Common Objections

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Common Objections

• How to respond to
• Common Objections
• To Baptism

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Baptism Study Part 6

• There are many objections made by people who
  resist being baptized.
• We will study 15 of these objections
• How should we respond when someone offers an
  objection to baptism?
• Kindness Understanding
• Clarity - Biblically

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1 Thief on the Cross

• Was the thief on the cross baptized?
• Bible does not tell us
• General opinion is No, he was not
• Does this mean that baptism is not necessary for
  us?

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1 Thief on the Cross

• Understand what baptism represents
• Death
• Burial
• Resurrection
• These events had not occurred yet
• Jesus was still alive
• Baptism was put into practice Acts 2

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1 Thief on the Cross

• The New Testament (will, covenant) does not
  become effective until the death of the testator
• Hebrews 916 - For where there is a testament,
  there must also of necessity be the death of the
  testator.

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2 Saved by Prayer

• Revelation 320 - Behold, I stand at the door and
  knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the
  door, I will come in to him and dine with him,
  and he with Me.
• Many take this verse out of context
• They apply it to initial salvation
• This is addressed to a church

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2 Saved by Prayer

• Many teach that repeating a prayer is how
  salvation is obtained
• Jesus I know that I have sinned against you. I
  have sinned by my own choice. I take the
  responsibility for it. I know that I have earned
  punishment from You, and that the fair punishment
  would be death.

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2 Saved by Prayer

• Jesus, I believe that You died in my place.
  Forgive me for my sin. I cannot cover up or take
  my sin away, I am relying totally and completely
  on You. I am completely helpless. You are the
  only one who can save me.
• Please come into my life, wash away my sins, and
  save me.

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2 Saved by Prayer

• NOWHERE in Scripture do we find anyone praying
  for salvation
• The thoughts and ideas expressed in this prayer
  are correct.
• Jesus expects obedient faith
• Many object that baptism is a work but demand
  the lost say a prayer.
• Is that prayer a work?

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2 Saved by Prayer
Scripture Prayer? Baptism?
Acts 2 No Yes
Acts 85-12 No Yes
Acts 826-40 No Yes
Acts 9 No Yes
Acts 10 No Yes
Acts 1615 No Yes
Acts 1616-33 No Yes
Acts 188 No Yes
Acts 193-5 No Yes
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2 Saved by Prayer

• If one has prayed this prayer
• They stopped on the 1 yard line
• Ask Why did you not complete your obedience by
  being baptized?

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3 Baptism is a work

• What do we mean by work
• Work to earn salvation NO!
• Work of obedience YES!
• Believing and Repenting are things we must DO for
  our salvation
• These things require human action
• Faith must be active James 217

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3 Baptism is a work

• God measures our faith by our actions
• James 217-19 - 17Thus also faith by itself, if
  it does not have works, is dead. 18But someone
  will say, You have faith, and I have works.
  Show me your faith without your works, and I will
  show you my faith by my works. 19You believe that
  there is one God. You do well. Even the demons
  believeand tremble!

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3 Baptism is a work

• God measures our faith by our actions
• James 224 - You see then that a man is justified
  by works, and not by faith only.
• Did you catch that?
• We are NOT saved by faith only.

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4 Infant Baptism

• Some say, I was baptized as an infant and dont
  need to be baptized again.
• Original sin Total depravity
• Idea is we inherit the guilt of sin from Adam.
• Result is all men are born lost, depraved,
  without hope

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4 Infant Baptism

• Matthew 1914 - But Jesus said, Let the little
  children come to Me, and do not forbid them for
  of such is the kingdom of heaven.
• We CHOOSE to sin.
• James 114-15 - 14But each one is tempted when he
  is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
  15Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth
  to sin and sin, when it is full-grown, brings
  forth death.

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4 Infant Baptism

• There are prerequisites for baptism
• Faith Mark 1616
• Repentance Acts 238
• Confession Acts 837
• We inherit the CONSEQUENCES of sin
• Not the GUILT of Adams sin

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5 - Command, not Essential

• Some say that baptism is not essential for our
  salvation
• Baptism is commanded Acts 1048 - And he
  commanded them to be baptized in the name of the
  Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

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5 Command, not Essential
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5 Command, not Essential
 
Does this make sense?
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5 Command, not Essential

• We dont bury live people.
• We bury dead ones!
• If we are saved before baptism then baptism has
  no meaning and contradicts itself.
• If we deny our resurrection in baptism, we deny
  Christs resurrection.

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6 Holy Spirit Baptism

• Some suggest that we are saved at HS baptism, not
  water baptism
• It is taught that water baptism BEGINS the
  process
• When one receives HS baptism the process is
  COMPLETE

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6 Holy Spirit Baptism

• Several observations must be made
• HS baptism was NEVER commanded
• HS baptism is a PROMISE
• HS baptism was for the APOSTLES
• HS baptism was a measure of POWER
• HS baptism was NOT for salvation

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6 Holy Spirit Baptism

• Much more could be studied on this subject
• BUT we are studying Baptism
• The baptism mentioned in the conversions in Acts
  was not HS baptism

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7 Not in every verse

• Some point to verses where baptism is not
  mentioned
• Acts 1630-31 - 30And he brought them out and
  said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31So
  they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
  you will be saved, you and your household.
• Baptism is not mentioned.

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7 Not in every verse

• REASON The answer will vary with where you are.
• Illustration with a trip How far is it to
  Disney World?
• In Michigan
• In Tennessee
• In Orlando, Florida
• All answers would be correct

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7 Not in every verse

• This same argument can apply to other subjects in
  the Bible
• Faith
• Repentance
• Prayer
• Moral living
• Worship

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8 Saved by Blood

• Are we saved by water OR blood?
• Both! 1 John 56 - This is He who came by water
  and bloodJesus Christ not only by water, but by
  water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears
  witness, because the Spirit is truth.

