Yes, the
soul-saving blood of Christ! And where did Jesus shed His blood for us? Yes, in
His death! Now, WHERE do WE come in contact with His blood, Correct, where He
shed it, in His death, and the ONLY place God has set up for our being buried
with Christ Jesus in His death is in BAPTISM! That is where we reach the blood
of Christ, because that is how the Creator has set it up. Unfortunately, the
devil has 'changed' the rules, and taken 'baptism' out of this plan of God. The
devil, through man changing God's plan, has made a plan of his own, and changed
the road map to heaven, One wrong direction, and we go off in a DIFFERENT
direction, away from the
straight and narrow. I pray that you will closely study these passages, and be
able to see what is happening around us in the religious world today.
Concerning Given Blakely being a prophet, the
Scripture's teach that prophets are no longer functioning for the Creator,
except through the Messiah, as He choose those apostles and prophets in the
first century: Hebrews 1:1,2; John 16:7-15. Notice verse 13: "ALL the
Truth" Thus we read in II Peter 1:3; "...ALL things that pertain unto
life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that called us..." A
prophet tells things from
God that have not been revealed (forth teller). Given may be teaching the truth,
but it must come from the Inspired Word of God in order to be FROM God!
It is very good that you have tried to stand for
the Truth in the past. I
think of a good man who was wrong in a certain teaching and was taught correctly
on it: Acts 18:24-26. We also, can be taught wrongly! I have had to change
positions in the past
in order to plumb with the Inspired Word of God, and must do so in the future
if I want to go to Heaven! I'm so sorry about your oldest daughter. I know
about the 'way international' I have studied with them in the past. Yes, they
twist the Scriptures in many ways! Concerning your question in your second
E-mail, in your 'steps to pleasing God', you are welcome to use any material
you like on my web site, TSBS9 has that info.
I am very happy you have decided to put
'baptism' in your instructions to others of what they need to do to become
christians! I believe your attitude is as Cornelius in Acts 10, who God send
Peter to, as he begin preaching to the Gentiles, and those 'words' he spake to
him and his household, 'whereby thou shalt be saved, thou and all thy house'
Acts 11:14,
included baptism: Acts 10:47! Now, tie this in with verse 43. See that water
baptism is a part of verse 43! When you put ALL Scriptures together in the New
Testament on any given subject, then you have the Truth that the Holy Spirit
brought unto the inspired apostles and prophets in the first century!
God bless,
Your in Christ,
David
