To help me get in touch with him? And not a false image of GOD? Theres a lot of garbage out there with Jesus name attached to it. You say that you believe in God very much. Wrong? The years after my baptism I unfortunately drifted away from Jesus, however recently I came back to Christ and repented my sins. All throughout Scripture, we see that they are not the same person. Let me caution you, though: theres no such thing as doing my own Christian thing. The Bible describes the church (that is, all Christians everywhere) as the Body of Christ. What about the anointing? I can tell God give you a wisdom. How can we get to heaven without baptism? Im going to tell you something that may be hard to hear, Hannah. People who dont trust God dont go to Heaven. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Youre already a member of the church, like every other Christian in history. How do you know you have a relationship with god. I didnt forsake going. Im sorry that I cant give you a better answer today, Marietjie. Thanks for writing. go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life, Dont let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. In this case, God told Noah that he could eat anything. Im now going to give you my best advicethe only advice I have. Turning it off risks her life, dunking it will break it, and there are no real options. Where do they fit into the world God has created? We all learn as we go. The Bible describes Christians as people who are adopted into Gods family. He left the conclusions up to you and me. They are all One, with One Name, and that Name is Jesus. The issue of a person's fate after physical death falls within the competence of God, not man. Those are the people who should witness your baptism. When we decide to trust God with our lives, we are born again. We read them in context to make sure we understood them. Because we have no evidence in Scripture that He does that sort of thing, and because that would make God a deceiver, Im going to say NO. Listen. First, a full life. We dont know when Jesus is coming back. Its important to do our best in understanding the Bible, but this isnt a deal-breaker. Isnt disobedience a sin? God would not make you pay the penalty that Jesus paid for you! In a more specific sense, its entirely unlike any kind of religion at all: We cant be good enough to earn a place in Heaven. Have you experienced the new birth that Jesus talks about? Blessings. Rather than criticizing them for criticizing you, I would suggest another way. See how He lived, so you can begin to be like that. An interesting question, Nick. I dont think so. than man on the cross was not baptis and he went to heaven. Romans 4:3. Your question isnt really about baptism, but about salvation. Anyway, some people arent careful about the command, and assume that God was telling everyone, for all time, to not eat pork. I really began to live as a Christian then, and to truly understand the gospel then. If you need to talk, I will always be available. Jesus DID ask His Father to remove the cup from Him. Im against the distractions and confusion that come from his teaching. Almost every religion teaches how one should act to make the gods not smite you, or to reward you for your good works. Thats why GodWords is here. Who is the Word, Jesus. So thats what made me believe that they were separate because Jesus Himself implied that in that specific scripture. I dont like to steal, I forbid myself of stealing. Music is a combination of sounds and words, sung to a rhythm. I know none of the stuff is demonic because they (BTS) spreads messages about self-love and self acceptance. Do you see why I agree, and disagree? That is, however, the wrong standard. Clearly and obviously, at least part of Matthew 25 is still in the future. In the Catholic Church infants are baptized or sprinkled within a few weeks of their birth, but sometimes the ritual is not performed until they are six months old. You should be baptized, but you wouldnt go to Hell if you died first. Jesus told this story to show us what God is like. Faith in Christ is the agent that makes the baptism in Matthew 28:19 life changing according to Colossians 2:12, buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God and Galatians 3:26-27, So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith in Christ for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Baptism now saves us due to faith in Christ (1 Peter 3:21-22). You might take a look at Acts 10. You will become part of Gods family! Heaven, by comparison, seems far away and kinda boring. Baptism is in Mathew many scriptures is a part of salvation book of John you must be born of the water and the spirit or you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven therefore it seems you cannot remove or lessen it those who done good to the resurrection to die like Jesus and rise a new life water is his method the simple confound us . Not some other person than God. Please think through this carefully: if baptism is required for salvation, then Romans 10:9-10 simply cannot be true. If not, let me encourage you to write back so I can help you understand a little better what Jesus said. As always, let me know if Ive created more questions. >> What defines an action as wrong in the eyes of god? Is it that you dont really know Him ? Which Jesus kept but on Saturday not Sunday. Im a Christian apologist. Its not bad to be afraid of things that are dangerous. I hope he is. >> These people reading here need the truth their loved ones are somewhere. Thomas (the disciple) called Jesus My Lord and My God. Do you think I should be listening to it?. The untimely death is itself so heartbreaking. First, thank you for your kind words. This brought about a few changes in their lives. Thanks for writing. Also