Please remember we will not have
a service next Wednesday evening, so keep that in mind. And tonight
I've asked Brother Bill Parker to bring our message for us,
so he's going to come at this time and bring the word that
God's given him for us. What a blessing it is, again,
to be up here in this place and reading from God's sacred word,
the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Peter writing to us in
the book of 1 Peter, chapter 3. And we're going to start our
reading with verse 13. Verse 13. And who is he that will harm
you if you be followers of that which is good? But if you suffer
for righteousness' sake, happy are ye, and be not afraid of
their terror, neither be troubled, but sanctify the Lord God in
your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man
that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness
and fear. Having a good conscience, that
whereas they speak evil of you as evildoers, they may be ashamed
that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. It is
better if the will of God be so that you suffer for well-doing
than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered
for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.
But which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, which
sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God
waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was preparing. wherein
few that his eight souls were saved by water, a like figure
wherein to even baptism doth also now save us, not the putting
away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience
towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone
into heaven and is on the right hand of God, angels and authorities
and powers being made subject unto him. The theme of this scripture
is the work of Christ, as the theme is of all scriptures. And
a sub-theme in the book of 1 Peter is suffering and afflictions,
and it's all through the letter of 1 Peter. Peter has filled
his letter with exhortations concerning physical persecutions. In chapter 1, verse 6 and 7,
he describes many temptations, trials of your faith. And then
in chapter 2, in verse 12, he describes accusations against
us. And in chapter 2, verse 15, ignorant
talk of foolish men against us. And in 2.19, endurance of grief
by those Christians, suffering wrongfully. And in 2.20, doing
well and suffering patiently, even buffeting physical blows. And in 3.9, evil and railing
against the Christians. So there is a sub-theme in the
idea of Christ being the Savior during sufferings, and the answer
for sufferings is all through here. Christ, our sanctuary in
suffering. Christ, our sanctuary in suffering,
I think would be a title here. And I've got three major observations
here. First is our assurance in tribulations. Second is our priority in persecutions,
and third is our sanctuary in sufferings. Our sanctuary in
sufferings. First of all, our assurance in
tribulations is in verse 13 and 14. In 13 and 14 here, it says
he starts out with a rhetorical question. In fact,
before we read that, from chapter 2, verse 11, Peter has been talking
about submission and suffering under the providence of God as
a testimony. That's really the larger context
of this passage, under the providence and will of God as a testimony
of the hope that is in us. He started doing that in chapter
2, verse 11. If God's providence has called
for our suffering, the apostle Peter asks this almost rhetorical
question here in verse 13. Let's read 13 and 14. And who
is he that will harm you if you be followers of that which is
good? But if you suffer for righteousness sake, happy are you, and be not
afraid of their terror, neither be troubled. This rhetorical
question that I would say almost rhetorical, they would say, and
who is he that will harm you if you be followers of that which
is good? It's kind of, I'm reminded of
what Paul said in Romans 8 when he said, if God be for us, who
can be against us? That's something to think about.
Who can be against us? This verse 13 goes right back
to verse 12, and I didn't read verse 12 because I wanted to
read it now. Look at verse 12, what he says here. For the eyes
of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their
prayers, but the face of the Lord is against them that do
evil." Now think of that, the eyes of the Lord and the ears
of the Lord. He is talking about none other
than the sovereign control and providence of God. The sovereign
control when he says the eyes of the Lord. the omniscience
and providence of God. God sees all that is, that is
going on, and He hears our prayer. He hears our prayers. First Peter
1.6, when he says that God has limited trials and tribulations
for a season, and if need be. You can look over there in 1.6,
in chapter one, verse six, where he says, wherein ye greatly rejoice,
though now for a season, that is for a short time, If need
be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. God saw
a need of it. If it be, need be. If it be,
need be. I heard a preacher say that one
time, and I think that is so true. And then in 317, he says
this in our context, he says, for it is better if the will
of God be so. If the will of God be so. So
the caveats are for a season, if need be, and if the will of
God be so. And here in verse 12, He's saying
His eyes and ears are on us. His eyes and ears. That's an
anthropomorphism, isn't it, for the omniscience of God and the
hearing ear of God of our prayers. And when we think about our prayers
going up to God, who is it that filters our prayers? Our faithful
high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, isn't it? Who can be touched. with the feelings of our infirmities,
with the feelings of our infirmities. Oh, my friends, it's the Lord
Jesus Christ who prays our prayers and who carries us before the
throne of God. I would like to recommend at this point a sermon
by our pastor back on October the 1st this year, six weeks
ago. giving thanks in all things.
