Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter told us that Noah’s household of eight passing through the flood in the ark was a type of baptism. The waters of the flood separated those who were in the ark from the world in which they once were, that they might be delivered from that corrupted age. This signifies that the water of baptism separates those of us who are in Christ from the world in which we formerly lived, that we may be delivered from this crooked and perverted generation. Therefore, just as Noah and his family were saved through the flood and delivered from that corrupted generation, so we also are saved through the water of baptism and delivered from this crooked generation. On the one hand, they entered the ark by faith and were saved through the ark, thus escaping God’s judgment by the flood. On the other hand, they passed through the flood in the ark and were saved through the flood; that is, they were saved out of the former world and were brought into a renewed world. Likewise, on the one hand, we have entered into Christ by faith and have been saved through Christ, thus escaping the judgment of God’s wrath. On the other hand, we have been baptized into Christ and have been saved through the water of baptism; that is, we have been delivered from the old world and brought into a new realm in resurrection. Therefore, what the flood did for Noah’s household of eight, baptism does for us. It saves us through water and delivers us from the world that we may enter into the new realm of resurrection.
Baptism is the appeal to God of the baptized ones for a good conscience unto God (1 Pet. 3:21). When we were baptized, we were baptized into Christ to be identified with His death, burial, and resurrection; hence, through baptism we were able to obtain a good conscience. Our conscience no longer condemns us, but rather we are full of peace and confidence that our sins have been forgiven, that all the problems we have with God have been solved, and that we have been baptized into the Triune God (Matt. 28:19) and organically united with Him through the resurrection of Christ, that is, by Christ in resurrection as the Spirit of life.
Baptism is the counterpart of our faith. We need not only to believe in all that Christ has accomplished, but also to be baptized to match our believing. Our baptism and our believing are two aspects of one thing, and the two are inseparable. Our believing is an inward reflection of Christ’s accomplishments. This inward believing, however, needs an outward expression. This expression is baptism. Baptism complements our believing. We, the believers, can have a good conscience unto God through believing and baptism. With such a good conscience we can testify before God, the world, the angels, Satan, and all creation that we have been identified with Christ, that we have died and been raised together with Him, that we are in Him, that our sins have been forgiven by God, that we have been justified by God, and that we are unto God and belong to God forever.
Some aspects of God’s salvation we need to receive by believing, while others we need to partake of by being baptized. Only by both believing and being baptized can we obtain God’s complete salvation. Baptism is as important as repentance and believing. This is because baptism is the initiation of the New Testament dispensation, the fulfillment of righteousness before God, the Lord’s charge before His ascension, the teaching of the apostles, and a step for the entrance into the kingdom of God. Moreover, if anyone refuses to be baptized, he nullifies the counsel of God. According to the revelation of the Scriptures, to be baptized is to be baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, into the name of the Lord Jesus, into the name of Jesus Christ, upon the name of Jesus Christ, into Christ, into His death, and into His Body. Such baptism has two aspects: water baptism and Spirit baptism. Water, as the symbol of baptism, and the Holy Spirit, as the reality of baptism, are typified by the sea and the cloud in which the children of Israel were baptized. Water is also the means of salvation, as typified by the water through which Noah and his family passed. Such baptism is an appeal to God that we, the baptized ones, may have a good conscience before God and testify to the whole universe that we have been identified with Christ, that our sins have been forgiven by God, that we have been justified by God, and that we are unto God and belong to God forever.