Acts 2:38 As Tradition

ILG · #1 08-26-2008, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deltaguitar

Like many here Baptism didn't really mean anything to me other than just crossing off something on the list to keep me out of hell.

I couldn't speak in tongues like everybody wanted me to so I was told to get baptized and I would receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. So I did it, I can barely remember but I know I was about six or seven.

After reading this post by DG, it made me think about conversion. How much is 'conversion' simply peer pressure? For me, it was not that at all....but my conversion was not typical of UPC conversions, nor was my husbands. I repented, was baptized in the titles and recieved the Holy Ghost in a charismatic church. I was totally changed and cleansed. Radically so. A few months later, I was rebaptized in Jesus name and nothing changed except the fact that I was called 'sister' by those in the church. I immediately latched onto standards simply seeing them as a beneficial way to live my life. I loved standards the whole time I was in the UPC. It was my love expression to a God who saved me. It was only later, after I saw the twisted way that people used standards to keep people in legalism that I gave them up....too sick about it to go on with it. But, I think much of the 'conversion' in church is just peer pressure. After all, anyone can get baptized, blabber a few syllables and wear the right clothes.

deltaguitar · #2 08-26-2008, 09:36 AM

. . . am i in trouble

ILG · #3 08-26-2008, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deltaguitar

. . . am i in trouble

LOL! Should you be? I hope you are not upset I quoted you. You were just being honest, right?

Jack Shephard · #4 08-26-2008, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILG

After reading this post by DG, it made me think about conversion. How much is 'conversion' simply peer pressure? For me, it was not that at all....but my conversion was not typical of UPC conversions, nor was my husbands. I repented, was baptized in the titles and recieved the Holy Ghost in a charismatic church. I was totally changed and cleansed. Radically so. A few months later, I was rebaptized in Jesus name and nothing changed except the fact that I was called 'sister' by those in the church. I immediately latched onto standards simply seeing them as a beneficial way to live my life. I loved standards the whole time I was in the UPC. It was my love expression to a God who saved me. It was only later, after I saw the twisted way that people used standards to keep people in legalism that I gave them up....too sick about it to go on with it. But, I think much of the 'conversion' in church is just peer pressure. After all, anyone can get baptized, blabber a few syllables and wear the right clothes.

These are the REAL three steps the three steppers believe! LOL

3-steppers...

tic

deltaguitar · #5 08-26-2008, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILG

LOL! Should you be? I hope you are not upset I quoted you. You were just being honest, right?

That is fine. I didn't put a lot of thought into that post but yes I was being honest.

ILG · #6 08-26-2008, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deltaguitar

That is fine. I didn't put a lot of thought into that post but yes I was being honest.

Would you care to share more thoughts about it?

mizpeh · #7 08-26-2008, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILG

After all, anyone can get baptized, blabber a few syllables and wear the right clothes.

I suppose if you want to put it that way anyone can be peer pressured into repenting and believing the gospel too. Anyone can pretend to be a Christian. Or perhaps when they fall away from Christ they can claim it was all peer pressure even though at the time they felt and believed every bit of it!

ILG · #8 08-26-2008, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mizpeh

I suppose if you want to put it that way anyone can be peer pressured into repenting and believing the gospel too. Anyone can pretend to be a Christian. Or perhaps when they fall away from Christ they can claim it was all peer pressure even though at the time they felt and believed every bit of it!

Of course that is all true. But how many just are there because of peer pressure and how many have had an actual conversion? Certainly those who care about souls would care about the difference!

Michael The Disciple · #9 08-26-2008, 10:56 AM

There are wheat and there are tares. The Wheat actually is planted by the Father. It actually produces the fruit it is supposed to. The Tares meanwhile have no root in themselves and eventually are exposed to be "something else".

Yet we must assume anyone who responds to the gospel may be wheat. If they seem to be wanting Christ we should encourage them. But we know that the devil is busy sowing tares. People that will always be questioning the word or the Spirit.

We must give the word of truth to the great and small. If it be truth it will in time itself divide the Wheat from the Tares. But if error is taught it can confuse even the Wheat and embolden the Tares causing great confusion in the Church. Thats where we are today.

deltaguitar · #10 08-26-2008, 12:45 PM

I feel that many of the issues that I dealt with in my home church were because the Gospel was not emphasized. Acts 2:38 instead was the message we received. Yes we had good preaching and sermons that taught us to live right but I was not taught the truth, IMO.

Because I was not taught the Gospel and salvation by grace through faith it lead to me just trying to check things off a list. I loved God with all my heart but until I had gone through the three-steps it didn't matter.

I am reading a book titled Toxic Faith. While I have understood for sometime how dangerous legalism and adding to the gospel can be, because of my own situation, however, this book confirms some of the thoughts that I have had throughout the last few years.