Thread by @Josef1601

1. Did you know?

Praying Jesus into your heart is nowhere in the Bible. The practice was popularized during the 1940s and exploded with the advent of 33rd Degree Freemason Billy Graham.

The question “what shall we do to be saved?” Acts 2:37, was answered by Jesus.

2. “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Mark 16:15-16

So, faith, repentance and baptism (immersion) always went hand in hand.

3. Every single conversion in the New Testament showed baptism following the example of Jesus.

Acts 2:38, baptism day of Pentecost;
Acts 2:41three thousand believed and were baptized
Acts 8:12 Philip baptized those that believed
Acts 8:16 baptized into the Lord Jesus

4. Acts 8:36, the Ethiopian eunuch “here’s water, what prevents me from being baptized”
Acts 9:18 Saul (Apostle Paul) is baptized
Acts 10:47-48 first gentiles (Greeks) are commanded to be baptized
Acts 16:15 Lydia and her house are baptized
Acts 16:33 jailer is baptized

4. Acts 18:8 Crispus, head of synagogue and many Corinthians baptized
Acts 19:3-5 must be baptized into Christ
Acts 22:16, exhortation don’t wait, get baptized

What happens in baptism?
Baptized into Christ’s death-Romans 6:3
United with Christ 1 Corinthians 1:13ff
Put on Christ

5. “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
Galatians 3:27 KJV

We are buried and rise:
“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory

6. of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Romans 6:4 KJV

“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.”
Colossians 2:12 KJV

7. Baptism saves us by The resurrection of Christ

“The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”
1 Peter 3:21 KJV

8. Baptism is the unifying mark of the Believer:

“One Lord, one faith, one baptism,”
Ephesians 4:5 KJV

Even though the concept of baptism is so clearly stated in the Bible, Western (mainly US) theology has perverted this simple step by the concept of praying Jesus

9. into your heart”. Problem is that “praying Jesus” is nowhere found in the Scriptures!

Criticisms:

a. What about the thief in the cross? This argument by exception fails to note the obvious-there was only ONE thief on the cross. Jesus could do as he pleased but

10. He gave a clear mandate and command, which his disciples strictly followed.

b. What about those who prayed near death, etc. Another argument by exception. God is sovereign so we leave judgment to Him. Exceptions don’t provide excuses to the able critic.

11. c. So, I’m not saved if I’m not baptized? Another argument by exception but this one is truly dangerous as it displays unwillingness to follow God’s clear directives.

Biblically, there’s no such thing as praying Jesus into your heart.

12. Some key points in the scriptures are that

1) a baptism of water was required ;

2) to believe was only the beginning of the journey, not the end;

3). repentance was necessary;

4). immersion was and is the method of water baptism.

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