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God is sovereign, and his mercy is not bound to the ordinary means of grace, including baptism and the Lord's Supper, which he has given to the church. The Spirit blows where it wills. Who knows how many deathbed penitents, like the thief on the cross, we will see in heaven?

We must not abuse this principle, however, to relegate baptism to a minor place in the Christian life. While God is not bound, we are! The Great Commission is still in effect, and Peter's Pentecost sermon is still the message we proclaim: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

Timothy George is dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University and an executive editor of Christianity Today.

Copyright © 2003 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Earlier Good Question columns include:

How is it that not all prayers for the salvation of others are answered?

If God is in us, shouldn't it be easier to love one another?

What do we gain from a bodily resurrection?

What is the difference between the brain and the soul?

How can I reconcile my belief in the inerrancy of Scripture with comments in Bible translations that state that a particular verse is not 'in better manuscripts'?

Is there a biblical principle behind the punishment of those who break the law?

Is it unscriptural for a Christian to be cremated?

Won't heaven's joy be spoiled by our awareness of unsaved loved ones in hell?

Where exactly do "Oneness" Pentecostals stand in relation to orthodoxy?

Do a man and a woman become married after having sex or after exchanging vows?

How Do You Know That You Have Truly Forgiven Someone?

Who Are We to Judge?

Should We File Lawsuits?

Can We Expect God to Forgive Unbelievers Who 'Don't Know What They're Doing'?

Is the Stock Market Good Stewardship?

Is Satan Omnipresent?

Is Suicide Unforgivable?

Was Slavery God's Will?

A Little Wine for the Soul?

Should We All Speak in Tongues?

Did Jesus Really Descend to Hell?

Take, Eat—But How Often?

Is Christmas Pagan?

Are Christians Required to Tithe?

Is Revelation Prophecy or History?

You're Divorced—Can You Remarry?

If Grace Is Irresistible, Why Evangelize?

Does the 'Bible Code' Really Exist?

What's the Unforgivable Sin?

What Bible Version Did Jesus Read?

Did God Die on the Cross?

You Must Be Born Again—But at What Age?

Was the Revolutionary War Justified?

Can the Dead Be Converted?

What Is the Significance of the Shroud of Turin?

Is Hell Forever?

Why Are There Denominations?

Did Paul Baptize for the Dead?

Do Demons Have Zip Codes?

What Is the Gospel of Thomas?

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July 2003, Vol. 47, No. 7