“Bury Your Sins In The Tomb With Jesus!”

“Bury Your Sins In The Tomb With Jesus!”
Peter writes, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit…” He goes on to explain that in the days of Noah only eight people were saved through water, “and this water symbolises baptism which now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body but the response of a good conscience towards God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand – with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him”(I Pt. 3:18-22).
If we were to go by Peter’s comparison of baptism to the eight people who were saved in Noah’s ark, we would say baptism does not become a confirmed guarantee for salvation. If it was we would have automatically become children of the saved because we are the descendants of those eight in the ark.
After the flood God reaslied that every inclination of man’s heart is evil from childhood(Gen. 8:21). If God realised that every inclination of man is evil from childhood, then baptism alone cannot safe unless there is a conversion of that evil inclination of the heart towards Christ.
This may explain why Peter says baptism does not remove dirt from the body, but it is rather the response of a good conscience towards God. It is by the resurrection of Christ that we are saved. It is the work of grace that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. At his resurrection we rise in new life and become new creations.
The death and resurrection of Christ is the reason for our joy, but if we rejoice still with the inclination of our hearts tilted towards evil, then our response towards God is without a good conscience!
Prayer: Thank you Lord Jesus for carrying my sins away by your death. Turn the evil inclinations of my heart so that I may respond to God with a good conscience. Amen.
Happy Holy Saturday! Peace be with you!