Sufficient Self's Bible Study Group

[Wannabefree]

I have not been baptized yet. Well, I was as an infant, but in my belief system, that doesn't count. i was raised in a Chrsitian Reformed church. I strayed during my teen years, and started seeking out Jesus when my youngest was born. I have been to several different churches over the years (12 years, 7 different churches, three different towns.) I always planned on getting baptized. The church I go to now will be the one I will get baptized in, hopefully this summer.

I was just baptised last year myself I do feel it is very important. The bible has a lot to say on the topic.

 

[BarredBuff]

I have not been baptized yet. Well, I was as an infant, but in my belief system, that doesn't count. i was raised in a Chrsitian Reformed church. I strayed during my teen years, and started seeking out Jesus when my youngest was born. I have been to several different churches over the years (12 years, 7 different churches, three different towns.) I always planned on getting baptized. The church I go to now will be the one I will get baptized in, hopefully this summer.

I was just baptised last year myself I do feel it is very important. The bible has a lot to say on the topic.

Were you baptised in a creek or baptistry?

 

[Wannabefree]

Miss the north~ I do my word studies online. That's where I do all my Swagbucks searches for the day so I earn free stuff while I study

Can you provide links? I have tried searching, I guess I don't know where to look.

Sure can. Though I use several different sites that are mainly pertaining to Christianity and get the whole "as applies to biblical terms" you can use any hebrew/english or greek/english online translators. here's a link for hebrew.


http://www.stars21.com/translator/hebrew_to_english.html

 

[BarredBuff]

Thanks that will come in useful!!

 

[miss_thenorth]

I have not been baptized yet. Well, I was as an infant, but in my belief system, that doesn't count. i was raised in a Chrsitian Reformed church. I strayed during my teen years, and started seeking out Jesus when my youngest was born. I have been to several different churches over the years (12 years, 7 different churches, three different towns.) I always planned on getting baptized. The church I go to now will be the one I will get baptized in, hopefully this summer.

I was just baptised last year myself I do feel it is very important. The bible has a lot to say on the topic.

I agree. My hubby was raised baptist,and was baptized when he was 12, but he strayed also. He just became saved this past summer, I would like for him to be baptized with me. It would also be realy nice for my kids to be baptized at the same time too, they have commited their lives to Jesus also, ..... but I realize I am dreaming. It would be nice for all of us to do it together, but I will do it anyways, and they can when they are ready. Absolutely NO pressure from me. for hubby when he was younger, he was basically expected to, and I don't want my kids to think they are being pressured, after all, look what happened to dh. When they get baptized, I want it to stick.

 

[Wannabefree]

I have not been baptized yet. Well, I was as an infant, but in my belief system, that doesn't count. i was raised in a Chrsitian Reformed church. I strayed during my teen years, and started seeking out Jesus when my youngest was born. I have been to several different churches over the years (12 years, 7 different churches, three different towns.) I always planned on getting baptized. The church I go to now will be the one I will get baptized in, hopefully this summer.

I was just baptised last year myself I do feel it is very important. The bible has a lot to say on the topic.

Were you baptised in a creek or baptistry?

Baptistry thankfully, it was last November I believe....pretty chilly outside

 

[BarredBuff]

Mine was in the creek where like the last 3 generations of my family had been baptised. Sort of a tradition I guess. At mine people had to go barefoot because it was VERY muddy and wet. We did my baptism in a thunder storm.

 

[Wannabefree]

I have not been baptized yet. Well, I was as an infant, but in my belief system, that doesn't count. i was raised in a Chrsitian Reformed church. I strayed during my teen years, and started seeking out Jesus when my youngest was born. I have been to several different churches over the years (12 years, 7 different churches, three different towns.) I always planned on getting baptized. The church I go to now will be the one I will get baptized in, hopefully this summer.

I was just baptised last year myself I do feel it is very important. The bible has a lot to say on the topic.

I agree. My hubby was raised baptist,and was baptized when he was 12, but he strayed also. He just became saved this past summer, I would like for him to be baptized with me. It would also be realy nice for my kids to be baptized at the same time too, they have commited their lives to Jesus also, ..... but I realize I am dreaming. It would be nice for all of us to do it together, but I will do it anyways, and they can when they are ready. Absolutely NO pressure from me. for hubby when he was younger, he was basically expected to, and I don't want my kids to think they are being pressured, after all, look what happened to dh. When they get baptized, I want it to stick.

My daughters were baptized the same day, and DH and I were in the baptistry together. Our pastor baptized us both at the same time It was sweet!! DH hadn't wanted to either, but then i was slated to go do it, and he looked up all the scripture and decided it was the right thing to do. So, maybe your DH will do the same Lead the way sister!

 

[Denim Deb]

I was quite young when I was baptized, but I'm not sure now how old I was. And, I was baptized in a baptistry. I can remember being afraid that the water would be over my head, and I couldn't swim!

 

[Rebbetzin]

Can someone explain 'works' vs 'faith' to me as related to OT and NT?
I have heard this before but being new to the Bible, I really am not clear.. I am assuming it is behavior vs faith?

Please forgive me for not reading all the other posts yet. I just got home from milking. My wonderful husband is fixing dinner so I can post this before it is time for Chapter 3!

Ok... Please bear with me.

There is NO difference between the OT and NT when it come to Faith/Trust. The word "Faith" has come to be corrupted from it's original meaning. Faith is merely TRUST.

Remember Abraham, He had FAITH or rather he simply TRUSTED what the Holy One told him and it was accounted to him as righterousness.

The only difference in the OT and NT is the Messiah has come and revealed what the OT was all about.

In order to understand the Bible you must understand the offerings in the Tabernacle/Temple. The Messiah did NOT do "substitutionary" atonement. He did atonement for us by "agency" it is more than semantics.

The Laws didn't change, what is right to do, is still right to do. What changed is our relationship to the Law.
We should no longer need the "Law" (externally applied) to do what is right. We are to be inwardly motivated and empowered (by the Spirit dwelling within us) to do what is right.

According to V.20 We are DEAD, we died on the cross when the Messiah died. It is no longer we who live but the Messiah who is to live through us. The Messiah doesn't need the "Law" to tell Him what is right to do. And neither should we.

We are to be dead. Our desires, and our hopes and dreams are to be HIS, desires, hopes and dreams. Our lives are to reflect HIS LOVE in this lost and dying world. Our hands and feet are to be HIS hands and feet in the world.

Once we grasp this concept, we will no longer struggle with the question "Would it be a sin if I ___." (you fill in the blank) If you can't see the Messiah doing it, then you shouldn't be doing it.

V21. Paul is saying he did not set aside the grace of the Holy One, for if he was able to obtain righeousness through merely doing what is right. Then the Messiah had died in vain.

Grace has much more meaning that "unmerited favor" as it is usually translated. In almost every place you see the word "grace" you can put this in phrase ... "the desire and ability to do the Will of G_d" and it will be more to the point.

We know from 1 Corinthians 13 that we can do lots of "right" things but without LOVE it will profit us nothing. That doesn't mean we shouldn't do all the right things, it just means, doing them doesn't bring us salvation.

We know from the book of James, that Faith/Trust without commensurate deeds is DEAD.

Our trust/faith in the Holy One will cause and enable us to act accordingly. It has always been that way and it will always be that way.