I would just like to recommend that. It was a great help. And
he says, in the day of prosperity, in Ecclesiastes 7, he says, in
the day of prosperity, be joyful. In the day of adversity, consider
God has set the one over the other. God has said it. And then
you can listen to that illustration. I won't say much more about that,
but a good illustration at that point. And so Paul also takes
these harmful physical trials and persecutions into account
when he says, shall tribulation, shall distress, persecution,
famine, nakedness, peril, or sword, meaning death, shall they
separate us from the love of God? You know, harm, to harm
us would be to separate us from the love of God. No harm can
come to the Christian unless it was a harm that which can
never happen. So what can separate us from the love of God? That's
why he uses that. And as Peter says, who is he that will harm
you? And then in verse 14a, in 14a, he says this. He says, but if you suffer for
righteousness sake, happy are you? Happy are you? Well, he's
not saying you're elated during that time. He's saying you're
blessed. Didn't the Lord Jesus Christ
say that? When he said, blessed are ye when you are persecuted
for righteousness sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad
for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted the prophets
that were before you. And so no real harm can come
to a believer But the believer is in heaviness in 1.6. Peter
said he's in heaviness. This is not double talk. He's
not changing his theme here in 3 from chapter 1 or from any
other chapter. It's in heaviness. You're in
heaviness through manifold temptations, but realizing that no real harm
can come. because of the will of God for
you in your life, because of the providence of God who brought
these things, and because of the grace of God. Remember what
he told Paul when Paul prayed three times, and he said, My
grace is sufficient for thee. My strength is made perfect in
weakness. And also, not only the will of
God, not only the providence of God, the grace of God is our
rescue, but the prayers of our faithful high priest, the Lord
Jesus Christ. And many other things that we
should thank God for, and like I say, I recommend that sermon. So we see our assurance in tribulations
is this, is the will of God and the providence of God. And our
priority in persecution is number two. Look at 14b. 14b. Be not afraid of their terror,
neither be troubled, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and
be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you
for a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. Sanctify the Lord God in your
hearts and be ready. Peter has a scripture in mind.
And we see in this book of 1 Peter, he is in Isaiah 8 many times
here. But let's look at Isaiah 8, verse
11 through 14. Isaiah 8, 11 through 14, before
we talk about this, because it's very important. And as you're
turning there, Isaiah prophesied to Judah, the southern kingdom.
The setting of Isaiah's day was the immediate threat of the conflict
of Syria and Israel, the northern kingdom. And we see in chapter
7 that they would not prevail. In chapter 8, the Lord told Isaiah
that he would bring an Assyrian army like a raging river that
would flood the land as a river and would reach even up to the
neck. And we see later on that in 722 BC, Syria took Israel
captive, the Lord judging them because of their idolatry, took
them captive, and would later come against Judah and would
try to take it, but for the miraculous deliverance of the angel of the
Lord in 2 Kings 19. So let's look at that scripture
here with that backdrop of suffering in Isaiah 8 and verse 11. For
the Lord spake thus unto me with a strong hand, and instructed
me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,
Say not ye a confederacy to all them whom this people shall say
a confederacy, neither fear their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify
the Lord of hosts himself, and let him be your fear, let him
be your dread, and he shall be for a sanctuary. but for a stone
of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel,
and for a gen and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem."
I like that first part right there. And that identifies, doesn't
it, the Lord Jesus Christ by that very scripture. He shall
be for a sanctuary, for a sanctuary. We need to think about that.
You know, I would like to, before we talk much about that scripture,
I'd like to read Hawker, Robert Hawker on this, it's very good.
