Christianity is exclusive. Its important to get the command right, or our assessment is likely to be off. He spends a lot of time in the book explaining why the Gospels (for example) are very credible eyewitness accounts of the life of Jesus. Ive never seen this work out wellnot once. Most of them grow-up to be rational, not believing in gods, life after death, and other harmful beliefs. This is the fire of purification in 1 Corinthians 3:15, and what we call purgative fire. Let me know if theres more I can do for you. If you lived near Denver, it could be me but, since you dont, it needs to be somebody. First, a false teacher is a teacher. I said is he lying about being a carpenter he said no, but its not his name. It means that the person who would pay the penalty for sins has changed, from you and me to Jesus. Im totally stoked that you want to know God truly, genuinely, and completely. I do know that he seems to fit Pauls description of a false teacher. The most authoritatively the Church has spoken on this are the council of Carthage in 419 (accepted by Trullo in the East in 692) and in the Confession of Dositheus (accepted by the pan-Orthodox Council of Jerusalem in 1672). As my knowledge was limited and I didnt have a community, I was also not aware of all my sins, so I didnt really change my lifestyle. At the resurrection, we will rise bodily from the grave, just as Jesus did. Do you feel like the church your parents take you to is as waste of time, and that youd rather be serving God more seriously than they are? Will the baby go to heaven if it dies? I also admit, Im wary to fully trust the bible as it was written by the hands of man, which is subject to the will of man leaving me afraid that I hadnt followed gods doctrine correctly. Read more about this in the next item on the list: Chapter and verse, my friend. Telling them that you will abide by their wishes while youre under their roof is wise, and acting rebellious and independent to be baptized seems unwise. 39 For the promise is unto YOU, AND TO YOUR CHILDREN, AND TO ALL THAT ARE AFAR OFF, as MANY as the Lord our God SHALL call. Worried Grandma. When we do that, God does something in us. Those who are not reconciled to God go to Hell. You wrote I dont know enough if this is the best religion for me yet. Let me strongly suggest that you examine this idea. Yes, youll find some of us Jesus-followers in many of your local churches. >> The thief on the cross was told he would be with him that day in paradise. We should baptized by following the example set for us in Scripture. The lake of fire is the second death. #2. When someone tells a grieving person Theyre in a better place, theyre trying to comfort that person. Please dont hesitate to write back, either here or in private. It would be pretty dumb to say I dont like to sing, so I guess I wont go to Heaven when I die, wouldnt it? Jesus told this story to show us what God is like. Dont try to grow on your own! Listen. Im not baptized but I still try to go to church twice a month because their the only days when I have time. If so, thats good. Thats the missing piece in our relationships with God. I remember crying thinking, if Im having problems with this, I cant be saved. I always work to be better. Thanks! When you find such a place, ask them when you can be baptizedand then do it. Imagine if EVERY Christian lived out Matthew 28:19 and taught other would-be Christians this truth as we walked with each other in life. It was a heartbreaking tragedy. I want to ask a question that makes me wanna cry right now.. Before I start, I want to introduce myself.. Im a 14 years old girl who lives in a family that never go to church but we pray sometimes.. Its embarrassing to say (im crying right now) that we pray like twice a year.. Following Jesus isnt just something we do on the outside. When were born again, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in each of us. When you die as a Reborn Christian, where does your spirit go then? Read the Bible. So the baby was carried in a small deal box, under an ancient woman's shawl, to the churchyard that night, and buried by lantern-light, at the cost of a shilling and a pint of beer to the sexton, in that shabby corner of God's allotment where He lets the nettles grow, and where all unbaptized infants, notorious drunkards, suicides, and others of the conjecturally damned are laid. Sometimes, life is tough. I welcome your feedback, of course. Will I go to heaven if I have committed a lot of sins and havent gotten baptized? Youve sinned. I will summarize the answers for you here, to try to answer your questions simplybut you might want to take a look at another couple of posts on GodWords as well: 4. Maybe God has you there so youll be ready for better service later. I wouldnt expect non-Christians to be obedient to God, nor would I run around telling strangers how to live. Get the wisdom they offer, ignore the silliness, and continue asking good questions about what God wants. I mean I grew up in this religion. why are you not on fire for Him and living the Christian life and bringing people into the Kingdom of God by telling them about Him ? If it were important, it would be in there. To the ancients, however, a son was the same kind of person as the father. Yeah, you may have never heard that part before. If so, you are my sister in Christ. When someone is dying, their heartbeat and blood circulation slow down. I agree that we who are born again will be with Jesus after we die. It sounds to me like you generally agree with what you know about Jesus, but youre unwilling to surrender to Him. Ephesians 2:1-10. We believe. If someone ends up in Hell, it wont be by accident. Why? god sent 2 angels to sodom , so yes god does allow angels in human form. The point is that the ceremony is done in front of your faith community. God is just. Since im not baptized and may commit sins how do i wash that away and go on the the heavon rode ? Myself and my father go into interpretations of Christianity and related religions, but I also note that I was born unbaptized and have yet to be. Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, 3 with 45,979 deaths in 2020. Lately Ive dedicated more of my life to God, destroyed my computer and tablet and spend more time in the word and prayer and my faith is growing. The idea seems to be that theyre worried about the resurrectionthat cremating their body will somehow make it harder for God to reunite their spirit with their flesh. >> I lost my eldest son a while ago and its a huge journey to go through. Sometimes its obvious that a person trusts God with their life. The church isnt a building. It seems very unfair that someone who murders or rapes or any other sick crime could be let into Heaven while someone who loved and respected all living things would be tortured for eternity in hell? Its usually easiest to find people like that in local congregations, so start there but you found me, right? The more we study to show ourselves approved just as the Lord ask us to, the closer walk we can have with Jesus. Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. He wrote a book called love wins in which he questioned some of the views of hell and critics have just basically tore him apart for it and in some cases they have discouraged people from reading the book. Theres no sin that Jesus did not pay for. This kind of thinking is relatively benign, but can and has, for many lead to serious theological problems. If youd like, I can show you where to read that theyre incompatible. Ill give you my PayPal email. I would guess because he opposes what God wants to do. Do the rules change about sin or have we gotten the whole Gay and Christian thing wrong? 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. This is the plan to expand the reign of the kingdom of God. Thats it. 1. The number of sins youve committed has absolutely nothing to do with whether you go to Heaven. When you responded by seeking more information about Him, that changed the nature of your relationship. The simple answer is that He doessort of. What people miss not knowing the Scriptures is that the Old Testament is chock full of Gods other side. They only have one side of the story! I believe that each persons sin, while grievous to God, is irrelevant in one sense: that a sinner who is reconciled to God will be considered righteous because of Jesus death on their behalf. If thats the case, then Jesus didnt actually die for your sinsdid He? First, they gained a different perspective on their situations. Baptism is good, and you should be baptized when you are ablebut being baptized wont wash away your sins. Are bankruptcy and debt spiritual consequences? I just seem to be living a life if pressure, guilt and fear that Im letting my Lord down in every way. Salvation is both a here and now and a not yet kind of thing. First, thanks for visiting. I kind of felt and still feel that I had no choice really, because of the pressure of becoming member of the Church. I do, so I would baptize as we see in Matthew 28: in the names of the three persons who are all one God. You should believe Him. Make it a habit. Were not all great at it yet, but we want to be like God. The idea is that when the head of a household came to faith, their entire household (family and servants alike) were baptized. If not, Id be very happy to hear it! He is God. I moved to my grandmas at some point in 2012. Im not the most devout: I dont go to church, nor say my prayers out-loud or frequently, although I think them often, and Ive yet to come to terms and fully comprehend the power of God and what exactly his actions and the actions of his vessels entail. No, I am not a Messianic Jew but there is a lot of their teachings which is very informative. When were discussing something that Christians throughout history have considered a direct command, its not enough to point to what the Bible doesnt say. However the bible also surports your soul going on to heaven immediately. I believe all Christians need to get baptized. After your explanation it makes more sense. You might take this part of the conversation over to another page on this site, The Doctrine of the Trinity. They dont love me. Thank you for your response. Think about it like a family. The thief on the cross proves that one does not need to be water baptized in order to be saved. Spread Jesus messagethe same message that He preached, that His disciples preached, and that believers have preached for many centuries. This is not an activist thing, I just realized this while reading through it all. The question of purgatory is entirely illogical to me, having read the Bible. From where I stand, you should follow Jesus lead. i know this is the right choice, but everything keeps getting in the way. I dont mean that you should just follow along during a sermon at church. You should now be baptized and take part in the community of faith. Heaven, by comparison, seems far away and kinda boring. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Its possible your parents are concerned because being baptized again might be seen as you leaving behind the faith they raised you in. I was baptized in my Church when i was a baby where i was sprinkled with water on my face in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, yet in the Bible it says you can only be baptized as a grown up in water. 28:18-20; CCC 848) Because theyre worried about the cells in their body being dispersed and then being irretrievable. We need friends and family around us. A good answer must start with a definition of sin. Are you as familiar with verse 17 as well? You may be better off if you try to figure out what that point might be. THAT makes all the difference! You choose your own path in life. Find out what Jesus taught about how we should live its awesome. I have no doubt Im wrong plenty of times as well. I dont want you to be confused about this issue, so Ill speak very plainly. Jesus talked about that in John 3. >> These people reading here need the truth their loved ones are somewhere. Ill explain: As you can see by looking around, humans are kind of messed up. You wouldnt usually repent and NOT be baptized. Reconciliation with God is just like reconciliation with another person. It might seem a little intimidating at first, but sit down and read a little regularly. Im 32 yrs of age and I was baptized at 15 yrs old when I wasnt truly ready. Do you? First, we must repent of our sins (Yes, Jesus paid for our sins, yet, we are still born in sin). The Bible says that God is love. Do you believe that God just happened to love us? That is the purpose of Christian baptism. While there will always be controversy over almost anything, ask whether his teachings help you understand Jesus better, help you learn to obey God better, and help you learn how to make disciples better. Jesus DID ask His Father to remove the cup from Him. Being good isnt the measurement. I hope to make it clearer for you. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. As a new parent, the concept of death is about as far from your mind as it . The first century church and all the apostles were very clear of the power of baptism which has been diluted greatly over the almost 2,000 years since the church started. How can we born again? There are also great free Bible apps for your phone, if you have one. God. When you sin, talk to God about it. As for whether the will of man was involved, it seems clear that it wasbut what is your concern? Church doctrine now states that unbaptized babies can go to heaven instead of getting stuck somewhere between heaven and hell.23 thg 4, 2007 Can you be Catholic without being Baptised? You can trust Him. I will be praying for you. Nothing wrong with that. Anything else YOU do to earn going to Heaven. To be more precise, Hes the perfect father. Hell come back at exactly the right time not a moment early, not a moment late. You dont get to decide who gets in or stays out, do you? Severe, acute diarrhea that is, diarrhea that comes on suddenly and violently can cause a tremendous loss of water and electrolytes in a short amount of time. Going on the Bible, from the beginning of time God has severely punished us for disobedience he is not forgiving, he threw us from the garden of eden naked and afraid and continued with his wrath against disobedience on people up until Noah. The Bible also makes it clear that the Father is God, Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. Thats a horrific tragedy. That appears to say that if you dont believe you are condemned to death or hell. Baptism is a public declaration of your faith, and thats important. Lets not pretend that feelings have anything to do with that. The entire point is a public declaration that you believe as they do, that Jesus is God in flesh, that you cant be saved without Him, and that you desire to serve Him with your whole heart for the rest of your life. I appreciate hearing from you. In John 20:17, Jesus said, Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. If you need to do some homework to understand exactly what God requires of you, I will help you but you will not go to Heaven if you dont surrender your life into Gods hands. Paul is the same author for the passage in 2 Corinthians 5 that you mentioned in your original post, as well as Colossians 2 and Galatians 3 in my response. In the middle east, they understand what a disciple is. Im scared and Idk know what to do. Thanks for asking! He taught His disciples to serve, rather than be served. Its trusting God: Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Show respect. I have a question for you, Jen. If theres more I can do for you, please let me know. Were to BEG people, if necessary, to be reconciled to God. I would recommend the non-confrontational approach. The first converts to Christianity were Jewish, and knew exactly what convert baptism was for: to show the community of faith that you have decided to follow Jesus. If you need to talk, I will always be available. I know: thats