VOW: 1 Peter 3:21-22, Baptism Saves You

#VerseoftheWeek #VOW is a short devotional commentary of this week's verse from the Around the Word devotions.

[litlckrets]

Throughout my life, I ONLY ever heard that baptism is an outward expression of inward faith / how you show the world that you're a Christian /etc. Pastor Wolfmueller, thank you for helping people like me to understand what the Bible ACTUALLY says about baptism!

[laureah]

I had an interesting experience with baptism. I was getting severe sleep paralysis to the point I started worrying about going to sleep and nightmares constantly and I had been a believer for two months after calling on the name of Jesus and feeling a supernatural peace wash over me.
Leading up to my baptism these night time issues got intense even the night before. My pastor recommended if I was ready to be baptised that it should be done. I was ready and set a date. The night after I was baptised I slept in peace and haven’t had sleep paralysis or nightmares in two years since!!

[bobthrasher]

The word "appeal" can be translated in several possible ways. Another way is "demand" - that is we can interpret this as the "demand of God" for a clean conscience. Rom 2 tells us that God will judge people using their consciences. When you get baptized, your sins are literally washed away. Therefore, the guilt associated with your sins is also removed. If you have no guilt on your conscience, you can have a clean conscience when you stand before God in judgement.

[Mygoalwogel]

Wow! Christ has "all authority in heaven and on earth, " so he makes us disciples in baptism. I never made that connection before. Thank you, Pastor.

[MrGassemann]

Baptism saves you. Yes it does.
I love it

[carlopiedad]

Thank you for this beautiful exegesis rev. God bless you!

[vickigarrett]

Love Around the Word Devotions and was just studying this and looking for a teaching from LCMS. Thank you Pastor. God is so great.

[echomountain]

Those who don't believe baptism saves have the baptism that is just the removal of dirt from the body (baptism as a symbol)

[pjfrog]

Back up to verse 20. It states that Noah was saved through water (not the Ark). And what does this water that saved Noah represent? Baptism which now saves us. How? By the resurrection of Jesus. 1Peter 3:20-21

[Solideogloria]

Excellent pastoral explanation about what the text of Scripture says. Thank you pastor Wolfmuller!

[plattevilleclarks]

The hits on baptism keep coming! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[hiswordistruth]

an appeal to God for a good conscience sounds like confession and repentance to me. Why would I appeal to God for a good conscience unless I was convicted of sin and desperate for forgiveness? And the fact that this appeal is through the resurrection of Christ seems to point to the fact that this appeal is only possible through the risen Lord who atoned for sins! So it seems that baptism saves because baptism is a whole being expression of repentance and faith in Jesus! I think that in the West we have a hard time understanding this passage because our view of what baptism is is different than Peter's and that of the early church.

[KesslerWatsonMusic]

Leviticus 17:11 - the life is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls.

[bnsy-p]

"I think we've all arrived at a very special place: spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically." Captain Jack Sparrow

[DevieAnderson-vetx]

Matthew 3:11-17

King James Version

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

[jimwesterbeck]

that the process of salvation involves the following steps: In order 1-6
One must be properly taught, and hear (Romans 10:14–17);
One must believe or have faith (Hebrews 11:6, Mark 16:16);
One must repent, which means turning from one's former lifestyle and choosing God's ways (Acts 17:30);
One must confess belief that Jesus is the son of God (Acts 8:36–37);
One must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38); and
One must live faithfully as a Christian (1 Peter 2:9).

[MrPeach]

interesting. As a Catholic I am not sure where the disagreement is. We acknowledge that there is no work involved the baptismal saving since we baptise infants and they can't do work. So it seems like there is agreement about how baptism saves us.

[sallymellows]

@Bryan Wolfmueller - John 4:2, why didn't Jesus baptise anyone? Why was it just his disciples / John?

[MoonPhaze]

You can ALWAYS link scriptures from other books of the Bible that agree, using God's own words to confirm what he has said.

[robertnieten]

Water and Spirit baptism are two parts of the one baptism that saves us. Water baptism is for th red remisdion of sins, which is that thd temple of our body is cleansed spiritually in preparation for the Holy Spirit to occupy it.
Spirit baptism is the believer recieving the Holy Spirit or the Spirit occupying our cleansed temple.
You can't have one baptism without the other.