However: nobody is served by having their dumb ideas bronzed. Well, thats only the beginning of the awesomeness! But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions it is by grace you have been saved. If you want to be baptized but are not allowed, relax. Let me know if theres more I can do for you. Theyll parrot what they learned in Sunday School (I recommend Sunday School) or what they heard on TV (I generally dont recommend TV), but they cant back it up with Gods Word. Your sins have already been forgiven. One might suggest that this is unfair, and they might seem to make a good point. Our churches would be vibrant, godly and convincing the world that we are His disciples (John 13:34-35). I want to get to a point where I believe this religion and I chose this religion for myself. 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. Theres nothing wrong with coming to God with selfish motives. First, they gained a different perspective on their situations. So, we seem to have a bit of a conundrum. I dont feel like I can condemn a gay person for acting in sin so to speak, when not doing so has that high of a personal price tag. Its about hearing the gospel and believing God. You may feel strong emotions when you see yellow because of your love for your sister, but that does not mean that she appears to you in butterfly form. I got baptized because I was scared to go to hell and thought I had to do it to be saved.. Your email address will not be published. I also hope that my answer wont create too many more questions. The way I understand Scripture, Jesus is the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world. Second, Ive removed your last name from your comment. Of course it is. Thanks for writing. I read and watch different articles and videos on the gospel and each one contradicts the other. In a religion, God will remain displeased until we do just the right things to please Him. Sure, we can know that a lot of our loves ones will be there. I mean to really, really commit your whole self to Him? If not, let me encourage you to write back so I can help you understand a little better what Jesus said. Its a bitter sweet feeling. You appear to base this confidence on the idea that youre a good person that the suffering youve endured is greater than the suffering youve caused. So: what about being gay? Only those who submit to God will end up in Heaven. Stupid? Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 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 question isnt really what to do with your body after youre dead, but what to do with your spirit while youre alive. Jesus died to reconcile you to GodHes done all of the work, and the only thing left for us to do is to accept this fact and trust God with our lives. This is going to be a bit long, so thanks ahead of time for your patience. I thought that Jesus was a piece of him in human form but not him entirely. They put themselves in the position of prophet, proclaiming what they believe to be Gods message, and they get into all kinds of trouble. The New Testament is clear that everyone will either be in Heaven or Hell. The answer is yes. Theyve definitely helped me. They cannot, of course. I also asked my college theology professor that question and his response was that Jesus made everything clean again. Is there ever a level of Sin where repentance and acceptance of Jesus as ones savior cant cover it? It was a heartbreaking tragedy. >> The problem is new theology or beliefs that get away from the traditions taught. Rather than kind of floating around the edges of their churches, they decided to fully immerse themselves in their relationship with God. Heres what I am saying: the eternal penalty for sin has already been paid. In Luke 16:19-31 Jesus told of a rich man who upon his death went to hell and suffered in the flames of torment. We can read about Gods love for us in the three parables in Luke 15 which, not surprisingly, express that we are valuable and cherished by God. You will be surprised at who is and isnt in Heaven when you get there. No, that would be demonic spirits masquerading as your loved ones. You may have noticed that I didnt mention baptism. Thanks for writing. No, a whole bunch of people on here are wrong. One songwriter put it this way, and I believe its true: If you love me, you will love the church. All through the Gospels, Jesus refers to Himself as the Bridegroom, and to us as the Bride. In the meantime, Im praying for youasking God to make Himself clear to you. I invite your comments on my opinions no matter which side you fall on ( agree or disagree). Being baptized only gets you wet. Any 21st-century person would likely read Acts 2:38 in the way you have. After all: if God can create the universe, theres no reason to believe He cant heal the blind. You cant earn that. Heres what Jesus said: For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Jesus said, the Way to the Father is through Me. Id be thrilled to help. Is the gift of salvation not something you must receive? Unless one believes that non-Christians can receive the Spirit, this should settle the issue on whether one must be baptized to be saved. Read more about this in the next item on the list: 846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers? Almost every religion teaches how one should act to make the gods not smite you, or to reward you for your good works. She said: "Families can learn when to give medicines and when to introduce visitors. Can you go to Heaven if youre not baptized? The main point here, in response to your comment, is that baptism was always a public ceremony. The problem is not your experience, but what you do as a result of experiencing it. Were a complex mix of awesomeness and awfulness. I do not know his motivation, or his spiritual conditionso please take note that Im not judging Rob Bell. What makes you think that good and bad exist? Some are confused, not understanding that the Son is God, because well, Hes the Son. The limbo of the infants is one possible explanation for what happens to unbaptized children when they die. 