Heaven Past Present Future Ministries

ENCOURAGEMENT TO ETERNAL FOCUS IN UNITY AND FELLOWSHIP OF THE GOSPEL

The Right Hand Of Fellowship

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A Summary of Important Principles from Paul’s Approach

A summary of the questions pertinent for evaluation of baptism as Scriptural for acceptance from the Scriptural model thus follows.

  1. Have you had the personal experience of prayer to God in repentance of sin and belief in Jesus Christ as your only way of salvation apart from any works of righteousness?  It is important to affirm true discipleship in Christ as a believer which is never connected to local church membership, baptism, or religious works.

  2. Does the assembly you were baptized into membership follow the New Testament pattern for churches holding to God’s Word in teaching belief in the gospel as the only means of salvation?   Does the assembly responsible for baptism follow the Scriptures as total rule of faith and practice in doing the kingdom work of disciple – baptize and teach? It would be important to establish God’s Word proclaimed above all else as evidence of Holy Spirit power in ministry.

  3. Do you mind of we ask about the circumstances of your baptism? Do you know about the faith and practice of the assembly responsible? Was your faith the same?  What was the symbolism portrayed in your immersion? Was it a public testimony of faith in Jesus Christ work in the death burial and resurrection for sin being the only way of salvation? It is important to establish that the religious rite experienced truly symbolized by immersion the work of Jesus as only hope of salvation.

  4. Are you open for Scriptural teaching about baptism and its symbolism? This would be important if the symbol of baptism was done as an unbeliever, in a manner other than immersion, or as part of a process of salvation by righteous acts.

  5. Are you willing to be filled with the Holy Spirit in submission to proper baptism to become part of this assembly – church - body? It is important to show one cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit in complete submission in [i]good conscience before God without proper baptism.

[i] 1 Peter 3:18-22

18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. 21 And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you-- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience-- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him. NAS

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