He says, a precious word of comfort he gives us. As if he had said
to the prophet, tell my people in the midst of those sinners
not to fear the general tidings of evil, neither shall they seek
to form alliances with any, but let them sanctify me in their
hearts and make me their fear and their confidence. They shall
find that the fear of God will drive out the fear of man as
the fire of the Sun will put out the fire of the hearth Or
as the ocean will swallow up all rivers Besides this general
direction another special mercy is marked I mean the features
of him who is promised as a sanctuary the very characters by which
he is here revealed most fully point him out and He who is to
be for a sanctuary to his people is to be for others a stone of
stumbling and a rock of offense. Now who can hesitate for a moment
to discover the Lord Jesus Christ in these distinguishing characters?
He is our sanctuary, isn't he? The people of Judah's pressure
on Isaiah would possibly cause him to compromise his message
and to advise for worldly solutions in a threat of war. You know,
things don't change much, do they? In Isaiah's time, in the
book of 1 Peter, in Peter's audience, things don't change much. In
this time today, the devil still uses the same tactics, doesn't
he? The desire for church growth has caused many preachers to
change their preaching on the sovereignty of God and election
and predestination and the efficacious atonement of Christ. Pressure
from an employer has caused many employees not to speak of Christ
even during their break times. And local authorities don't want
the truth preached that God condemns homosexuality, or they don't
want the truth preached of the gospel in street corners, do
they? And back in 1 Peter chapter 3, He had this Isaiah passage
in mind, didn't he? He had this Isaiah passage in
mind. And I want to just concentrate
on one word because all this is repeated again in 1 Peter.
Look at 1 Peter 3.14. And be not afraid of their terror,
neither be troubled. Same thing he told Isaiah, right?
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always
to give an answer to every man that asketh for a reason of the
hope in you. That word, sanctify the Lord
God in your hearts, and he shall be a sanctuary, a sanctuary. Oh wow, that is to me such a
blessing. We must worship Christ our Lord
as our sanctuary for the soul. Trust Christ in times of opposition
and persecution. Be ready to give an answer to
every man. Sanctify the Lord in your hearts. A sanctuary is
a place set aside according to the Hebrew dictionary for worship.
And I think of all the meanings and the implications as a place
of safety, a place of refuge. Christ is to be sanctified in
our lives. To Him we run. for safety and
continually run. You know, we fled for refuge,
didn't we? We fled for refuge to lay hold upon that hope that
was set before us, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory in
the book of Hebrews. And I think about that cliff
in the rock, you know, when he hid Moses. The place where he
hid Moses so that the glory of God and the holiness of God did
not consume him. Isn't that our Lord Jesus Christ?
Isn't that? He's a sanctuary. That is our
Lord Jesus Christ. He satisfied God's justice when
his wrath was poured out on the cross upon our Lord Jesus Christ.
And David said in the Psalms, I will say to the Lord, he is
my refuge in my fortress, my God in him I trust. Look at 14 again, 14 of 1 Peter
chapter 3, the second part, where he says, be not afraid of their
terror, but he says, sanctify the Lord, just like Isaiah had
said, Isaiah said, let him be your fear, let him be your dread. He said back in Isaiah, and he
shall be a sanctuary for you. I don't want to be ashamed of
the words of Christ in this evil and adulterous generation. I
want the Lord to be my fear. Fear him, don't fear what the
people shall say. The Lord said in Leviticus, I
will be hallowed among the children of Israel, I will be worshipped.
He is our Lord and his rule is our delight. Our Father who art
in heaven, the Lord said when he instructed his disciples on
prayer, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be
done. And then in verse 16, what does
he say here in our text? What does he say here going back
to 1 Peter 3 verse 16? He says, having a good conscience
that whereas they speak evil of you as evildoers, they may
be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conduct in Christ.
This is a parallel with chapter 2 and verse 12. Turn there. where
he says the same thing, essentially the same thing, having your conversation
honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you
as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall
behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. when Christ visits
them, either for mercy or for judgment, they would still have
to say they saw the Spirit of Christ in you, and we trust that
it will be for mercy. We saw our assurance in tribulations. We saw the providence and the
purpose of God also in the prayers of our high priest. We saw our
priority in persecution, which is the Lord, our sanctuary. Let Him be your fear. Sanctify
Him. Fear Him. Don't fear what the people say.
