God’s Unaltered Word

How often does mankind wrestle with the scripture in order to find ways not to obey it. So many will use man’s reasoning, or man made definitions to alter what God made so perfectly clear. Let’s examine a few of those unapproved alterations of the Gospel of Christ.

Catholic Baptism Disproved

The Catholics sprinkle, as opposed to immersion, because of human reasoning. They say IF a person was incapacitated, they couldn’t be immersed. Thus, sprinkle them, and call it baptism. They say, all were born sinful flesh. Rom 8:3 Thus, infant babies must be sprinkled.

All Christian converts were immersed. None were sprinkled. This fact is validated in the book of Acts. God gave no secondary way for anyone to be baptized. Secondly, infants don’t qualify for baptism, nor do they have the capacity to believe, confess, or repent which are all perquisites for baptism. Jn 8:24; Mt 10:32,33; Lk 13:3

Baptist Salvation Disproved

The Baptist say baptism is not needed for salvation because one is saved by FAITH ONLY. They say the THIEF on the CROSS was saved by FAITH ONLY. Thus, baptism doesn’t save.

James stated it as plainly as anyone. The demons believed and tremble. Jam 2:19 Faith without works is dead. Jam 2:20 Mankind is justified by works, and NOT FAITH ONLY. Jam 2:24  If we are justified by works then the question must be answered: What Works? The works of man, or the works of God? Jesus said that faith in and of itself was defined as a work of God. Jn 6:28,29 Titus wrote we are not saved by our works of righteousness, but by baptism, which Paul wrote was a work of God. Tit 3:5; Col 2:11,12 This same baptism Peter wrote saves us today. 1 Pet 3:21

The thief on the cross was not under the law of Christ, for Christ had not yet died. Secondly, the thief never asked to be forgiven or to be saved, nor did Jesus tell him he was forgiven or saved. The thief never said he believed Jesus was the Christ the son of God. What we do find is Jesus telling the thief that today you will be with me in paradise. This was Jesus last prophesy, for usually those who were crucified hung there for many days before dying. Mk 15:44 All Jesus was saying is that the thief would die the same day he died.

The bible tells us where Jesus was those 3 days he was in the grave, and where he wasn’t, and none of them is heaven. Jesus told Mary Magdalene after his resurrection to touch me not for I have not yet ascended to my Father which is in heaven. Jn 20:17 Peter wrote that Jesus during this time went and preached to the spirits which were in prison. 1 Pet 3:18-20 It even told us why he went there: “ For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” 1 Peter 4:6

Mankind will define paradise as heaven, but God never did. As Jesus described death in the story of the rich man and Lazarus, he established there were two parts of Hades: One for the righteous, and one for the unrighteous. It is evident that during those 3 days Jesus died, he went and preached to the spirits of unrighteousness. This is where the thief went when he died, if we believe the scriptures over man’s opinions.  As was prophesied of Christ, “Thou will not leave my soul in hell, neither will thou suffer the Holy One to see corruption.” Ps 16:10

Most hold on to the belief that thieves will be rewarded heaven if they only believe. Judas Iscariot was described as a thief, and he both believed and was baptized, and after his betrayal of Christ he even repented, and went and hung himself, and went unto his own. Mt 27:3-10; Jn 12:6; Acts 1:16-25 As the scriptures verify, anyone who dies in their sins go to hell. This was true for the thief on the cross, it was true for Judas Iscariot, and its true for us today for God is not a respecter of person. Jn 8:24; Gal 5:19-21; Rev 21:8; Acts 10:34

The Facts of Salvation

There is no example of anyone being saved by FAITH ONLY in the new testament. There is no example of anyone being SPRINKLED in lieu of baptism in the new testament.

The facts are exactly what the bible stated concerning all who were saved. They all heard the gospel. They all believed with the heart, and confessed with the mouth before men that Jesus was the Christ. Rom 10:9,10 They all repented and were baptized for the remission of their sins. Acts 2:38

There are no ifs, ands or buts about it, belief and Immersion saved every Christian convert in the new testament. Mk 16:16 No matter how mankind twists the facts, our salvation depends upon us following what God actually said, and not what we would have liked him to have said.

When we alter God’s Word by human reasoning, or by the use of human definitions, we always will end up in human error. God’s Word is all sufficient to teach us, to save us, and to prove all things. 2 Pet 1:2; 2 Tim 3:16,17; 1 Thess 5:21 It doesn’t matter WHY God commanded a thing, but rather BECAUSE God commanded a thing that compels every Christian to OBEY it. It always has, and it always will.