not what youve heard before. As for our bodies and spirits, again: we dont know much. 3:9), as the Church reaffirms in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC): Outside the Church there is no salvation. Righteousness equals belief), then you deserve to access all of the realms and Kingdoms in the heavens with God ? Only then could they make that kind of commitment. Here are a few things you need to know: First, you need to read the New Testament for a while. Scrutiny Rites. Your grandsons may be in Heaven, or they may not. I have a lot of visions about people I care about. I choose to live His way, which by the way is the best way Ive ever found. And the Word was With God AND Was God. Its a shame you dont have a donate button! Because people in Israel had lived as followers of God for many centuries, they all understood what baptism meant. Take a moment to read my article Is Christianity about Being Good?. There must be a difference between being saved and just having everlasting life. >> The baptism talked of is controversial. I realize that there are spiritual consequces for the actions done. Between 2012 July 2015, I sinned, I thought I have lost my faith in God, as I didnt really pray to him much, I didnt talk to him much. You dont need to be baptized to be saved, but you should be baptized after youre saved. I dont know if your Grandpa is in Heaven. Its a safety thing, especially for kids. The years after my baptism I unfortunately drifted away from Jesus, however recently I came back to Christ and repented my sins. Learn with them. waynehastings Original sin is a very corrosive doctrine and I reject the idea that anyone is born guilty of sin. Next, we should ask who decides who gets into Heaven?. Accept the things you like, reject the things you dont. What youre describing is very common. I certainly dont believe that. Theres absolutely no question about it. I dont know you, or them, or your relationshipso Ill try to simply share my thoughts, and what I might do. Consider for yourself the controversy over his books. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us. He answered, Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. The modern notion of believing something isnt at all like what we read about in Scripture. You can email me if you think it will be helpful. God is righteous. Does that make sense? Stupid? This is a lot more common than most people think. That doesnt sound like fun, but you can trust Gods decisions. Were born again. Isnt that what we all should do? There are groups of people out there who call themselves Christians who insist that believers have to be baptized using very specific words, in a very specific way, or it somehow doesnt count or that its wrong, and that God would be displeased by it. How can we get to heaven without baptism? From a biblical perspective, it doesnt matter at all. Youll want to find some other people near you who follow Jesus closely. They have perfect unity. Its possible with Gods providence (Matt. , Thats quite a lot of stuff in one comment. Turns out my faith was strong enough to not need Him holding my hand all day, like I thought. It sounds like you really want your sins to be washed away. You should at least have a diary, if you feel the need to write that much. You show wisdom here, and its nice to see it. God doesnt judge people based on what they dont know. I believe that choosing not to be baptized in this wicked lifetime is a superior moral choice to being baptized into a false faith. I hope youll write back and let me know. Why? 21st-century therapeutic moral deists (like yourself, it must be presumed) borrow the idea of Heaven and judgment and sin and forgiveness, but reject the idea that their sin must be forgiven or they will be judged as undeserving of Heaven. I didnt understand the fullness of the gospel, though. Have you decided to follow Jesus? First, we know that the molecules in our bodies will end up somewhere else, regardless of how our corpses are handled. Is it too late to be forgiven? He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. I just need guidance. I pray to god that were going to heaven but im not thay confident.. People say that theyre not going to heaven if they didnt accept jesus in their lifes.. im scared cause were not living like a very christian family.. and im not baptized yet.. im super super scared.. do god really accept me if i apologies, pray to him to open my parents hearts, and do i have a opportunity to change like theres a place for me and my family in heaven.. The limbo of the infants is one possible explanation for what happens to unbaptized children when they die. I do believe in God and I trust him, but now I know that its not enough. I wouldnt rely on the UCG for any of my doctrine. They will seek first His kingdom, and always be ready to explain why they have hope in Christ. Being Gay is not a problem for getting into heaven? It seemed to be more frequent when I was pregnant with my daughter . I know many people who would love to have children but are unable to. They have to trust God with their life. Are we reading from the same book because if read as it is written my interpretation is that god does not forgive, Jesus forgives and holy ghost guides but God is wrathful angry destructive and demands perfection from an imperfect subject made by his own hands.