Let's test another group: Baptists who believe WATER Baptism washes away our sins -and that at the very least if you aren't baptized (i.e. dunked) then you aren't obeying Jesus' command!

Right at the top let me say that if one isn't obeying Jesus' commands then he doesn't Love Him enough to KEEP His words- John 14:15, 21, 23; 15:10 - but he in fact Hates Him - John 14:24, proving that he's no Christian. The Scriptures also say that Jesus is the Baptizer, and that He comes baptizing with the Holy Spirit and with Fire - Matthew 3:11.

Some say that WATER (H2O) can wash away the sins of the human conscience! But it can't! In John the Baptists day it was only used as an OUTWARD sign to show that the person "Repented from sin" - Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16. It can NEVER take away sins! ONLY Jesus' shed blood can cleanse us of sin - 1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5.

If you understand that baptism is a covenant sign, then you can see that it is meant to be ONLY an outward representation of the reality of an inward Christ coming via the Holy Spirit in order to circumcize our hearts (Rom. 2:29; Col. 2:11-12). It has no power over the Old Man! What it is is our outward proclamation of the inward spiritual blessing that we have indeed been buried with Christ, regenerared and made anew in Him.

It comes after faith, which is a gift of God, (Rom. 12:3) and the work of God (John 6:28). In and of itself it is powerless, as many faithless people have also been baptized with water, proving it contains no power. It is NOT something "spiritual" that occures at that moment (of our getting WaterBaptized), but should only be used as an outward sign showing what already happened to the new believer. First, we need to understand that God works covenantally. A covenant is a pact or agreement between two or more parties.

Remember, if some church says you need to be joined to them, have your sins forgiven, and/or be saved because you haven't been Water baptised yet -- rather than listen to them condemn you and themselves, listen to the word instead:
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Let that word speak loud and clear to the accusers of Born Again Christians who haven't been Baptized with water, by those who have! I can assure you that if you are resting your faith on this, then you've already lost.

One last thought: If someone maintains that water baptism is necessary for salvation, is he adding his own work to the finished work of Christ? If the answer is yes, then that person would be in terrible risk of not being saved. If the answer is no, then why is baptism maintained as being necessary the same way as the Jews maintained that works were necessary and the way that Judaizers maintained that Jewish circumcision was necessary???

Let's add to the list: Willowcreek church and its pastor, Bill Hybels.
Willowcreek and Hybels preaches a gospel that focuses on the self. For example, he says: "The gospel message for a man is that a relationship with Jesus Christ is essential to avoid ‘mindless misinterpretations of masculine identity.’ For a woman, the gospel is that Jesus Christ offers freedom from being a ‘people-pleaser,’ thereby allowing her to satisfy her ‘need for inner security'." Why is it that we hear TWO Gospels here, one for a man and the other for a woman?

The Real Gospel Message is this:
1 Timothy 1:15 "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief."
It is VITAL that we each understand that anything coming short of this Gospel can only give one an Intellectual approach and understanding of the Scriptures that is void of the Spirit, because of it being a false gospel.

Hybels is a man whose ministry vision at Willowcreek is to have unrepentant sinners be comfortable in the presence of a holy God. There is no cross in his church, no hymnals, and a strong appeal to the "unchurched", and this is how Willowcreek grew into megachurch size. As being X-Catholics ourselves we fully understand and wonder how else Roman Catholics can comprise nearly 50% of the attendance and still feel COMFORTABLE in the presence of a Holy God? (I assure you that if GOD were present, the vast majority would flee for the hills.)

We cannot and do not go along with what are called "The Megachurches", of which "Willowcreek" fits the description perfectly. We see how his book: "Becoming a Contagious Christian" is nothing more than another "HOW TO" book written by men who have "Intellectualized" the Scriptures. I ask you seriously, what does the message of Bill Hybels have to do with kneeling before the cross of Christ, forsaking it all and letting Him be the Lord of all?

As you know there is only one way to save souls, and that is by preaching to them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, including the part where IF they love Him and seek to obey Him then they haven't any other choices but to give Him their heart and forsake all in order to follow Him. This is the Gospel that we know and preach - this is the Gospel personally taught to us by the Holy Spirit - and this is the part of the Gospel that the megachurches leave out. That's why these Seeker or Sinner Friendly churches have grown so large, because they cow-tow to the world's image of what Christ should be TO THEM rather than having the world and the Christian be conformed to the image of Christ.

We have learned early in our Christian walk that you need NONE to teach you. The assumption given in the book is that it adhears to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, yet the mindset and marketing techniques given in the book seem oriented to appeal to the rich and famous rather than to the poor lost sinner.