And that is just a counsel to my own heart. Aren't we so prone
to the fear of man? But the Lord will drive away
the fear of God, and the worship of God will drive away the fear
of man. But number three, I want to read verse 18. Verse 18 in
1 Peter 3, again. For Christ also hath once suffered
for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit,
made alive by the Spirit." What he's talking about here is our
refuge in focus. Our refuge in focus, and that
is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is our Savior,
and He is our refuge. He is our sanctuary. And Peter
brings it out in his suffering and his resurrection. The Bible
says in Hebrews, consider him who endured such conflict of
sinners against himself, lest you grow weary and faint in your
minds." And it also says, let this mind be in you that was
also in Christ Jesus. Peter says, Christ also, Christ
also has suffered for sin. And that would be a great encouragement
to the suffering saints that their Savior also had suffered
innocently. However, the Spirit of God would
not have us look only at His example, would He? Just like
back in chapter 2, verse 24, the other great, great evangelistic
passage in this Word of God. In this book, the Spirit of God
would not have us look only at His example as a great encouragement
to others. That's what liberal theology
would like you to think. But no, he says this. Peter didn't
say Christ suffered for sins, also suffered, or something like
that. He said Christ also has suffered once for sins. See,
he's getting into the doctrine. of the sufferings of Christ and
the efficacious grace, the efficacious blood of Christ. He suffered
once for sins, once at the end of the world, once at the end
of time, hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself. Compare religion that wants to
crucify Christ over and over at the hands of a priest, of
an earthly priest. It's equal to putting him to
an open shame. Hebrews 9, 24 and 25. Look at that for just
a couple of books back. Hebrews 9, 24 and 25, a wonderful
scripture. I'm sorry, 25 and 26, 25 and 26. nor yet that he should offer
himself often as the high priest entereth into the holy place
year after year with the blood of others. For then he must often
have suffered since the foundation of the world, but now once in
the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin, to
put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, the sins of his people
that had been given to him. His people that were given to
Him from the foundation of the world. He says He suffered once
for sin. He suffered once at the end of
the age for sin, for His people. And He says this, the just for
the unjust. First of all, He says the just,
the truly innocent one. Look back in chapter 2 of 1 Peter,
verse 22 and 23. who did no sin, neither was guile
found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he reviled
not again. When he suffered, he threatened
not, but committed himself to him that judges righteously."
Hebrews says that Jesus Christ is the one by whom He made the
worlds. He wasn't just a just man, in
other words. He was the one by whom He made
the worlds. He did no sin, but He was the
one by whom God made the worlds. By whom being the brightness
of His glory and the expressed image of His person. The Word
was God, John says, and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among
us. Wherefore, when he cometh into
the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not,
but a body thou hast prepared for me. A body thou hast prepared
for me. He took upon himself, the second
person of the Trinity took upon himself that body that was prepared
for him in the womb of Mary, didn't he? And he came down,
he was made flesh and dwelt among us. And so Peter says he's the
just one. He is God in the flesh. And He
died for the unjust. The unjust. The just for the
unjust. Isn't that beautiful? How does
the scripture describe us? The unjust. The unjust. That's
an understatement. I really don't want to say that. It's not an understatement. But
let's look at that word, the unjust. the unjust. We all sinned
in Adam, our federal head, in that covenant of works. Man was
not perfect in that time, but Adam was in a state of innocence,
untried. He was given one prohibition
out of all the blessings that God had given him, one prohibition,
the day you eat thereof of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil, that you shall surely die. In Romans 5.12 he says this,
That's Adam. And death through sin. And so
death passed upon all men for that all have sinned. All sinned
in Adam. God imputed Adam's sin on all
his posterity because Adam is the federal head of all mankind.
