Originally Posted by willy

Thanks for your reply ,, but you seem to think that being baptized will wipe away all temtations.

If you're addressing me, I never said being baptized will wipe away all temptations, only God can help us with that. I said baptism is something that is done after repentance, nothing else. God gives grace and strength to overcome temptations, it has nothing to do with baptism.

He knows he is living a sinful life.

Then why does he love what he knows is a sinful lifestyle, so much that he won't give it up and exchange it for the peace and joy that is in Christ? He needs to humble himself and, giving up his pride, call on the Lord. The bible tells us to choose whom we will serve, and it's an "either-or" equation. Christ is either Lord of your life or He isn't.

And I believe the Holy Spirit is working on him to bring him to Christ.

Yes, and the Holy Spirit will lead him to Christ if he will listen and accept what he hears.

Being baptized will not stop a drug addits cravings for drugs.

Nope.

But being a child of GOD will insure GOD will bless him with strength to over come his problems if he is willing and sincere in stopping.

True.

So should a drug user not be baptized until AFTER he has kicked the habit?

I'm not sure why you are so hung up on baptism, Willy, but you are putting the cart before the horse in regard to it. I sincerely wish you would put it out of your mind and concentrate on the things your friend needs to do right now.
A drug addict, or any sinner needs to call upon the Lord and confess and repent of his sins. Any problems the person may or may not have- financial, sexual, health-related, or whatever, are things that God deals with in conjunction with His giving salvation to us after we have surrendered to Him.

I'm sorry if I am not explaining myself well enough to you.......

It sounds like he doesn't want to be baptized because he has counted the cost, and doesn't want to give up his lifestyle. Godly sorrow brings about repentance without regrets. God doesn't expect anyone to be perfect overnight, but He does expect us to be workable. If we arrogantly think we can do whatever, we are not humbling ourselves before God. If your friend recognizes what he's doing is sinful, and he sincerely wants to be changed, he should turn from this sin and seek Jesus to have the chains of this sin broken. God is faithful, He will do it. Then he will proudly proclaim, with a clear conscience, that Jesus is his Lord. And baptism will help to give him that clear conscience.

n

Originally Posted by willy

But now this person says he doesn't think being baptized is right for him because he is gay.
So ----NOW WHAT ????
I told him since he believes and knows who Jesus Christ is that he should still be baptized .
He can deal with the gay issue afterwards.
Can anyone help me out with what to say to this person?

Your friend is justifiably fearful of condemnation from selfrighteous churchgoers. A lot depends upon the attitudes he hears from the pulpit in the church/churches he's been checking out. I suggest you attend a service or two with him to get a feel for the attitudes he's encountering. I think that's the first step God wants you to take.

SLE