I heard a story of a young man wanting to be baptized, so he called a preacher who agreed to meet him at a tank (pond) on a ranchers land in Texas. The young man and some friends arrived there first, and while they waited on the preacher they all went swimming. Tragically, before the preacher arrived something went awry and the young man drowned. This being a steadfast “baptism doeth now also save us” congregation, great discussion went on through out that brotherhood about the status of his salvation.
There is a similar story about a young man who went to a summer church camp and was encouraged to be baptized. He and a number of his friends decided they wanted to be baptized together, however when the camp counselor called his father, he was disallowed doing so because of his fathers concern if it would be a baptism of regeneration, or peer pressure. This young man rebelled in his heart against his dad by deciding he would not in the future be baptized either.
I am not discussing the guilt of the father or son on this occasion although their may have been better ways for both to react. I’m just wondering, If circumcision could be of the heart and not of the flesh, then could it be so for baptism. Could a drowned boy and a boy who was not allowed immersion be baptized of heart? Hmmmm…
One more thing. Why do you think that when virtually every new believer in the New Testament was baptized, it is so hard to be grasp in this day and age. Sure, I admit it’s a mystery, but more of a mystery is that something so simple is so hard to swallow when it doesn’t fit these reformation- restoration doctrines? I dunno?!… I’m sure it has something to do with my upbringing. That gets em off the hook in their minds anyway.
Some folks may assume I ask leading questions to get into a quarrel. I ask questions because I have questions that are unresolved in my mind. I hold to a particular idea because it is all I have for now (feeble as it may be). Maybe someday you’ll be the one who shows me the answers I’ve been searching for.
Thanks for dropping by, Bubba
2 comments:
Another one of those things I think a lot about!!!!
Thanks for provoking my thoughts again!
Good post... In my mind the paradox has more to do with our tendency to beleive we must have an etched in stone version so that we can hand it out to everybody... as far as what I can see God is more concerned with the intention/desires. The great thing is that God knows our true intentions and desires and so the only thing to resolve is if we can be honest with ourselves.
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