Because we remain strong in the freedom in which Christ has made us free from the rudiments and ordinances of this world, yet we remain sensative as well to the slavery yokes which others have fastened themselves to, and like Paul, we would also like to question them who fit the following as well:

Colossians 2:20-23 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
(Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

We don't want to be a means of their stumbling because they may happen to be weak in the faith and we, strong. But how can one consider themselves to be born again who first hasn't been crucified with Christ??? (Impossible!!!)
So we always try to be careful not to abuse our Liberty that we have found in Christ with which He set us free in.

We try at all times to be all things to all men... but when doing so interferes with our conscience and sin is when we we must draw the line and go no further. (There is a limit! That limit is, Knowing the Truth! - John 8:32)
We both know that after a "short" time in the Lord, that person will rightly respond to the Truth; "IF" he Loves the Living Word of God then he will prove it by keeping/obeying "His" words, alone. (We both know this, and look for this... "Miracle", in others who profess Christ!)

Galatians 2:18-21 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Being in the Lord a while, we know how men like Luther, Calvin and Campbell can and did make - "mistakes", which in turn did great damage to the churches they had started. Luther brought with him baby baptism; amongst other errors from the Catholic church, and Calvin's TULIP is about the most atrocious doctrine I ever heard of. As for the churches of Christ, they insist on being water baptised for salvation, and believe that faith is not a requirement for being saved.

This is what I would like to share with you: "The True Meaning of Baptism!"
I know this Pastor on whose podium's desk top sits a plaque that simply says: "I must decrease and He must increase". That Pastor attributed its meaning to mean that whenever he took the podium, that plaque reminded him of how he must decrease to the point that there only remains Christ coming forth. That is so true, well and good!!! But there's more to it than even that, especially where John 3:30 is concerned. It refers to John, the water baptizer and Christ, the Holy Spirit baptizer.

As we look back on it all now, we can truthfully say that John The Baptist did have a following! (That's obvious!) Just before Christ came to him in the river Jordan to be baptized with water (certainly not for the remission of his sins), John was heard beforehand in giving testimony to Jesus, by saying - Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire
Afterwards is when John realized another obvious fact - John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease".

Mark even writes - Mark 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
John preached, "The Baptism of Repentance for the remission of sins". In John's day people would come to him to be water baptized for the remission of sins. Today, water baptism is by some used as an outward expression, sign or symbol showing that the person inwardly is changed and has repented of their sins. That's fine and good, so long as it isn't being used in order to be added to ones faith.

Note too that John's water baptism didn't actually contain any power that could remove or take away a man's sins. Rather it was being used as an outward expression of the sins that were already taken away by God through faith in Christ, either at the time or earlier. Today, as always, it is God; found in Christ by faith alone, who has the final say. He knows the heart! He has the keys to the kingdom, and to whomsoever He will give them to.

Note what Paul in 2 Corinthians 7 writes - 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
This is one and the same kind of repentance (a sorrowing because of sin) that John was earlier found to be baptizing in water with as a sign that they had repented of sins. If he saw no repentance then there wasn't any baptism. No one can receive the Holy Spirit until they have repented of sin.

Let's take a closer look at this in a different way. In order for John to "decrease" it can only mean that both he and his followers (all that was connected to him and to his ministry) had to decrease as well. Why ? "Because both John and his ministry were 'earthly', of the earth, while Jesus and His ministry was of above, of heaven - John 3:31."

We see that decrease right here in Acts 19 - Acts 19:1-3 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto Johns baptism.

I am simply stating that: according to the scriptures, these men were indeed the followers of John the Baptist, thus they had already been baptized. [Note that John's Baptism didn't really do anything to make them followers of "Jesus Christ".] By their own admission, they never even heard of the Holy Spirit before -
Acts 19:4-6 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

It wasn't until they heard these words: "that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus"; that they "Believed in Him"!
It was at the very moment they heard His name (as if hearing it for the first time) is when they came to faith by believing in the name of Christ Jesus by their becoming "Baptized" (not "re-Baptized") in the NAME of the Lord Jesus Christ.... then is when they also received the Holy Spirit. When one believes in Christ is when one becomes Baptised in His name!

WE believe that this is the Baptism that Jesus was talking about - Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

We also know that without our having the Holy Spirit it is impossible to obey Jesus - John 1:12-13 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Christ CANNOT come to us until WE humble ourselves and come to Him first, whereby God takes us and has us crucified with Christ and buried, THEN Christ comes and lives "HIS LIFE" in, for and through us through our receiving the Holy Spirit!

Acts 2:37-38 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Note that they were NOT baptized with John's Water Baptism anymore (BTW - John didn't even know the Christ - read Luke 7:19-20), but were baptized by Peter's words in the name of Jesus Christ - Acts 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

In saying all this, we want you to know that we do not stand opposed to water baptism, unless of course it ADDS to ones faith OR tries to replace the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. As we have said before, we want you to know that we have long ago repented of our sins, believed on Christ, confessed Him before men and became Baptized with the Holy Spirit, without having water of any kind around (except for the word of God).

This is how we feel. It is important for you to understand that once you are Baptized with the Spirit, then if you should ever decide to be "water baptized" then by that single act alone would mean that you "lack something", namely "water" baptism. I pray that you can see how you can't become members of the Baptist church or churches of Christ until you become "water" baptised into "their brand of faith", that you cannot do so. Because by your doing so would only show (in a case like yours, who has already been Spirit baptized) that you are "Lacking Something" that only the Baptists or churches of Christ have ("Baptist Immersion by Water for the remission of sins").

John 3:30-31 He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
In other words, John (and his entire ministry) is from below, while Jesus and His entire ministry is of above. "Water" is of below, while "The Spirit" is of above, of heaven! Jesus has arrived on the scene, making Water Baptism obsolete, when compared to being baptised in His name through faith and receiving the Holy Spirit.

According to their own "rules", we cannot become members of any denomination that insists on our being water baptised first. I would like to remind you that as X-Catholics we are well familiar with church rules, and as to the necessity of having to speak in tongues by the Pentecostal churches, the mandatory baptism by the church of Christ, etc. These are all earthly and man-made laws based on private interpretation 2 Peter 1:20.

However, we are already IN "His" Church, changed and put there by Faith ( Matt.16:18). And so, because of the man-made "rules" set down by the thousands of denominations, if we can't become members of (shall we say) a Baptist church, then we'll remain members of His one and only church! We both know that salvation is by Faith Alone in Christ Alone! "Faith Alone!" - is the one and only requirement!

As for our being put IN Christ goes, we know we lack nothing! So it's not that we're afraid or aren't getting baptized with water as a cowardly admission that we lack faith or love Jesus any less. Instead; in our case, we would feel like Judaizer's (Galatians 5:1-3) who seemed to lack something that only (shall we say) a Baptist church has to give - [And would that be: "Eternal Life in Christ? No!"] - that in order to become full-fledged members of the Baptist church or churches of Christ or even a Roman Catholic church, we would first need to be baptized in water in order to become "members".

I repeat, we are already members of "His" church through faith! We are born again Christians, obedient to Christ alone, and we lack nothing! (The only thing missing at this time is our new, immortal bodies which we will receive at His second coming.) We know we have been forgiven by His shed blood and washed by the water of "His word", and made clean -

Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.