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. To be more precise, Hes the perfect father. I see them a lot and I am thankful that I get to see them and have a good relationship with them. I grew up listening to music, and still do (Im pretty old now). God. Sometimes we see what we want to see, and our feelings will often confirm our hopes. Thanks for writing! Im a Christian apologist. There will be plenty of people in Hell who recited prayers without being changed, and plenty who were baptized. You watch a video about Christianity, then discuss the video with a handful of other folks. But some thinking salvation is enough. From a biblical perspective, it doesnt matter at all. I have good news, though: it doesnt have to be this way! This is, of course, nonsense. Let me know what you think. Im happy to hear that youre my sister in Christ. As for our bodies and spirits, again: we dont know much. Its usually my first, internal, response. I love you too. I have a question for you, Jen. Those who make the case that Christianity is true are Christian apologists. Thats a pretty big deal. Back then, I had almost been hit by a vehicle. The existence of guardian angels as theyre portrayed in popular culture is barely supported in Scripture. Baptism says, I believe as you do, and I want to join you. If youre a believer, youve already been baptized, by Jesus, with the Holy Spirit. Repentance and baptism went hand in hand. That didnt make sense to Nicodemus, because it was different than what he had been taught. We dont know if that breath of life is personal or impersonal that is, we dont know whether its part of God, or whether its the same for each person, or whether that breath is each of our individual personalities. =). A little from here, a little from there. And do i get cremated or is that wrong? It obviously had nothing to do with pork itself, as Gods people ate pork before that, and after that. Jesus said that if you love Him, you will do what He commanded and that you would have abundant life as a result. Who goes to Heaven? Im always curious. He loves you, LaAsia. Nobody is forced to agree with me, either in fact, time after time, I tell people to NOT TAKE MY WORD FOR ANYTHING. Those who continue to rebel do not go to Heaven, in spite of all that Jesus has done to pave the way for us. The trouble is that most people WILL read Acts 2:38 like a 21st-century person. I wish no parent had to suffer in this way. If the thief was saved and Im pretty sure we agree that he was then it wasnt because he kept the law. Im curious: what happened to your sisters? Heaven is HOME for us, where we get to be together with our family forever. This would include things like not wearing two kinds of fabric togetheran instruction for the ancient Israelites, as a reminder to not mix worship of the One True God with the worship of anything else. One can be an apologist for anythingmaking a case for something isnt a religious endeavor. Thats a big encouragement for others, and a wise thing to do. Their spiritual growth is stunted because they spend more time on what they GET from God, rather than on what God wants FROM THEM. >> If you are unsure on what to do and you are alive breathing by his grace persue truth and strive for righteousness. A baptism of repentance was often part of the process, where people would acknowledge they had strayed from Gods intentions, and that they were turning back to Him. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Some of Her greatest Saints have disagreed on this issue: St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, for example, came to different conclusions. So must i be baptized again for hands to be laid upon me to receive the Holy Spirit, because it seems im just baptized for repentance of my Sins. As for your post, Ill try to reply simply, but without being too short. Im talking about growing closer to God by plugging into a healthy local church. THEY ARE NOT EACH OTHER Some take this to mean that trinitarians are polytheists, or tritheists. This is certainly not true, because there is only one God. Im Confused: That kind of belief isnt just agreeing with an idea. To fix it, the parents and the child have to come together and make things right. I feel the same way. Thanks! Try to connect with a bunch of people at the church. Jesus is our example, so you should take some time to learn about Him. The reason I say that nobody is in Heaven or Hell right now is that the Bible speaks of judgment as an end-time event. Your criticism is noted, and Ill be keeping an eye on myself to make sure Im not being unduly harsh. I hope I can be both helpful and encouraging. One sign of maturity is the ability to separate our feelings from the facts. Nonot a level of sin. I dont know. I was dead, and then God made me alive. Instead, you should wait. I dont say that to get you on my team, but because I care about you. Why? When someone tells a grieving person Theyre in a better place, theyre trying to comfort that person. It could be today, it could be tomorrow, it could be 1000 years from now. But I know if it is explained to me and that i truly do believe in Christianity than I have no doubt in my mind I will do what everything it takes to go back on the right path. I just have to wait and see! Jesus DID endure a horrible beating and death on our behalf. Ive found that many who struggle with questions about God struggle because theyre simply not born again. We dont know exactly what happens when we die. Another kind of instruction is to do something, like to love your neighbor.