you say that means you wont go to heaven or hell. Of course not. Youve probably heard of the trinity before, but it seems clear you dont understand that this is what Scripture teaches. If so are you even aware that youre dead? Hes in charge. They will forgive because they have been forgiven, and they will be gracious to others because God has been gracious to them. Frank Turek has a full evening session on miracles. Im praying for you right now, Reita. You can trust Him. So he called to him, Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire. But Abraham replied, Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. So many keep saying his the Lord spoke to them, how they had a dream, a sign. Where is Elijah and Enoch and Moses etc then? (Matthew 28:18-20) According VERSE 19, this passage says a disciple is made, baptized and taught all under the authority of Christ. Unfortunately, thats not necessarily good enough to convince anyone. Jesus was buried in a tomb, as this was the tradition of that day. If theres some way I can help, I will help. Its okay to speculate. Its not. For most of my life I believed in a higher power and that person to me is God. Jesus died to set us free from slavery to sin, and to show us how much He loves us. Your feet should be comfortable. I deal all the time with spiritually immature believers, and the one thing they all have in common is that they dont really know what God has already told them. I got doubt, because Also, I went to catholic schools most of my educational years and have asked this question to teachers and PHD theology professors in college and I never got a clear, concise answer that made sense to me. When I explained the Trinity to a former oneness lady in my church just by showing her what the Bible says she understood immediately that the oneness church she grew up in wasnt telling her the whole truth. The question isnt whether baptism appears there, but what is SAID about baptism. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. Make it a habit. On the other hand, one might suggest that any person who seeks God sincerely is, at the very least, being saved. What happens in limbo? My church teaches we go to heaven after death. I hope to not sin again, and if I do. The modern notion of believing something isnt at all like what we read about in Scripture. You speak of Rob Bell. You say that youre concerned about following Gods doctrine correctly. First, we should ask what is Heaven?. Thats knowledge, not trust. It may be that how you handle this situation goes a long way toward your parents being able to see the value in seeking Jesus. People tend to think, Surely a message such as mine will convince people that God is real, and that they should heed my warning, and that I can help bring about revival. Maybeand maybe not. Those who are not reconciled to God go to Hell. The way you phrased your question tells me that youve misunderstood the nature of Christianity. I have committed sins before. While I usually recommend that Christians are baptized as soon as they know they want to join a community of believers, I dont recommend that children or young adults rush into it if their parents arent behind them. The Bible seems to indicate that a few notable people have already been ushered into Gods presence. Its not a choice of modern man as to the Holy Books contents. We should not expect everyone to meet our standards. Spending quality time with other people who follow Jesus will help you trust God better. As you said in your response to Kal, So, the caring person who wants nothing to do with God gets their wish, what does that mean exactly? The sounds (notes) cant be good or bad. It sounds like youre saying that being disobedient sinning will send a Christian to Hell. The thief on the cross wasnt baptized. You cant earn that. Because theyre worried about the cells in their body being dispersed and then being irretrievable. . The question isnt really what to do with your body after youre dead, but what to do with your spirit while youre alive. There is only one God, but there are three persons who make up that one God. Im sorry for the delay in replyingmy mother recently passed away, so Ive been pretty busy. This is certainly not true, because as you point out the Bible clearly shows that the Son is not the Father, and the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father. Thats not a teacherthats a troublemaker. Reconciliation is just making things right in a relationship. When you sin, talk to God about it. Think of it this way: God is a King, and He has a Kingdom. If we read John 3:3 in King James here you find your answer on Baptism. There are plenty of other good places to learn more about God and how He wants us to live, but those will give you a great head-start. Being filled with the Spirit is often called the anointing, and has nothing to do with salvation. While the Bible teaches that homosexual activity is a sin, so are gluttony and pride and, as youve pointed out, fornication and a whole bunch of other things. Youre either running TO God or running FROM Godthe choice is yours. 100% false. You make a good point, Gina. First, thank you for writing. A good answer must start with a definition of sin. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich mans table. Jesus talked about that in John 3. Well, then youll want to learn what this amazing life looks like. What about peoples good intentionsis it enough to believe that doing good is good, even if we never get around to doing good things? Your confusion is absolutely natural, of course. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. First, thanks for writing. There are a lot of things that Christians disagree on. You will be surprised at who is and isnt in Heaven when you get there. Good question. Our churches would be vibrant, godly and convincing the world that we are His disciples (John 13:34-35). Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. The same notes are used in good music and bad. The rhythm cant be good or bad, either. please help answer my question. Youre correct when you say that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one. Because I used to be on staff at a church that taught what you believe: that the initial physical evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues. Theres nothing thats three things in one. Your original question (on Facebook) included an article from the United Church of God. I attended church in my early childhood years. The Bible tells us that everyone has been forgiven. As for your sins, welcome to the club. >> Do the rules change about sin or have we gotten the whole Gay and Christian thing wrong? Demonically controlled? That doesnt mean you have to go to church every time the doors open it means dont give up. Well, thats only the beginning of the awesomeness! You know, things like loving your neighbor and being forgiving and so on but more. Ill use another passage to illustrate: If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Im thirteen and I will not be able to be baptized because my parents are not christian. If youve been born again and want to tell a local community of Christians that you intend to be part of that community, then baptism seems like a good idea. Baptism is what we do AFTER we believe not to have our sins forgiven, but to demonstrate to the community of faith that we have joined them by trusting God. Usually, an error only applies in specific situations. Turns out my faith was strong enough to not need Him holding my hand all day, like I thought. Amen. In John 3:5 Jesus tells Nicodemus, Except a man be born of the WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT, he CANNOT enter into the kingdom of God. Christians begin this process before they die. God is righteous. Im not saying, go to church. Im saying that when you decide to follow Jesus, you ARE the church you and me and everyone else who follows Jesus. We see that God is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness not once, but in Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Nehemiah, Psalms, and Joel! The son is of God and The holy ghost was created before all time and all creation. They put themselves in the position of prophet, proclaiming what they believe to be Gods message, and they get into all kinds of trouble. I say it to encourage you, because you CAN know the Scriptures! I have a question. When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the penalty for sinall sins, for all people, for all time. I just have to wait and see! Thats one of the hard things about life. Without that breath, Adam would not have been alive. Its usually easiest to find people like that in local congregations, so start there but you found me, right? They will seek first His kingdom, and always be ready to explain why they have hope in Christ. His dad, my son, is a wonderful dad. Baptism isnt just a Christian thing. Let me know if theres anything more I can do for you. Thats because we know what this life is like, but we dont know a lot about what the next life will be like. She said, I already asked him last year, and we talk about church sometimes. I belong to Him, and THAT is why Im going to Heaven not because I sin less than I used to, or because I was baptized. We implore you on Christs behalf: Be reconciled to God. The more we study to show ourselves approved just as the Lord ask us to, the closer walk we can have with Jesus. Thank you that you help many who has questions, keep up the good work and may God use you mightily. One of the foremost New Testament scholars in the world doesnt believe in the resurrection. Its important to get the command right, or our assessment is likely to be off. God wants us to be reconciled to Him, and Hes done His part. And lofi barely has any words in it. No, of course not. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us. He answered, Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. He was a child long desired but not awarded to us We buried him alongside the martyrs with whom he shares the compact of the tomb, We should baptized by following the example set for us in Scripture. No, he obviously didnt. God became a man for several reasons, but a main one was to show us how to live right. In March of the next year, he finally got in touch. The Holy Spirit who is God Himself comes and lives in us. Thats never a good idea. You asked about false teachers, not about Rob Bell. Thats a horrific tragedy. Let me reassure you: there is nothing in the Bible about how Christians are to handle this issue. He wont come. The lady said to ask anyway, and my dad answered instantly that he would go. Now, we know that not everybody will go to Heaven, right? One of my Grandpas died before I was born, so we never met. Ive dealt with this situation a number of times in the past, and it has always ended in one of two ways: heartbreak or disaster. He was talking about surrendering to God and trusting Him, rather than trusting that our own efforts might save us. Id love to hear that youve done that, so I can call you my brother. Honestly, while Heaven sounds great, Im at least as concerned about the here and now. Its not a spiritual act by itself, and it produces no spiritual change in our hearts. And heres the important 3 criteria sent and commanded by Jesus What happens to unbaptized babies when they die? Why? He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Someone who was buried 600 years ago has decomposed, and the surrounding plants and animals and bugs used their body for nutrients. They listened to what they were told, but then