Also, we were all in the loins of Adam. In other words, we're
all Adam's seed. We're all sinners. All have sinned,
and we sin by choice. We sin by choice. It shows our
nature. Not only all sin in Adam, but we all sin. We prove it daily.
David said, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived
me. As we read, death passed upon all men, spiritual death.
Mankind is dead in trespasses and sins. The Bible says that
we are slaves of sin. We're slaves of sin. When you
were servants or slaves of sin, Paul says, you were free from
righteousness. You had no righteousness. You
were free from it. You were a slave of sin. As slaves, we were taken captives
by Satan at his will or to do his will. And that is in 2 Timothy
2.26, if you want to jot that scripture down. We were blinded
by him, weren't we? In 2 Corinthians 4, we were blinded,
lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the
image of God, would shine unto us. He had blinded our eyes. We couldn't see. We were enemies
of God by wicked works. and our carnal minds were enmity
with God." We were enemies and our carnal minds were enmity
with God in Romans 8, verse 7. And we were cursed under God's
holy law in Galatians 3, weren't we? For as many as under the
works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, cursed is
everyone that continueth not in all things that are written
in the book of the law to do them. And who can approach a
holy God in this situation? Who can approach a holy God?
Who shall ascend to the heel of the Lord, the psalmist says,
or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands,
is that us? He that hath a pure heart. who
hath not lifted up his soul to vanity or sworn deceitfully.
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteous
deeds are as filthy rags before God." Who can bring a clean thing
out of an unclean? Isn't that what Job asked when
he thought about judgment? Who can bring a clean thing? Job was wondering how he could
stand in judgment. Who can do that? The Lord Jesus
Christ, our refuge. Our refuge can do that, the Lord
Jesus Christ. Our scripture says that he brought
us to God. He brought us to God. Christ,
the mediator of the new covenant, the covenant of grace, all those
chosen in Christ and given to him share in the blessings of
the covenant. Look at Hebrews chapter 9 again, Hebrews chapter
9 and verse 15. And for this cause, he is the
mediator of the New Testament, the New Covenant, that by means
of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were
under the First Covenant, First Testament, they which are called,
they which are called, all the ones who were given to Christ
might receive the promise of eternal inheritance, all that
the Father had given unto him. would come. He said, would come
to me. All that were given me will come to me. Oh, my friends,
they that are called might receive the eternal inheritance because
He is the mediator of the new covenant. God had a purpose for
bringing to Himself all those from the foundation of the world.
The scripture here says he brought us to God. God had a purpose
in bringing us to himself, didn't he? In 2 Timothy 1.9, don't turn
there, but he says, who hath saved us and called us with a
holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his
own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began. Christ Jesus is the second Adam.
All in the first Adam sinned and all died in Romans 5, right? For as by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many
be made righteous. through Christ's obedience. Christ
fulfilled the law completely and the only one who has. And
we are given, when you're in Christ Jesus, you're given that
robe of his righteousness. You're credited with his obedience
to the law of God. The Lord Jesus reconciled us
to God when we were enemies. For if, when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, that's
how He brought us to God. We were reconciled. Much more
than being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. That proves
the resurrection, being saved by His life, proves that the
work of God is perfect. It needs nothing. And God accepted
it. He raised Him from the dead.
He triumphed over death because His work was perfect. And He
showed the world that His work was perfect. And that's exactly
what Peter states here in our text, because in 18b, he says,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.
And you know, I need to make one, just bring out something
right here. He says being put to death in
the flesh. You know, he was not put to death
as a victim, was he? He wasn't put to death in the
flesh by sinful man. He gave his life in death. He
cried with a loud voice before he died. He had his strength.
He gave up. He gave up the ghost. In John 10, verse 15 through
18, why don't we turn there? This would be a great scripture
to turn to besides those ones in Hebrews. John 10, 15 through
18. What a blessed scripture. What
a wonderful scripture. He says, as the Father knoweth
me, even so I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the
sheep. Verse 16 of John 10 says, and
other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, them also I
must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be
one fold and one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love
me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No
man taketh it from me, but I lay it down. I have the power to
lay it down. I have the power to take it again.
