Baptism Now Saves You? (LD 27; 1 Peter 3:21)
Baptism is one of those tricky things that can distract us from our savior. On the one hand, we do not want to say that baptism automatically saves. This would mean that humans could force the hand of God to work. We would simply have to baptize everyone and then all human beings would be born again, and be under the operation of the Holy Spirit.
On the other hand, we do not want to say that the Spirit does not work in Baptism. The sacraments are a means that God uses to strengthen our faith. So, we do not want to deny that the Lord is strengthening our faith in the administration of baptism.
So, how do we address this? Well certainly symbolizes the cleansing power of Christ’s blood and Spirit, highlighting our unworthiness to receive God’s grace. The sign drives home our entrance into his kingdom by His God’s mercy. Peter, in 1 Peter 3:21, connects baptism to the flood, illustrating salvation through Christ’s resurrection power, not just the act of baptism itself.
The flood narrative in 1 Peter 3:18-22 is a prophetic picture of Christ’s resurrection and victory over death. Baptism, as a sign of the covenant, which symbolizes the covenant community’s victory and assures believers of Christ’s certain work. It also serves as a warning to those who reject Christ, because they are the souls at the time of Noah who rejected Noah’s prophetic work finding themselves outside the ark. Noah and the prophets were advancing the same message that is confirmed in Christ. In fact, Christ is not preaching or establishing a different message. They all point to the one Christ.
We need to understand that the Gospel and the Sacraments point us to the same Christ. We should not look to the preaching of the gospel any more than the pictures of the gospel to save us. We need to look to the substance: Jesus Christ. When baptism is administered let us think about what it means to dwell in the Lord’s household. Let us think about what it means to be empowered by Christ and united to our savior. Let us be refreshed in knowing that we have emerged through the ordeal waters of death and emerged as new creatures in the new creation.