they went back to Gods Word to make sure that the apostle Paul was right. Internal organs function less as blood pressure drops. Does that make sense?. I have created alot of sins before and want them to be gone. If youd like a hand picking a few local churches to visit, I can help. Because of this, there is no disagreement between them. Heres one: The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. Let me ask you: are YOU reconciled to God? Im very confused. Do you feel like the church your parents take you to is as waste of time, and that youd rather be serving God more seriously than they are? The word disciple is MATHETES, which means learner or student. More than anything, we who follow Jesus should be students who never stop learning. Mormons borrow the idea of God, then use that idea to claim that God was once a man and that men can become gods. So do others who talk with me about Rob Bells words. My goal isnt the behavior modification of the lost, but the spiritual transformation of the lost into the found. It is just so confusing because why would someone go to a place that they arent even sure exists and be punished so severely for their personal beliefs? In John 20:17, Jesus said, Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Nobody can go to Heaven unless theyre born of the Spirit that is, unless theyre baptized in the Holy Spirit. If you havent already, I hope that youll make the decision to place your full faith and confidence in Him right now. >> If Jesus died for all our sins, then what is the limit of human sin? When a Catholic marries an unbaptized person, even in a Catholic ceremony, the Catholic spouse is not conferring the sacrament of matrimony on the non-Christian spouse. You ask an interesting question, and its one that puzzles a lot of people. The most authoritatively the Church has spoken on this are the council of Carthage in 419 (accepted by Trullo in the East in 692) and in the Confession of Dositheus (accepted by the pan-Orthodox Council of Jerusalem in 1672). Ephesians 2:1-10. Period. Thats very meaningful for people like myself, whose earthly father fell short in significant ways. 3 The number of people who think about or attempt suicide is even higher. Some take this to mean that trinitarians are polytheists, or tritheists. This is certainly not true, because there is only one God. You may or may not be able to control what (or who) youre attracted to. We should also pay close attention to what it does say. He said yes, but its not his Name. He really does. Have a great day! This is still very much a work in progress for me and I take it day by day, but Im confident that God will help me overcome it, where once I was not confident at all. Dont believe everything you hear about who God is and how He works. Of course it is. It is because a small mistake can lead us to hell.. From that i was thinking that going to heaven is not that easy.. Im scared that i will not meet my parents when im gone like were in the different world.. And i dont want to suffer in hell and ofc i dont want to let my parents go to that place too.. With respect, we should avoid using our feelings as a test for truth. Its simply the place where God is. The story isnt about him and his mistakes, thoughits about the loving father who watched the road, waiting for his son to come home. Let me know if it raises more questions than it answers. Baptism is important, but it doesnt give us life. Believers have always been saved in the same way: by believing. First, they gained a different perspective on their situations. So, when asking whether something is a sin, we need to look at the command to do, or not do, that thing. You see, nobody has what it takes to get to Heaven on their own. If your grandsons are there, they will be hoping to see you. On the other hand, some also have only half of the story on Jesus. Im just asking the questions. The Bible says that God is love. Do you believe that God just happened to love us? I dont know whether that was Gods plan, but I would be grateful that it happened. Limbo is a theory developed by Medieval theologians as the place where unbaptized persons go when they die. Thats not how it works at all. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Thats a big encouragement for others, and a wise thing to do. I want to be fair to Bell, and to answer your question responsibly. Thankyou so much for the encouraging words, and no that wasnt hard to take in, it is kind of true our church pastor even talks about how immature Pentecostals have grown, I will be patient and try reading the new testament. Being anointed by the Holy Spirit is being made able to serve when theres a need. You and I need to look for ways to serve others, and not focus on having God serve us by making us feel good all the time. God wants everybody to be with Him for eternity, because He loves everybody. Were not all great at it yet, but we want to be like God. ), Is there any good way to explain it, or understand it better? The Word/Jesus was the flesh. Im totally stoked that you want to know God truly, genuinely, and completely. Ive been studying what Jesus said and did for a long, long time. How that all works, exactly, is still unknown. Sometimes we see what we want to see, and our feelings will often confirm our hopes. You can read about it in Acts 10. >> The baptism talked of is controversial. If you have a faith community that is, a group of Christians that you worship and learn with you should be baptized in their presence as a statement of faith. Im going to comment on what Ive readnot from others, but from his own writings. Its not that difficult. God can do anything He wants to, including giving angels the ability to look like someone else. Jesus was in the world. Its simply where God is and we who have eternal