MONMOUTH CHRISTIAN UNION

Never thought of that really...its true though.
If it was my decision i would allow married couples into heaven (even if one of them wasnt baptised) but then again im not God am i. ;)

I also liked your comment down the side too...the big bang really does show that God exists without a shadow of a doubt. Keep up the good work Skinner and all you other guys.

Gabrielle

Thanks. I only thought about that a few days ago, so thought i would publish it on the site for a discussion point anyway.

A verse that I think is commonly taken out of context. I've always been taught that we don't need to be baptized (as in the sense of going under the water) to be a Christian or to be saved. I think that suggests something that we have done to get to Heaven when it is really thanks to the grace of God. I'm not suggesting Baptism is rubbish - by no means. I've been baptized my self. It is an outward sign of our faith and if we are a Christian then we really should be thinking about it but ithas no effect on our salvation. It signifies a spiritual cleansing and rebirth but that is a sign.

I think the verse refers to being baptized with the Holy Spirit, in other words to put it simply - becoming a Christian. We can't get to heavan unless we are a Christian and have faith in God.

Hey Brainstorm,

Talking about your blog on having to be baptised to enter into paradise. Jesus told the thief of on the cross, based upon his acceptance of Jesus as the Christ, "This day you will be with me in paradise." This is pretty lengthy, so bear with me. The thief was not baptised, but, nonetheless, he was given the promise he would be with Jesus in paradise. Paradise was not heaven. Remember the atonement for sin, up to the time of Jesus, was temporary. The Day of Atonement was a big day in Jewish faith, but it had to be carried out year by year. It was performed by a priest, who was the only one who was allowed to go into the Holy of Holies. All of the "old time saints" who had died preceeding the time of Christ, in my opinion, were residing in this place called paradise. Hold on to your seat because this is where it gets heavy. Do you venture a guess where paradise was??????????
Hell perhaps? Sin could not be allowed to enter heaven because of God's Almighty perfection, right? The sin sacrifices of the old testament were only temporary, correct? Have you ever thought about where Jesus' spirit was while his body was in the tomb? Heaven? Read Ephesians 4:9 - 10 ...........
Now that He ascended, what is it but that he also descended FIRST into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. That kind of sheds a different light on the sacrifice Christ made for us doesn't it. To enter heaven, one has to accept Christ as a permanent sin offering. I believe Christ carried your sins and mine into paradise (a special segment in hell set aside by the Father for those who had believed in God, but hadn't seen Christ) in order punish our sins and offer Abraham, Isaac, David, etc. the opportunity to accept Him. Paradise, I believe, no longer exists in case anyone has the idea of living it up until after they have passed from this life....I think Christ closed the door behind himself as he left.