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8 Saved by Blood

• The issue here is WHAT and WHEN
• WHAT can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood
  of Jesus
• WHEN does the blood of Jesus wash away my sins?
  In baptism

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8 Saved by Blood

• We access the blood through His body
• We access His body through baptism

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9 Saved by Grace

• Baptism does not minimize grace
• Ephesians 24-5 - 4But God, who is rich in mercy,
  because of His great love with which He loved us,
  5even when we were dead in trespasses, made us
  alive together with Christ (by grace you have
  been saved),
• This is Gods GRACE!

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9 Saved by Grace

• Ephesians 28-10 - 8For by grace you have been
  saved through faith, and that not of yourselves
  it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest anyone
  should boast. 10For we are His workmanship,
  created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
  prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

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9 Saved by Grace

• There are MANY things that save us
• GODS PART - Blood of Christ, Love of God, Grace,
  Mercy, Death of Christ, Life of Christ
• MANS PART - Faith, Repentance, Confession,
  Baptism, Faithful life
• Teaching any one of these does not minimize the
  importance of the others.

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10 What if I die before?

• The situation is described like this
• A man hears a sermon and believes
• He comes forward to be baptized
• As he is changing clothes - -
• He has a heart attack and dies
• Will he be lost because he was not baptized?

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10 What if I die before?

• The problem is not baptism
• The problem is a dilemma for God
• God knows the heart and intent of man
• He will judge on that basis
• If God wants to let that man into heaven I
  would not argue against God

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10 What if I die before?

• Think about this
• A man is hearing the sermon and just before he
  believes - -
• He has a heart attack and dies
• Same problem at a different point
• You are still alive. Why have you not been
  baptized?

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11 Greek word eis

• This preposition in the Greek eis (pronounced
  ace or ice)
• It is translated for in Acts 238 for the
  remission of sins
• Some try to argue from the English use of for
  as because of
• I laugh for joy because I have joy

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11 Greek word eis

• It is argued that we are to be baptized because
  we already have the remission of sins (already
  saved)
• Same words in Matthew 2628 - For this is My
  blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many
  for the remission of sins.

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11 Greek word eis

• Eis is translated by many English words
• Into (257) To (282) Unto (208) In (131) For
  (91) On (57) Toward (32) That (30) Against
  (25) Upon (25) At (20) Among (16) Concerning
  (5)
• Because of (0)

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11 Greek word eis

• Thayer entrance into, or direction and limit
  into, to, towards, for, among
• Clearly Jesus died on the cross for the
  remission of our sins
• NOT because our sins were already forgiven
• BUT toward, with a view to forgiveness

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12 Not sent to baptize

• 1 Corinthians 114-17 - 14I thank God that I
  baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,
  15lest anyone should say that I had baptized in
  my own name. 16Yes, I also baptized the household
  of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I
  baptized any other. 17For Christ did not send me
  to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with
  wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should
  be made of no effect.

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12 Not sent to baptize

• The emphasis here is that others could do the
  baptizing
• Paul was concerned that some might follow him
  because he baptized them
• Your baptism is not better or worse based on WHO
  baptizes you
• NOTE They had all been baptized!

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13 God heard my prayer

• Much discussion about God hearing or not hearing
  the prayer of a sinner
• John 531 - Now we know that God does not hear
  sinners but if anyone is a worshiper of God and
  does His will, He hears him.

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13 God heard my prayer

• Acts 102 - 2a devout man and one who feared God
  with all his household, who gave alms generously
  to the people, and prayed to God always.
• Acts 105 - So he said to him, Your prayers and
  your alms have come up for a memorial before God.

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13 God heard my prayer

• This apparent contradiction is answered by a 3rd
  passage
• 1 Peter 312 - For the eyes of the Lord are on
  the righteous, And His ears are open to their
  prayers But the face of the Lord is against
  those who do evil.
• Sincere seekers are welcome to pray
• Rebellious sinners are not heard

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13 God heard my prayer

• The issue is not alien sinner vs. Christian
• The issue is one of attitude
• If one (Christian or not) is sincere, seeking to
  do the will of God God will listen
• If one (Christian or not) is sinning with willful
  rebellion God will not listen
• What could they ask God?

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14 In the name of - -

• Some insist the the baptizer must say, In the
  name of the Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit.
  (Matthew 2819)
• Others insist that the baptizer must say, In the
  name of Jesus (only)
• TRUTH It is 6 of one and half dozen of the
  other. They are both the same.

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14 In the name of - -

• TRUTH In the name of does not require that the
  name be announced or spoken.
• In the name means by the authority, in
  accordance with their command or direction
• What is said is beneficial not required

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14 In the name of - -

• If you understand the nature of the trinity to
  call one is to call all 3
• If baptism is only valid based on words spoken
  baptism is reduced to an incantation, like the
  spell of a witch
• A baptism can occur with no words being spoken

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15 Call on the name

• Acts 2216 - And now why are you waiting? Arise
  and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling
  on the name of the Lord.
• Romans 1013 - For whoever calls on the name of
  the Lord shall be saved.
• What does it mean to call on the name of the Lord?

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15 Call on the name

• The Bible tells us what it means to call on the
  name of the Lord.
• It means to turn to God, seek Gods will, and do
  it.
• Acts 2216 - And now why are you waiting? Arise
  and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling
  on the name of the Lord.

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Conclusion

• Many object to baptism
• Some because they are rebellious
• Some because they dont understand the NT
  teaching
• Some because they have been incorrectly taught

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Final Thought
WHAT IF - - -
WHAT IF - - -