life will live with God forever, being where He is. If you feel that your relationship with your grandparents is strong enough for a bit of push-back, heres what I might do. Let me know if you have any questions. Theres a lot we dont know about what happens after we die, as the Bible isnt really very clear about it. (Going based off the idea that one must atone for sin before entry into Heaven). The New Testament had not come into effect until Christ had died, (0ld testament vs New Testament) that is why the thief was saved but under the new law or New Testament your baptized to get into the death and blood of Christ. Many saying only salvation enough for going heaven, not beliving holyspirit to go heaven. Theres no penalty left to pay. The only people who will be judged are those who insist that they want nothing to do with Him. How can we born again? I was saved about 6 months ago. It sounds to me like you were probably saved, or at least that you were in process. Honestly, I wouldnt spend a lot of time debating the idea with anyone, including myself. He died to save us from sin, and was resurrected. He said no, its not his name. Because they refuse to surrender and be reconciled to God. Whats the difference between going to Heaven and going to Hell? I was so scares if we didnt go to heaven like what im hoping for.. His response: If speaking in tongues is a necessity, why would Paul explain that not all do? If baptism is something we do because we understand God and what He wants from us, then we should all be baptized over and over as we learn more about Him. Rev. I wouldnt rely on the UCG for any of my doctrine. Verse 8: false teachers do not have the authority that comes from God, where whats being taught matches the gospel as it was initially taught by Jesus and His disciples. Neither you nor I know what that woman looks like, but if you cooperate with Him you will be amazed at how youve changed. Hes been there all along, gently nudging you in His direction. those of us who came later and inherited this world were born into sin and our heritage is the unforgiven disobedience and sins of our ancestors. Fever. If youre able to ask them for advice, you may find their information helpful even if it hurts a bit. Thats not at issue. Thank you, Mer. Youre welcome to continue the conversation, Andreas. Because: following Jesus means that we know what He taught, and we do it. Admittedly, Ive strayed from the straight and narrow, I think its normal for a teenager, but I usually try my best to be productive, polite, and helpful, not necessarily for salvation, but because I thought it was the right thing to do. The Bible explains this: we share some of Gods character, which is why we can be so incredible but we often choose to do things our own way, on our own, for selfish reasons. So I just want to say something like what was the whole purpose of God putting dinosaurs on this planet which Im not really including Science.But what was the purpose or is it just lies from other people who are trying to deceive us in saying that dinosaurs roamed on this earth millions of years ago? You may or may not be hearing directly from God. People who have said YES to God. He will rule with an iron rod. The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. The only way to actually trust the chair is to sit on it. We can be pretty awesome, or we can be pretty awfulGod only cares that we come home, so He can lavish us with His love and teach us how to be more like Him. John 1:1 tells us clearly, As for our bodies and spirits, again: we dont know much. Youre very kind! Christian baptism isnt uniquely Christian. He said it to me, in fact. God loves you so much that He would never steer you wrong. I have good news for you: God loves you! I am torn. We wont go to church together, but we can support each other all the time. Ask questions. Jesus saved the sinners. 6:23 ), they have not earned such "wages.". After becoming a Christian, you should be baptizedbut not being baptized does not make you not a Christian. I would caution you on this. I idolized people (Hollywood) just like justin bieber or one direction.. For me, its a very serious problem and i cant stop from listening to their musics.. About minutes ago, i watched a video, what really happen in hell and i aalmost crying.. First things first. Well, the God that Christians worship is just. . Does that make sense? I belive in good and is willing on plan on going to heaven. This baptism needs no ritual, has no script, and cannot be done by human hands. The point Im making is that going to Heaven after we die isnt simply like going on a trip to a nice placeits going to be with God. This is silly superstition, to be sure. I can help. Please dont hesitate to contact me if you have more questions! Iam born again christian. He wants to heal your broken heart, Hera. You have it. Youre borrowing ideas from the Bible, but pretending that they mean whatever you want them to mean. The problem is that a lot of people disagree without having done any homework. I could go on and on. All it takes is surrender. Explain your faith, and your decision to be baptized, and tell them how important it is to you. You see, Audry: our problem is not that were bad, and need to be good. Wouldnt you want to learn from their wisdom? As for your post, Ill try to reply simply, but without being too short. I spend a lot of time explaining why believing in Jesus is a rational, reasonable, and good thing to do. The answer is that it depends. 28:18-20; CCC 848). The Confusion is: We dont have to like it, but we do have to deal with it. Now, on to your question about cremation. Being good isnt the measurement. For some like myself whose relationships with our earthly fathers wasnt so great, its good to keep in mind that God is not like that.