This commandment have I received of my Father." You see, Peter
says in 18b, in our text, he says, being put to death in the
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit, quickened by the Spirit of God.
And so, I want to just comment in closing about these last few
verses. Let me turn back there. In 1 Peter chapter 3, And verse 19, quickened by the
Spirit, he says, and then in verse 19 he says, by which also
he went and preached unto the spirits in prison. This is a
very confusing verse to many, and it was confusing to me, it's
been confusing to many. But this was the Spirit of Christ
preaching in the Old Testament through Noah and those who were
disobedient that are now in prison. They're now in prison. They weren't
when the preaching was going on. The Bible says Noah was a
preacher of righteousness. Don't turn there, but just jot
this down, 2 Peter 2.5. Noah was a preacher of righteousness.
Peter also mentions the Spirit of Christ working in the Old
Testament in this letter right here of 1 Peter. He mentions
that in 1 Peter 1.11 where he says here, So it would encourage,
it would be a great encouragement of these believers of these brethren that are suffering
to know the Spirit of Christ was working in them and He has
always been working throughout time with the preacher of the
gospel during persecutions. Noah was given here as an example.
Noah was a preacher of righteousness. Noah moved with fear, sanctified
the Lord God in his heart. Noah stands out as an example
of someone who, like the believers that Peter wrote to for a good
conscience, endured grief, and ridicule, taking a course of
action to sanctify the Lord God in his heart and testify of the
gospel, not fearing men. You know, Hebrews 11 is a good
reference to this when he says this, by faith Noah being warned
of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared
an ark to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the
world. Wow. And then, and then the next verse
here that he says, uh, where he says, which sometime he says,
uh, which sometime we're disobedient. When once the long suffering
of God waited in the days of Noah, uh, while the ark was preparing,
we're in few, that is eight souls were saved by water. The like
figure where in two, even baptism does also now save us, not the
putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of
a good conscience towards God. by the resurrection of Christ.
Taking the subject of Noah, Peter wants to draw the similitude
of the type and antitype of Christ and the work of Christ, meaning
Christ is a refuge. Christ was a refuge for Noah,
wasn't he, in the ark. He's talking about the saving
work of Christ. Redemption of the eight elect
souls in the ark And then the greater anti-type of Christ's
redemption. Let me read something by Henry
Mahan on this in closing. Henry Mahan was good on this.
What I wanted to say about this before I read that was it's a
like figure. What was a like figure? The Ark. And Peter does
that by saying not the putting away of the filth of the flesh.
He's not talking about the water of baptism. That's why he says
not putting away the filth of the flesh. But what does he say?
The answer of a good conscience towards God. Remember when the
eunuch said to Philip, Philip said, if you believe with all
your heart, you may be baptized. He said, I believe that Christ
is the Son of God, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That
was the answer of a good conscience, a washed conscience, a redeemed
conscience. But if you take away the parentheses
here, baptism does save us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That's how it would normally
be read, by the resurrection of Christ. And so, closing with
what Henry Mahan would say here. I hope I was clear on that. I know I tend to wander. But Henry Mahan says this, and
this will clear it up. The baptism of a believer is
a picture or a figure like the Ark of Noah. The family of Noah
went into the Ark and were shut in by God, representing a burial.
They were covered by water from above and beneath, immersed in
water. They came out as in a resurrection, delivered from death and judgment,
which claimed all others. When a believer is baptized,
it's a figure of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. and
of our death to sin and self, our burial with Christ, and our
being raised with Christ to walk in newness of life. It is not
baptism that saves, but whom baptism represents. It is not
the cleansing of the flesh, but a living union with Christ in
the heart." And he does list a scripture which I think is
worthwhile talking about when Paul says, He did not send me
to baptize, but to preach the gospel. So you see, it cannot
be the same thing. Paul said, He did not send me
to baptize, but to preach the gospel. A saving efficacy in
gospel preaching is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our
arc of safety. Are you in the arc of safety?
Are you in the refuge? Have you fled for refuge to lay
hold upon that hope that is set before you? If you're in Christ,
You have that refuge, refuge from the wrath of God. And that's
what he's talking about here. Thank you.