REJECTING THE COUNSEL OF GOD G. F. Raines Concerning the baptism that John administered, Jesus said: “And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him” (Luke 7:29,30). E. G. Sewell wrote: “Do you suppose it will be a less matter to reject the baptism commanded by the Savior than that preached by John? If the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God in refusing to be baptized by John, do you not think you would also reject the counsel of God against yourself if you were to reject the baptism commanded by Jesus and practiced by the apostles everywhere they went and preached? And do you think you could have the promise of pardon and at the same time reject the counsel of God against yourself by refusing a positive command of God?” When Jesus says, “Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5), who has the right to stand between the Savior and the sinner and say he can? And when the Lord says, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16), who has the right to say, “He that believeth and is not baptized shall be saved?” Peter says: “...Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). Ananias says: “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Paul says: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:3,4). The word of Christ is the word of God (John 3:34), “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3,4). “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3).
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 08:44:09 +0000
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